1953 Bare-handed Tycoon - Chapter 404



Only Krnovel

404 – The Return of the Windy Man

As the four major suspicions were quietly settled and the seething public opinion died down, Kim Jong-pil returned.

The revolutionary who had been wandering abroad for five whole months had finally returned.

When Kim Jong-pil left Korea last August, the airport was crowded with people.

He was seen off by key ministers, members of the Supreme Council, politicians, KCIA officers and agents, and heads of various organizations.

Even those who opposed the founding of the Democratic Republican Party and Chairman Park’s participation in civil affairs saw him off.

Since he had just stepped down from his position as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, his influence was still there, so everyone, whether they liked him or not, came out.

But this time, when he returned to Korea, there were significantly fewer people there to greet him.

Those who came to the airport, as in the past, were Kim Jong-pil’s family and the 8th class of the Korea Military Academy who had to bid farewell to him in tears.

The keynote was there too.

Although I did not greet him when he left the country, I did not want to avoid Kim Jong-pil when he returned.

If he had any complaints about me, I wanted to listen to them and resolve any misunderstandings.

Kim Jong-pil was a man whose principles he could never give up on.

There were too many issues that could not be resolved without him, and the only person who could support the grand plans of Kijo and Chairman Park was Kim Jong-pil.

The keynote speaker was standing next to Kim Jong-pil’s wife, Park Young-ok, who was wearing sunglasses.

Park Young-ok started crying even before the plane carrying Kim Jong-pil landed on the airport runway.

Even though she was covering her eyes with sunglasses, she couldn’t help but feel tears flowing down from under her glasses. Park Young-ok kept wiping her tears away with a handkerchief.

His daughter Yeri couldn’t hide her excitement as she pointed to the plane her father was on.

It was Yeri who cried loudly in her father’s arms when he left the country.

When the plane finally landed, the trap was set, and the door opened, Kim Jong-pil was the first to come out.

Kim Jong-pil waved with a confident smile to the people waiting for him below.

As soon as he got off the trap and stepped onto the soil of his longed-for homeland, he was surrounded by reporters.

Kim Jong-pil revealed his return schedule like this before reporters asked him any questions.

“I have seen many things in many countries over the years. Countries around the world cooperate with each other while fiercely pursuing their own national interests.”

The reporters were busy writing down his words.

Kim Jong-pil glanced at the reporters and continued speaking.

“There is no country in this world that expects the Republic of Korea. We also have no country to expect from. We must pass on glory to our descendants through our own efforts and perseverance.”

The keynote speaker listened to his words and sympathized deeply.

There was no country that had a bright future for South Korea, and there was no country that South Korea could trust and rely on.

South Korea had to believe in itself and make efforts to survive in the international community.

Kim Jong-pil ignored the reporters’ questions and strode toward where his family was standing.

First, he hugged his crying wife and children and enjoyed the joy of returning home.

This time, Park Young-ok and Ye-ri cried loudly.

Only his son Jin, who was still too young to know what was going on, was bewildered.

After meeting with his family, Kim Jong-pil greeted Kijo first by shaking his hand.

“How have you been?”

“Wasn’t it hard?”

They only asked each other questions, but there were no answers.

It was the answer itself.

*Laughing but not answering – Just laughing but not answering.

The keynote speaker thought that Kim Jong-pil’s smile contained a lot of meaning.

Kim Jong-pil greeted each of the 8th class of the Korea Military Academy who had come out to greet him.

The keynote speaker carefully observed Kim Jong-pil shaking hands with Kim Hyung-wook.

“Were you disappointed?”

“Don’t ask me that. I came here with a gun to protect you.”

Judging from the conversation between the two, it seems clear that Kim Jong-pil was trying to push Kim Hyung-wook to be the next director of the Intelligence Service this time as well.

After greeting his colleagues, Kim Jong-pil finally turned to the reporters.

“Come inside and let’s talk.”

Kim Jong-pil had a different charisma from Chairman Park.

If Chairman Park displayed a cool charisma by keeping his distance from his opponents with a cold expression and a loud voice, Kim Jong-pil had a warm charisma by making contact with his opponents and drawing them in.

Even after the revolution, he was a ‘master of communication’ who actively communicated by going around universities and giving lectures.

He was known for being refreshing and answering questions without hesitation, whether critical or favorable.

The reporters followed him like college students when he asked them to go for an interview.

Kim Jong-pil entered the airport VIP room, sat on the sofa, smoked a cigarette leisurely, and began answering questions from reporters.

Kijo also watched the scene while mixing in with the 8th class of the Korea Military Academy.

The first question that arose was, of course, the issue of political participation.

-Do you plan to return to the Republican Party?

“Do you remember what I said when I left this land five months ago?”

Kim Jong-pil asked back.

“When I left the country, I said I was not going into exile. And I asked them to let me come back quickly. I think I came back at the call of my people.”

Kim Jong-pil was confident.

Although he left Korea right after the founding of the Democratic Republican Party due to suspicions surrounding the four major issues, his response was that the party he founded had won a landslide victory, so the people were telling him to return.

