Chapter 323
Chapter 323
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Side Story 14: Yushin
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“Prime Minister Lee Sung-jun, who led Daehan to greatness, passed away in the early hours of this morning.”
The news of Lee Sung-jun’s death delivered a profound shock not only to all sectors of society but to the entire Republic of Korea.
“His Excellency has passed away?”
Everyone struggled to hide their grief at the fact that Daehan’s giant had left the world.
The Korean government prepared a state funeral for Lee Sung-jun.
But his eldest daughter, Lee Se-eun, stepped forward to oppose it.
“Father didn’t want a state funeral.”
“Pardon? But, young lady, this is a national event.”
“Our family just wants to hold a quiet funeral for him.”
Due to Lee Se-eun’s firm stance and the family’s opposition, the Korean government decided to downgrade the state funeral preparations to a national funeral.
This created a strange atmosphere.
“Not a state funeral, but a national one?”
“Are those bastards belittling His Excellency now that he’s gone?”
To soothe the disquieting voices circulating in public, the Korean government announced that the national funeral decision had been made in response to the family’s wishes.
But the floodgates of discontent had opened, and the murmurs now targeted the upcoming election as well.
“His Excellency died because he couldn’t bear to see Daehan’s democracy crumbling.”
The timing of Lee Sung-jun’s death fueled rumors that he had died of frustration and rage.
The Kim Jung-kil regime felt the need to emphasize the image of being “His Excellency’s true successor” to dispel these public perceptions.
“To calm public sentiment, we need a propaganda push.”
“Indeed.”
Kim Jung-kil also sensed the need to restore his tarnished legitimacy.
If he failed to do so here, Jang Dong-yoon’s position could be jeopardized once he inherited power.
With Kim Jung-kil’s tacit approval, the Agency for National Security Planning promoted Jang Dong-yoon as His Excellency’s true successor.
“Lee Sung-jun’s dreams and will will be carried forward by the new leader, President-elect Jang Dong-yoon.”
Jang Dong-yoon personally oversaw the entire funeral proceedings, attempting to solidify his image as the chief mourner and successor to Lee Sung-jun.
The public responded coldly to this propaganda.
“The ones who rigged the election and drove His Excellency to his death—what are they blabbering about?”
Then Lee Sung-jun’s will drove the final nail in.
“I hope my children do not inherit power.”
In his will, Lee Sung-jun expressed concerns for Daehan’s future and left several heartfelt admonitions.
His message carried weight.
The advice and worries spanning society, politics, and the economy resonated deeply with the public.
“Ah, Your Excellency.”
Seeing Lee Sung-jun’s message, which fretted over the nation even in his dying moments, the people felt a fresh surge of anger toward the Kim Jung-kil regime.
After Lee Sung-jun’s funeral ended, the winds of public opinion showed ominous signs.
“Grand Governance Assembly support at 31%?”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
A discreet poll confirmed that the regime’s approval ratings had plummeted to rock bottom.
These numbers were enough to instill a sense of crisis in the regime.
“At this rate, we’ll suffer a crushing defeat in next year’s by-elections.”
Had the Grand Governance Assembly ever lost an election in its history?
A loss like that could shake the regime’s leadership to its core.
“So what do you propose?”
“Since things have come to this, why not prepare Yushin for President-elect Jang Dong-yoon?”
“Enough of that nonsense.”
Kim Jung-kil did not respect democracy, but even he had his limits.
The bare minimum line for him was the form of elections.
He believed that line could not be crossed.
With Kim Jung-kil’s refusal, plans related to Yushin sank beneath the surface.
Kim Jung-kil summoned his successor, Jang Dong-yoon, and laid down the law on the matter.
“This is what His Excellency wanted. No reviving Yushin. No matter what, don’t even think about it.”
“Of course.”
Jang Dong-yoon pledged to the president that he would not retreat further from democracy.
“Good. That’s all I needed to hear.”
But Kim Jung-kil did not fully trust Jang Dong-yoon’s bold assurances.
How many people don’t bend before power?
He himself had.
Kim Jung-kil instructed his loyalists in the Agency for National Security Planning, the presidential secretariat, and the military to keep a close eye on Jang Dong-yoon’s movements.
“Your Excellency, have no worries.”
“Yes. I trust you all.”
After double-checking his own safety nets, Kim Jung-kil stepped down from the ladder of power.
On the day Kim Jung-kil left the presidential residence, Jang Dong-yoon displayed a humility unbecoming of the supreme power holder.
“Your Excellency, thank you for your tireless service to Daehan.”
“Thank you.”
Jang Dong-yoon kept his waist bowed until the car carrying Kim Jung-kil vanished from the residence.
This display painted the new power holder, Jang Dong-yoon, in a relatively mild and gentle light.
