[094] A Tough Battle 2
“Here you go, Father-in-law.”
Uncle’s face turned a shade darker. If it were Go Kyung-yeol, he wasn’t one of those tainted Yeouido politicians. A man who had dedicated his life to public service seemed cleaner and fresher compared to a congressman.
Plus, he had the ruling party’s advantage.
Barring any unforeseen variables, it was hard to predict Uncle’s victory.
“Why are you so surprised? Are you not confident you can win against anyone?”
“It’s not that, it’s just… I didn’t expect him.”
Uncle couldn’t bring himself to be honest, so Aunt burst out.
“Father, couldn’t you have just said one thing? Does our son-in-law really have to run against him? Just one word from you, and Go Kyung-yeol wouldn’t step forward, right?”
“Is stopping him the end of it? What if someone scarier shows up behind him? Am I supposed to block them too? Honestly… If you think life is a bed of roses, you might as well quit now.”
Grandfather’s message wasn’t directed at Aunt or Uncle.
He was telling me that creating a public servant who would be an ally wasn’t easy. Was this another way of testing me?
Isn’t this too heavy a test for someone in their twenties?
“Choi, my son-in-law.”
“Yes, Father-in-law.”
“Go and consult with the party officials. The biggest position in the local elections is the Mayor of Seoul. You can’t just sit back and do nothing, can you? Come up with a plan quickly!”
As the two hurriedly rushed out, leaving just the two of us, Grandfather clicked his tongue.
“Tsk, tsk, kids who grew up pampered start whining at the slightest difficulty. Both our family and the Choi family raised them wrong.”
“When things get tough, anyone would want to cry. It’s just a matter of whether you say it out loud or not, isn’t it?”
“When things get tough, you should clench your fists and let your fighting spirit ignite. Why cry?”
Grandfather seemed to think I was siding with Uncle, and his voice rose a bit.
“So, what do you know about Go Kyung-yeol?”
Of course, I knew well. His achievements as Mayor of Seoul, and his mistakes, were always in the news. But now, I had to pretend ignorance.
“I’ve never heard of him.”
“He’s from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Served as an ambassador to the U.S. and held various key government positions. He’s a bit older, but they’ll spin that as stability, and there won’t be much dirt on him.”
“Does Uncle have a lot of dirt?”
“What dirt could a son-in-law of the Sunyang Group have? His father-in-law is the chairman of Sunyang Group, and his wife is a department store president. Anyone offering bribes would be the crazy one.”
“Then he’s a worthy opponent.”
“Being a chaebol’s son-in-law is the problem. The media blames the chaebols for the IMF crisis, so the public won’t look kindly on him, will they?”
I regretted not paying attention to politics when I was younger.
I couldn’t remember who Go Kyung-yeol’s opponent was or what kind of election it was when he became mayor.
“Grandfather, don’t you plan to help Uncle?”
“Me? Why would I? I have nothing to lose. Whether Go Kyung-yeol becomes mayor or Choi does, it’s the same for me. It’s like having a winning hand in both cases. Haha.”
Grandfather’s eyes sparkled with amusement as he laughed.
“You’re in a bind. The Media City? You were planning to use that as a lifeline for Daehwa Construction, weren’t you?”
“Partly, yes.”
“If your uncle loses, that project will be tough to push through.”
“That’s why he has to win. Without such a large project, Daehwa Construction will become a real headache. It’ll be a money pit.”
“That’s tricky. We’ve sent a lot of our Sunyang people there, and now they might end up jobless.”
This was clearly a jest. Whether it was Daehwa Construction or Ajin Group, they were all considered family, just without the Sunyang label. He couldn’t possibly ignore them.
He wanted to see my reaction. If I begged for help, I’d be no different from Aunt or Uncle. As Grandfather said, I needed to show my fighting spirit.
“Go Kyung-yeol is human too. He must have a few weak spots. If we find them, we have a chance. And while being a chaebol’s son-in-law is a weakness, it can also be a strength.”
“How so?”
“Being a chaebol’s son-in-law is an advantage. People will think that someone with plenty of money won’t commit tax evasion. And you can use Grandfather’s name a bit.”
“Use my name?”
“Yes. Promise that the chairman of Sunyang Group will undertake many projects for Seoul. Build apartments, for example.”
“Why would I start projects in Seoul?”
“It’s just talk. Everyone knows political promises are often empty, but they still vote just in case.”
Grandfather chuckled.
“It sounds plausible, but you know it’s not a surefire strategy, right?”
“Isn’t an election about building up these small strategies?”
Seeing his smile, I felt reassured. At least I wasn’t whining.
“Grandfather, just tell me one thing.”
I cautiously asked.
“What?”
“Who should I use as a bridge to negotiate with Go Kyung-yeol?”
“A bridge? You mean his close aide?”
“Yes. I’d like to have a conversation with him.”
Grandfather couldn’t contain his curiosity.
“Meet him? What do you want to talk about?”
“Well, if I find him more agreeable than Uncle, isn’t it okay to switch sides?”
“Haven’t you already invested a lot of money in your uncle? Switching sides means giving up that money.”
“There’s a project that could earn tens or hundreds of times that 40 billion. It’s not about losing 40 billion; it’s about earning 400 billion.”
“Looking forward and not picking up what’s dropped behind is a good mindset… But is it possible?”
Is Go Kyung-yeol really that steadfast and unshakeable?