-Do you think Chairman Park will participate in civil affairs?

Kim Jong-pil showed composure by smiling when asked a sensitive question.

“Listen, reporter. What if you ask me that?”

Kim Jong-pil said, laughing heartily.

“I am convinced that only Chairman Park Chung-hee can set this country right. I have not found anyone else qualified to run for president. My conviction will not change.”

It was a bold and confident answer that would have made Chairman Park feel refreshed.

Kim Jong-pil was shouting out what Chairman Park wanted to say.

-What do you think about the four major suspicions?

Kim Jong-pil was confident even when asked about the four major suspicions.

“Hasn’t the trial already ended? It has nothing to do with me.”

At the time, the media and the public vaguely guessed that the Central Intelligence Agency or those in power were involved in the four major suspicions, but they were not certain that Kim Jong-pil was behind them.

Since there was no evidence or exposure, no one could conclude that he was the culprit.

-You gave a positive response to the return of the Republican Party earlier, but could you be more specific?

“Even when I was away, the Republican Party ran smoothly. That’s because the Republican Party itself was scientifically designed. It had no choice but to run well systematically. That’s what differentiates it from the existing parties. So whether I’m in the Republican Party or not, the party will run well. But I want to be a member of such a great party. Just like people want to ride a good ship or airplane.”

That statement was interpreted as a statement that he would return to the Republican Party by running for Congress in a by-election.

Kijo watched Kim Jong-pil’s press conference until the end.

I just wanted to confirm it at least a little.

I wanted to get a sense of how much he knew about the inside story of the appointment of Jang Gyeong-sun as the head of the Intelligence Service and whether he viewed me as a competitor or an obstacle to the revolution.

But Kim Jong-pil, like a master at hiding his true feelings, did not reveal any of his feelings.

Kim Jong-pil spoke in front of his car before returning home with his family after the press conference.

“Mr. Lee, I’ll see you again soon. I heard you helped the chairman a lot while I was out as a traveling ambassador.”

The tone was tense, as if the words had bones in them.

Then, Park Young-ok, who was standing next to him, also said something.

“Was it? While my husband was abroad, you visited me often. I can’t tell you how much you helped me. Thank you.”

It was unknown that during Kim Jong-pil’s overseas trip, Pilgrimage was taking care of Park Young-ok.

“Thank you both for your hard work.”

Kim Jong-pil said that and got into the car with his wife.

The keynote speaker watched Kim Jong-pil’s family leave Gimpo Airport and head to their home in Jangchung-dong.

* * *

A few days later, I received a call from Kim Jong-pil.

– Mr. Lee, let’s meet at Walkerhill.

Kijo drove to Gwangjang-dong, where Walkerhill was being built, on time for the appointment.

Walkerhill Hotel was in the midst of final construction ahead of its official opening on April 8th.

The driveway to the hotel and the main building were already constructed.

The gray concrete building contrasting with the black asphalt road was impressive.

Kim Jong-pil was waiting for the keynote speech on the rooftop of the main building.

Kim Jong-pil was looking down on Seoul from a cold place where the cold wind of the Han River was still blowing in January.

As of January 1, 1963, Seoul had expanded significantly in the east, west, south, and north.

Until 1962, Seoul’s area was only 268㎢, but it had now more than doubled to 605㎢.

Kim Jong-pil, who was wearing a long coat and looking across the river at what are now Gangdong-gu and Songpa-gu, turned around and nodded as the keynote speech approached.

He spoke to the approaching Kijo, looking across the Han River.

“Before I went abroad, I told the chairman that when I leave, it will be quiet. It’s all because of jealousy and envy towards me…”

Kim Jong-pil paused for a moment, smiled faintly, and then said:

“As expected, it didn’t get quiet?”

The keynote speech also gave a smile.

Kijo knew that Kim Jong-pil never admitted to the four major suspicions until his death and insisted that he had to leave Korea due to the jealousy and envy of those around him.

In his previous life, Kim Jong-pil passed away a year before Ki-jo.

The keynote speech was that it had to be that way.

If he admits that he is the main culprit behind the four major suspicions, it would be tantamount to admitting that the ‘noble spirit of the May 16 Revolution’ quickly degenerated.

“If I had not left Korea, the chairman would have been in real danger. Centered around Park Byung-kwon (Minister of National Defense), the chiefs of staff and leaders of each military branch rose up in unison, demanding that Chairman Park not participate in the civil affairs and return to the military.”

The keynote speaker nodded.

“The chairman’s friend, Seo Jeong-gwi, was the same. He persuaded me to throw everything away and return to the original position. He said that if chaos came again, we would need General Park Jeong-hee again and that I should wait for him to come back. He said that was advice, and he said such naive things… … .”

Kim Jong-pil made a pitiful expression.

“So I said to him, ‘Who are you to come here and poke me with an awl? Do you think the May 16 Revolution was a joke? Do you know how we rose up?’”

