Chapter 47: Room 510 of the mbers’ Office (2)
Im Seong-chan looked at with a broad smile.
Warmth returned to his previously expressionless face.
“It’s ti I ca clean.”
I stared at him blankly, not understanding what he ant.
“I ca here because I want to work as your staffer.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m not the kind of person who follows party orders blindly. I applied because I wanted to work with you.”
Supre Council mber Seong Chang-rae had said that every mber of the National Assembly wanted to have Im Seong-chan as their staffer.
Why would soone like that choose ?
I was curious.
“Is it for the reason you ntioned earlier?”
“I believe politics can change the fate of a nation, but I lack political talent. However, I am specialized in support. I know my place well.”
Did he an he wanted to be a kingmaker?
“Isn’t that expecting too much from soone who just entered politics?”
“Let’s call it an investnt. Either way, I don’t have anything to lose.”
“I’d like to hear more specific details.”
“I’ll tell you when the ti cos. Didn’t you call here because you had sothing to say?”
Oh.
I had forgotten sothing important.
“To propose a bill, I need ten co-sponsors. I’d appreciate it if you could tell which mbers of Parliant are most likely to agree, based on your judgnt.”
“Dozens of bills are proposed every day.”
“I’m aware. But this is a competitive period, and gathering ten is no easy feat.”
“You’re a first-term mber of the National Assembly. Do it yourself. Experience is the most valuable asset.”
He was right.
I hadn’t planned to take an easy road from the start.
“I understand. I’ll push forward myself.”
“The National Assembly is a jungle. You have to identify allies and enemies to survive.”
“Thank you. Staffer, there’s sothing I’m curious about.”
“Please, go ahead.”
I wanted to test his abilities. At the sa ti, it would be helpful if he knew about my situation.
“There’s a rumor that Criminal Division 3 has been investigating since before the election. Can you confirm if it’s true?”
“Where did you hear that?”
“A friend of mine is a prosecutor. It doesn’t seem like a baseless claim. Actually...”
I told him about my bad history with Oh Man-seok and described in detail what we discussed when I t him.
After hearing everything, Im Seong-chan’s eyes sharpened.
“I’ll look into it.”
“Thank you.”
“Start by eting the mbers of Parliant from the ruling party. Since many of them went to the sa high school as you, maintaining good relationships will be helpful. Solve the hard problems first, and the rest will be easier.”
“I’ll do that.”
I decided to follow his advice.
“mber of the National Assembly.”
“Yes?”
“For now, stick to principles.”
“That sounds like a condition. Are you saying things will change later?”
“In big politics, principles don’t always work. The background changes depending on where a person stands.”
Could he place in a different background?
I wanted to prove why he had chosen .
The ‘Fools’ Club’ was a first-term mbers’ group within the Korea Unification Party.
Created with the aim of building true conservatism, the group was led by Ryu Jong-min.
It wasn’t the only first-term mbers’ group. There was also the ‘Promise Club’ (Let’s Keep Our Pledges), ford mainly by proportional representatives, and the ‘Regional Developnt First’ group, composed of mbers from southern regions.
The Fools’ Club consisted of first-term mbers from the Capital Area and had six mbers.
They gathered at a Japanese restaurant in Yeouido.
“Let’s make a toast.”
Ryu Jong-min raised his glass.
“For true!”
“Conservatism!”
“Let’s build it!”
Ryu Jong-min and Wang Dohun were the youngest in the group. The others ranged from their late 40s to early 50s.
After emptying his glass, mber of the National Assembly Han Chin-woo spoke.
“mber Ryu, is it hard to gather more people?”
“Maybe because I’m young, it’s not easy.”
“Or maybe you’re too outspoken. The Capital Area got crushed, so reform is necessary, but the further south you go, the more critical nominations beco. That’s why I acknowledge your sincerity.”
Ryu Jong-min’s constituency was one where he could win as long as he secured the nomination. That’s why Han Chin-woo admired him for calling for conservative reform.