“Your uncle will be touting the Media City in his campaign. But if Go Kyung-yeol wins, would he implement the loser’s promise? I doubt it.”
Of course, he was right. So switching sides was just a pretense. Go Kyung-yeol had to lose.
“That’s why I want to meet him. If we find common ground, he won’t criticize or undermine the Digital Media City during the campaign, will he?”
Grandfather seemed displeased with my idea and said no more. He probably thought I was being stubborn.
“Anyway, fine. I’ll try to set something up. But I have a feeling you’ll make a bad move.”
“I’ll be careful. If it seems difficult, I’ll just greet him and leave.”
A simple greeting could turn into a significant meeting.
“An alert system?”
“Yes. It’s not just about delivering information. It sends a warning when there’s danger.”
“The car does?”
“Yes.”
“So this Israeli company, Mobileye, is making such a device?”
“It’s in the early stages now, but eventually, yes.”
“And you gave them over a billion won? Oh dear…”
He sighed deeply, clearly finding it hard to believe. A car sending signals?
“Uncle, just trust my judgment and intuition. This will work. But there’s a bigger problem.”
“What is it?”
“Go Kyung-yeol is running as the ruling party’s candidate for Seoul Mayor. If he goes up against Uncle…”
“He’ll lose for sure. But how did you know? It hasn’t been announced yet.”
“Grandfather’s information network. It’s certain.”
“They say Sunyang Group’s network is like Korea’s CIA. Impressive!”
“Now’s not the time to be impressed. If things go wrong, the DMC might be scrapped.”
“That man followed the elite path. Started as a junior official and worked his way up. He’s got good fortune. How do you beat someone with luck?”
“Any issues with his children’s military service?”
“Not sure. Should I check? With his long public service, some journalist connections might dig something up. Give me a moment.”
Oh Se-hyun immediately started making calls. After over an hour of inquiries, his expression brightened.
“As expected. The Korean DMZ is guarded by commoners.”
“Exempted?”
“Both he and his brother were exempted, and one son served in the reserves. The other two were exempted. They’re blessed by the gods.”
When I clapped my hands in delight, he smirked.
“What about your cousins? Aren’t there three boys? Aren’t they all exempted too?”
“The eldest is twenty-eight, the second is twenty-six, and the youngest is two years older than me. They’re not of military age yet. They’re all studying abroad.”
“Great. You can use the military angle.”
Using the military angle wasn’t a cure-all.
The unofficial election campaign had already begun before the official period.
The ruling party quickly leaked that Go Kyung-yeol was their candidate for Seoul Mayor, and the opposition announced Uncle as their strong contender.
Go Kyung-yeol’s only weakness was his military exemption, while Uncle’s was being a chaebol’s son-in-law.
As both sides engaged in a fierce battle, Grandfather introduced me to someone.
Go Kyung-yeol’s right-hand man, the one who would lead the mayoral campaign, and the person who would become the Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs if Go Kyung-yeol won.
The Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs in Seoul earns over 60 million won annually, with an additional 100 million won in discretionary funds. They have a spacious office with a green carpet and a view of Seoul Plaza, four secretaries, and a Grandeur sedan with a driver. Only a true right-hand man holds this position.
On May 12, just days before the official election day, I confirmed that Lee Hyori’s group Fin.K.L, the pioneers of girl groups, debuted on MBC’s Music Camp with their R&B ballad “BLUE RAIN,” and headed to a Japanese restaurant in Gwanghwamun.
I took a seat and waited for Go Kyung-yeol’s right-hand man to arrive.
About thirty minutes past the agreed time, the right-hand man finally walked through the door.
He looked to be in his late forties or early fifties, and his face was ashen with fatigue.
When he saw a young man occupying the seat, his expression turned visibly displeased.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Jin Do-jun.”
He took my business card, which was covered in English, and examined it closely.
“Are you by any chance a foreign student? Or maybe a Korean-American?”
“I just happen to work for a foreign investment firm, but I’m neither.”
“I came because it was hard to refuse the invitation, but I didn’t expect to meet someone from the company that acquired Ajin Group…”
“Thank you for making time for me. I’ll keep this brief. It won’t take long.”
“Oh, my apologies. I’m Kim Kwan-hyuk.”
His business card was also filled with impressive titles.
“Knowing how busy you are, I thought you might not have had a chance to eat, so I took the liberty of ordering something simple. I hope that’s alright.”
The young man’s unexpectedly polite tone seemed to smooth out some of the wrinkles in Kim’s frown.
“No need to apologize. These days, even instant noodles would be a blessing… Let’s eat first.”
Kim Kwan-hyuk picked up his chopsticks and began shoveling sashimi into his mouth. When I offered to fill his glass, he waved it away.
“My schedule’s packed. No drinks for me.”
He ate in silence, and only after he was done did he put down his chopsticks and fix me with a sharp gaze.
“Did it suit your taste…?”
“As long as I’m full, that’s all that matters. Anyway, I don’t know what you want to discuss, but I’m going to say no to everything. Especially if you’re asking to meet our candidate—absolutely not. So, do you still have something to say?”
Impatient, isn’t he?
Or maybe he’s dismissing me because I’m young?
I’ve dealt with my share of superiors. Just wait, I’ll make you listen.
“The person I wanted to meet wasn’t the candidate. It was you.”
I pointed a finger at him, and his eyebrows twitched.