Kim Jong-pil tried to light a new cigarette while blocking the strong wind with one hand, but the strong wind made it difficult to light. Ki-jo also put his hands together to block the wind.

Kim Jong-pil said, lighting a cigarette and taking a puff of smoke.

“He was the chairman’s friend, but I couldn’t leave him alone. I even threatened to not let him go if he kept saying things like that to the chairman before he went abroad.”

“What did the chairman say?”

“He said that he was thinking of me and that I shouldn’t push him like that. He tried to calm me down. I apologized first and the three of us drank together until 3 in the morning.”

Kim Jong-pil smiled faintly.

“I told the chairman on the spot. Even if I’m not around, if the Democratic Republican Party rises, you should get on board. If it fizzles out, you should abandon the Republican Party and create a new party and lead it.”

He shook the ash from his cigarette and let it fly away in the wind before continuing.

“But the chairman will eventually become president on the back of the Republican Party. I believe that,” he said.

Kim Jong-pil’s expression, posture, and speech were filled with pride that everything from the start of the revolution to its success and the current victory in the general elections came from him.

The keynote speaker recalled that just before he died, he had said that the revolution was his own work and that Chairman Park was the one who rode on top of it.

“The chairman said so. Wouldn’t it be better to quit while there’s still something left, rather than going broke and ruining everything?”

After saying that, Kim Jong-pil took a drag on his cigarette.

“I was the one who stopped the chairman. Although the chairman may look strong on the outside, he is actually a weak person… His biggest weakness is that he is too soft.”

This is also something Kim Jong-pil said in his later years.

The way he saw Chairman Park seemed to have always been like that.

“It’s the same now. Please wait until I come back. I wonder who you listened to when you appointed Jang Kyung-soon as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency… .”

Kijo was nervous. He didn’t know if Kim Jong-pil was testing him.

Kim Jong-pil spoke while looking at the keynote speech, smoking a cigarette with a bitter expression.

“I understand how you feel. Whenever Chairman Park tries to do something, the people below him start saying, “It can’t be done,” so it must have been a headache.”

He nodded silently without relaxing.

“I guess the chairman didn’t know that in such a case, he needs a subordinate who can play the role of a villain who can firmly hold the military discipline from below. I thought Kim Hyung-wook would be perfect for that role. Do you know Kim Hyung-wook?”

“I have been to the newspaper office before.”

“Oh, right. The CEO wrote a review. What was it like when you saw it in person?”

“It looked powerful and driving.”

“You saw it right. Kim Hyung-wook is exactly that kind of guy. He’s simple-minded and ignorant to the point where his nickname is “stupid,” but when he’s given an order, he carries it out recklessly no matter what happens.”

After saying that, Kim Jong-pil asked Ki-jo a question.

“Don’t you think that a friend like that should be in charge of organizing traffic under the chairman?”

The keynote could not be spoken honestly.

“I wish there was someone like that.”

Kim Jong-pil said with satisfaction at the keynote speech.

“Yes. “That guy, Kim Hyung-wook, is very loyal. He often said this to me. Jong-pil, no matter what happens, I will hold a gun and protect you. Do what you believe.”

Kim Jong-pil fell silent again, smoking a cigarette.

The keynote speaker kept his mouth tightly shut.

Kim Jong-pil still regretted not being able to appoint Kim Hyung-wook as the head of the Intelligence Service.

However, Kijo thought that by promoting Jang Gyeong-sun to the position of Director of the Intelligence Service, he had helped Chairman Park and saved Kim Jong-pil.

Kim Hyung-wook, who became the head of the Central Intelligence Agency through Kim Jong-pil’s recommendation in the history of the Yuan Dynasty, immediately suppressed Kim Jong-pil.

He sowed discord between Chairman Park and Kim Jong-pil, placed agents of the Central Intelligence Agency in the four corners of Kim Jong-pil’s house, humiliated him, and practically confined him.

Some people are slowly ruined by power, while others change in an instant as soon as they gain power. Kim Hyung-wook was one of the latter.

Kim Jong-pil, who had no idea that Kim Hyung-wook was that kind of person, said with a dejected expression.

“Right now, the chairman needs someone to give him sound advice, but there are still many people who are keeping me in check. That’s why it will be difficult for him to visit the Blue House for the time being. Instead, it’s fortunate that someone like this CEO is taking care of the chairman. I heard you’ve been visiting the Blue House often until recently?”

I thought about whether Kim Jong-pil was suspicious of me or not, but there were still many ambiguous parts.

“I often visited him for business purposes, and sometimes I was invited to have meals with him and his family.”

“Well done. You took good care of our chairman when he was having a hard time.”

He chuckled, threw the cigarette he was holding far away, and said.

“Mr. President…, may I give you some advice?”

“Yes, please do.”

“Don’t step forward recklessly. You’ll get hurt if you do.”

Kijo looked straight into Kim Jong-pil’s eyes.

I still couldn’t read minds.

“I don’t quite understand what you are talking about.”

At Kijo’s answer, Kim Jong-pil began to laugh heartily while looking down at the frozen Han River.