“I barely scraped through this ti. My district, Hwaseong, won’t be safe in the next election.”
“I also think the Capital Area will continue to lose if we stay the sa. That’s why change is essential.”
“I agree with you, mber Ryu. Let’s stick with it, even if it’s hard.”
“That’s the plan.”
Wang Dohun, seated next to Ryu Jong-min, did not like being here.
A first-term Capital Area group that excluded regional and proportional etings.
He had joined out of necessity for allies, but Ryu Jong-min was calling for party reform. Wang Dohun felt uneasy, worried that this might cost him his next nomination.
Ryu Jong-min said,
“The party leadership is planning to reform the mbers of Parliant’s pension system and reduce both the immunity from arrest and non-liability privileges. We should support it.”
“Will that really work?”
“We need to lead the charge and speak up first. That’s how our voices will be heard.”
“You’re only saying that because there’s barely any support yet.”
mber of the National Assembly Jeon Hoe-su was skeptical. He had been elected in Ansan and, like Han Chin-woo, had won by a narrow margin.
“If the leadership is pushing it, won’t it pass?”
“We’ll need cooperation from the opposition, and there’s going to be considerable pushback within our party.”
“The opposition is reportedly announcing plans to abolish the mbers of Parliant’s pension system and ban holding second jobs for profit.”
Other mbers of Parliant, who had been listening to the conversation, joined in.
“Shouldn’t the non-liability privilege remain? We need to protect freedom of expression. Without it, how can we represent the people’s voice without fear?”
“I agree. The non-liability privilege is a protective asure for mbers of Parliant. Without it, how can we resist suppression?”
“The problem lies in reckless accusations.”
“That should be left to the National Assembly Ethics Committee.”
“Crayfish sides with crab—they’re all the sa. You think that’ll work?”
A fierce debate broke out among the mbers of Parliant.
Wang Dohun frowned, visibly bored.
“mber Ryu, I have an appointnt, so I’ll head out first.”
“Cheonmyeong said he’d co by. Why don’t you stay and et him?”
“Kang Cheonmyeong is coming?”
“He should be nearby.”
Ryu Jong-min turned his head to look at Han Chin-woo.
“Sunbae-nim.”
“Yes?”
“mber of the National Assembly Kang Cheonmyeong wants to greet you. Is that alright?”
“mber of the National Assembly Kang Cheonmyeong?”
“He should be close. Shall I call him in?”
“I’d like to see him too.”
Han Chin-woo also gathered agreent from the other mbers of Parliant.
Only Wang Dohun still looked displeased.
After receiving Ryu Jong-min’s call, I entered the sashimi restaurant.
The Fools’ Club, which he led.
Since it was a reformist group within conservatism, it was important to build ties with them.
Knock knock—
“Co in.”
I opened the door and bowed my head as I entered.
I saw six people, including Ryu Jong-min and Wang Dohun.
“I’m Kang Cheonmyeong. It’s an honor to et you.”
“Welco. It’s even better to see you here.”
Jeon Hoe-su and Han Chin-woo welcod warmly.
They treated kindly.
On the other hand, Wang Dohun looked uncomfortable, as if he had just eaten a raw persimmon.
“Dohun-ah, long ti no see.”
“Already working on building your network?”
“Politics aside, we still need to cooperate. First-term mbers should unite.”
“Even so, did you really have to co to soone else’s turf?”
Wang Dohun picked a fight as soon as he saw .
I sat between Jeon Hoe-su and Han Chin-woo.
Jeon Hoe-su asked,
“Have you eaten?”
“I had sothing nearby.”
“I heard the light in Room 510 never goes off. Aren’t you working a bit too hard?”
“From the outside, I thought mbers of Parliant just idled around. But now that I’m doing the job, there’s never enough ti.”
“For first-term mbers like us, it’s even tougher. There’s so much to learn—we can’t survive without supplents.”
