Mir Childcare 365

Mid-April.

"Install the app and get a free gift."

Local OB-GYN clinics promoted the app in partnership with City Hall, giving out folic acid supplements as a promotional gift.

And the very moment a woman in early pregnancy registered her pregnancy confirmation certificate—issued by her OB-GYN—on the app while taking her folic acid...

The administrative train departed.

Originally, one had to apply separately at the National Health Insurance Service, the local health center, and financial institutions. But not anymore in Mir City. The app even handled charging points onto the issued National Happiness Card.

In truth, there had been previous attempts to integrate administrative services like this.

For instance, the 'Happy Birth One-Stop Service' provided by Government24.

That was why Yun-hyeok had gone to persuade the Minister of the Interior and Safety—to call that exact service directly from within the app.

He took that one-stop service and doubled down.

Batch application for municipal services was also included.

The app's purpose was to act as a secretary, providing information quickly, accurately, and intelligently.

It offered advice to pregnant women based on physical changes by week, and coached them on their baby's growth after birth.

It integrated services that had previously been fragmented across the Vaccination Helper, i-Sarang, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Previously, to enroll a child in daycare, one had to sign up on the Ministry of Health and Welfare's app, register parent and child information, manually search for daycares, apply, get a waiting number, and then contact or visit the daycare in person. Then, they had to sign up on Bokjiro, input child information, undergo automatic screening by income bracket, apply online, and wait one to two weeks for municipal approval.

But now.

On Mir Childcare 365, it was done in just two taps.

The daycares, sorted by distance, updated their indoor facility information, teacher organizational charts, internal event plans, waiting list numbers, application statuses, and even daily snack menus.

Of course, City Hall employees didn't go around checking the snacks every day; the registered daycares uploaded the announcements themselves.

The moment you applied for daycare admission, the daycare subsidy was automatically requested.

"I missed this last time and couldn't get the subsidy!"

Lee Yun-ha, Yun-hyeok's older sister, lamented. Similar reactions erupted among the parents at the Raymi Castle apartment complex.

The integrated app even handled tasks managed by the Office of Education and individual schools.

Normally, elementary school after-school care was applied for via paper forms submitted to the homeroom teacher or the administrative office.

Parents had to check the schedule through announcements on the school website, print out the application, fill it out by hand, and submit it to the teacher or office—a system practically stuck in the 1990s.

Now, it was also just two taps away on the app.

Reviews after the app's launch were overwhelmingly positive.

And a minor riot (?) broke out on the page.

Yet, amazingly, the app was still incomplete.

Yun-hyeok distributed a press release to announce the upcoming features.

"Aren't you just asking for trouble?"

Kim Min-cheol expressed slight concern over the announcement.

"I don't think you needed to go out of your way to mention private advertisements."

"If we establish a non-profit foundation and consign the operations, running ads isn't illegal."

"That's true. In fact, many other local governments use that exact method."

Normally, if a public institution like City ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Hall directly advertised private businesses, they are highly vulnerable to attacks regarding fairness.

This is why the Local Autonomy Act restricts profit-making activities outside of their original purpose, and local governments conduct profit-generating businesses indirectly through contributed institutions like non-profit foundations. That was the recommended, standard method.

It was safe. In principle.

But...

"During the local elections, there will be politicians who try to attack you over this."

Finding fault with administration that has absolutely no illegal elements is just how old-school politics works.

"So while I agree with the direction itself, I'm worried about you, Mayor."

Yun-hyeok neatly brushed aside Kim Min-cheol's anxiety.

"Thank you for your concern. But fighting that kind of old-school politics is my job as a politician. Hiding things from the citizens just to avoid trouble isn't my style."

"......."

"When ads start appearing later, the citizens deserve to know why they're there."

Kim Min-cheol nodded. In truth, this was exactly what Kim Min-cheol liked about Yun-hyeok.

"We still have about 4 billion won left in the low birth rate countermeasure budget," Kim Min-cheol said.

"The Housing Bureau plans to build additional daycares as they expand the Beomdol District complex project to other areas. Should we allocate it there?"

"No, let's use the urban renewal budget for that."

"But the renewal budget must also be spent on Durim-myeon."

"We'll secure additional budget for Durim-myeon. Assemblyman Park Dae-man is handling that."

Durim-myeon had attracted three high-tech manufacturing startups and was growing rapidly in connection with the local industrial complex. On top of that, it had scored the highest in the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' public contest, giving Park Dae-man plenty of justification.

"He has to do at least that much to earn the right to jump on our bandwagon."