In fact, Jang Dong-yoon showed a more moderate and softer face than his predecessor, Kim Jung-kil.
He frequently attended sessions in the National Assembly, willingly accepting criticism.
“I’ll gladly take reprimands for any of my mistakes.”
As Jang Dong-yoon adopted this humble posture unlike his predecessor, the plunging approval ratings stabilized.
“Approval ratings have held steady from 26%.”
“Then we need some event to show them.”
To recover public support, Jang Dong-yoon declared a “renewal of national administration.”
“And to do that, we must first tackle corruption.”
Jang Dong-yoon declared war on corruption.
To that end, he swung the blade of purge against the flies hidden throughout the military, intelligence agencies, and bureaucracy.
Ironically, that blade fell on Kim Jung-kil’s loyalists.
Over 40 top figures flew out the door: the Agency for National Security Planning director, Defense Security Command chief, presidential secretariat deputy chief, Army Chief of Staff, and more.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say most of the human infrastructure Kim Jung-kil had painstakingly built over years was wiped out in one blow.
“Your Excellency! This is a knife dance aimed at us.”
Kim Jung-kil’s loyalists gnashed their teeth at the sudden blades.
Some had minor stains from their work, but many were clean figures far from corruption.
“The president must want to solidify his power.”
If Kim Jung-kil decided to fight back, he wasn’t without means.
He still had major pieces left to challenge the regime.
But what meaning was there in a power struggle after stepping down?
It would only bring chaos to Daehan.
Kim Jung-kil soothed his aides demanding retaliation.
“Let’s think positively. Instead of working into old age, stepping aside to go fishing isn’t so bad.”
Despite Kim Jung-kil’s persuasion, some of the president’s aides wouldn’t stay quiet.
“This treatment is unacceptable for those who served Daehan.”
They unleashed all materials related to the election fraud, shaking the beneficiary Jang Dong-yoon regime from the ground up.
“So the old man Kim Jung-kil is playing dirty, huh.”
Jang Dong-yoon interpreted this as Kim Jung-kil wanting to continue ruling from behind the scenes as a kingmaker.
What choice was there then?
He had to show the blade.
Jang Dong-yoon mobilized the prosecution, police, and the five major power organs to mercilessly attack the people of the former Kim Jung-kil regime.
“What? Jang Dong-yoon is going after Kim Jung-kil?”
Jang Dong-yoon’s offensive appeared regularly in the newspapers.
“So they’re fighting among themselves for power after all?”
“Kim Jung-kil tried to keep pulling strings from behind and got burned big time.”
The public saw it as infighting within the regime and paid little attention.
“What’s so special about filthy dogs snapping at each other?”
Through three months of purges, Jang Dong-yoon succeeded in completely ousting the old Kim Jung-kil faction from the government, bureaucracy, and military.
“Your Excellency, congratulations.”
“Thanks to all of you watching out for me.”
At that moment, Jang Dong-yoon became a complete power holder beholden to no one.
A loss in the upcoming by-elections would shrink his base again, but that was only if he did nothing.
In a meeting with his aides, Jang Dong-yoon discussed ways to stabilize the power he had seized.
With ongoing approval declines and the election fraud issue, predictions favored defeat in the coming general and presidential elections.
'No way we let ourselves be dragged around by an opposition with no governing capability.'
The Jang Dong-yoon regime had no intention of relinquishing the power it had barely grasped.
“Then there’s one method.”
The Agency for National Security Planning director pulled out the Yushin plan prepared by his predecessor.
“Yushin? That Yushin from Lee Sung-jun’s era?”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
Reviving Yushin would eliminate election worries for now.
The Yuhyuk Party would secure 1/3 to 1/4 of seats, so even a bloodbath at the polls wouldn’t lose the majority.
The presidency would be the same.
Switch to an indirect election system, approved by the Assembly or electoral delegates, and power would be easily secured.
“The problem is public backlash.”
The regime’s popularity was already in the gutter.
Pulling out Yushin now could spark nationwide protests.
“That’s why I have one option in mind. How about artificially creating a few incidents and declaring martial law first?”
“What kind of crisis?”
“Detonate nitrogen fertilizer at a port storage yard and disguise it as a terrorist attack?”
“Create an incident artificially, use it as pretext to declare martial law, then prepare Yushin amid the martial law regime?”
“Exactly. Once martial law is declared, any public protests can be easily suppressed by deploying troops.”
Sure, there’d be some sacrifices, but wasn’t that less damage than handing power to an opposition incapable of governing?
Jang Dong-yoon believed this was the right path from a utilitarian viewpoint.
‘There’s no alternative to me in reality.’
The sharp glint in Jang Dong-yoon’s eyes flashed behind his glasses.