Sitting across from , Ryu Jong-min asked,
“mber Kang, the interpellation session is coming up. Are you preparing well?”
“I’m not even sure if I’ll get a spot.”
“Sa here. It’s hard to get selected as a questioner.”
“What’s the situation over there? It looked like the floor leader election stirred so internal strife.”
I looked at Han Chin-woo, who had asked, and answered.
“I’m not familiar with the internal workings of the party. For now, I’m just watching the fire across the river.”
“Hahaha. It’s hard to take sides. The plight of a first-term mber.”
“We have to play it smart.”
“Are you preparing any bills?”
“I’m preparing a bill on revitalizing traditional markets. It seems many other mbers of Parliant are submitting similar ones.”
“Looks like quite a few are just revising scrapped bills and resubmitting them.”
This ti, Jeon Hoe-su, who had been listening to the conversation, chid in.
“Since you’re a businessman, I’m really curious about the contents.”
“I’ll send it through my staffer as soon as the bill is ready. Thank you for your interest.”
“Let’s have a drink soti. I feel like there’s a lot to learn from you, mber Kang.”
“On the contrary, I should be learning from my seniors. I’d be glad to.”
Except for Wang Dohun, the atmosphere was friendly.
After an hour of conversation, the gathering ended.
It was ti to check on the constituency office.
By the ti I arrived at the constituency office, the sun was setting.
One intern and one paid staffer were manning the office.
“Good work.”
The intern stood up quickly upon seeing .
“mber of the National Assembly!”
The staffer seated across also stood up.
“You’re here?”
“It’s almost ti to clock out. I heard from Staffer Im that a lot of visitors have been dropping by.”
“When we ntioned you were coming, the President of the rchants’ Association said he would stop by.”
“When?”
“He said he’d be here by six.”
I looked at the clock on the wall.
It was almost six.
“You can head ho. I’ll et him.”
“No, I’ll stay a little longer.”
“I heard you’ve been working late due to civil complaints lately. Since I’m here today, go ahead and leave.”
“Still…”
I gave a warm smile and said,
“That’s an order.”
“…Yes.”
The intern approached and handed docunts organizing the civil complaints.
“These are the complaints we received this week.”
“I’ll take a look. Thank you for your hard work.”
“Take care.”
Once the intern and staffer left, I reviewed the docunts.
They ranged from minor issues like noise between floors and parking disputes to bigger matters such as the problem of Chinese compatriots in Daerim-dong and redevelopnt-related grievances.
Every issue involved a counterpart. That’s why the process of reaching an agreent was crucial.
I first reviewed the civil complaints from market rchants, which would serve as the basis for the first bill I planned to propose.
Crackdown on illegal street vendors, replacing outdated signs, market modernization, installation of public restrooms and parking lots, expansion of Onnuri gift certificates, and so on.
As I scanned through, one attached docunt’s title caught my eye.
[Misappropriation of Funds by the President of the rchants’ Association]
Allegations that Park Du-sik, the President of the rchants’ Association, had embezzled 100 million won received as consolation money from a large supermarket, evidence that he had distributed money during the election using association fees, and testimony that he collected fees from street vendors for stall spots.
If this information was true, President Park Du-sik of the rchants’ Association must be legally punished.
The docunt had no attached evidence and the author was unknown, so verification was necessary.
I recalled Park Du-sik’s face—how he deliberately contradicted when I had explained the traditional market revitalization plan.
‘He’s definitely a suspicious figure.’
Just as I reviewed the corruption details again, the door opened, and he walked in.
Park Du-sik, President of the rchants’ Association.
Speak of the devil and he appears.
“mber of the National Assembly Kang Cheonmyeong, how have you been? Do you rember ?”
“Of course. Please, have a seat over here.”
I greeted him with a big smile and showed him to his seat.
Now it was ti to catch the tiger.
Reviews
All reviews (0)