More importantly, shouldn't he be getting a call soon?

"Mayor," Jo Hyeon-seo said, holding up the phone. "It's a call from National Assemblyman Mun Ji-hun's office."

It was here!

Freshman Assemblyman Mun Ji-hun of the Jayu Party.

He had worked as a political reporter for a certain economic daily, became an aide to Assemblyman Lim Jun-won of the Jayu Party, worked in the Jayu Party's spokesperson's office, and was eventually strategically nominated to win the seat for Mir City 'Byeong' district.

Along with Park Dae-man and Lim Jun-won, he was one of the three National Assembly members who carved Mir City into three territories.

Age 43. True to his freshman status, he walked on eggshells around the party leadership and focused heavily on building his career.

"Hello," Yun-hyeok said, picking up. He was connected directly to Assemblyman Mun Ji-hun, not his secretary. After exchanging brief, tedious pleasantries:

At forty-three, he was indeed on the younger side for the National Assembly.

"I don't play golf."

"Oh, is that so...?"

"I'm quite busy during the day, so let's meet in the evening after work."

"Yes, thank you. Let's find a time that works."

Hanging up, Yun-hyeok smirked. It had been a brief, anticlimactic call, but the other man's true intentions were far from simple. Why? Because Jungang-dong and Yeok-dong fell under Mun Ji-hun's constituency.

He must be sweating.

While Yun-hyeok was running around persuading central government ministers, what on earth was the district's assemblyman doing? While Yun-hyeok was striking deals with the Mayor of Seongnam, what was the district's assemblyman doing?

In terms of institutional alignment, wasn't this work actually closer to an assemblyman's duties than a mayor's?

This was vastly different from the previous Ministry of SMEs and Startups contest. This wasn't a project pushed by the central government targeting local municipalities. Rather, it was a project and political maneuver Yun-hyeok had pushed against the central government.

Naturally, the district's assemblyman should have actively exerted his influence during the process.

Wasn't that how it was done in Seongnam? Seongnam Mayor Choi Gwang-seop had secured meetings with ministers through his local assemblymen.

Yet, freshman Assemblyman Mun Ji-hun had done absolutely nothing while this series of projects was being pushed forward. Naturally, he would be anxious. Especially since freshman assemblymen tended to have a weaker grip on their constituencies.

What if this guy decides to run for the Jungang-dong district in the next general election? The mere thought of it must have him on edge.

And just like Assemblyman Park Dae-man, he was probably thinking of a way to jump on the bandwagon of this Jungang-dong project.

Frankly, there wasn't much Yun-hyeok could extract from a mere freshman assemblyman compared to heavyweights like Park Dae-man or Lim Jun-won. But it all depended on how he played his cards. Let's think about what ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠kind of negotiation they could have.

...Or so he had thought, but now those deliberations felt like a complete waste of time.

I should have expected this when he suggested golf.

The place freshman Assemblyman Mun Ji-hun had invited Yun-hyeok to was a hotel in Seongnam. A private lounge on the top floor.

Even on his way there, Yun-hyeok had thought, Surely not, surely not... but stepping inside confirmed his worst suspicions.

Lavish interior decor of imported marble. Low, amber lighting. Jazz fusion music. The scent of cigarettes and perfume.

On the glass table sat a bottle of Macallan 18, beef tartare, and caviar crackers.

"Aigoo! Welcome, welcome!" Mun Ji-hun, who had been waiting inside, rushed out to greet Yun-hyeok. "I tried to prepare something nice. How do you like the atmosphere?"

Mun Ji-hun signaled the lounge's general manager. At once, a flock of women in slip dresses poured into the room.

"He's an important guest, so take good care of him," the manager whispered from behind.

"Sigh." A sigh escaped Yun-hyeok's lips.

The man had spouted nonsense about being "young politicians," but he had only learned the worst habits of the trade. And he had learned them poorly at that. Even Park Dae-man and Lim Jun-won, having quickly read Yun-hyeok's character, had never dared to approach him like this.

"Assemblyman," Yun-hyeok said, brushing off the women who were gently clinging to his arms.

Seeing his icy expression, Mun Ji-hun realized he had completely misread the room.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Assemblyman Mun Ji-hun panicked, flustered. "No... Mayor. This is just..."

"How does calling women and buying me drinks help your constituency, Assemblyman?"

"......."

"I'll assume you made a mistake by misinterpreting my suggestion to meet in the evening after work. Don't ever do this again."

Yun-hyeok stormed out of the room.