Republic of Korea in Yeokcheon - Chapter 168



Only Krnovel

#168 It’s because of their age.

January 4, 1951.

This is after the New Year holidays are over.

Lee Kang-cheol visited the Senate and greeted independent seniors who led the Senate, including Kim Gu. Naturally, Yeo Un-hyeong and Kim Chang-suk were also there.

“Hehehe! “The President must be busy, so why did you come to see these old men?”

“No, Chairman. Even if you are busy, you have to do your duty.”

“ha ha ha! Thank you.”

Lee Kang-cheol gave the gift he had brought and exchanged well-wishes on topics such as health.

Then Kim Chang-sook smiled and said.

“What can you expect from a cripple like me when you have helped me walk? Everyone is complaining that the government is taking too much of it to the point where it is a bother. “Don’t worry.”

“ha ha ha! Basically, health is something you should take care of when you are healthy. Even if things like health checkups are a hassle, be sure to get them. “You should live a long time.”

Health checkups are something that even modern people find annoying.

So, in those days when people didn’t go to the hospital until they got sick, the almost mandatory health check-ups conducted by the government seemed quite a nuisance.

This time, Yeo Woon-hyeong responded to the continued well-wishes.

“Uh-huh! We have lived enough to live. “Don’t worry too much.”

“yes? Teacher Mongyang, I don’t think that’s a good idea?”

“yes?”

“Teacher Mongyang is now in his mid-60s. What are you talking about? You’re not that different from me, are you? “So, now that I’m a newlywed, I’ve lived enough to live?”

“Uh, huh? That’s not it… … .”

“ha ha ha!”

“ha ha ha!”

When Yeo Woon-hyung was taken aback by Lee Kang-cheol’s non-joking joke, he burst into laughter.

In fact, Yeo Woon-hyung was treated as an elder due to his status, but he was born in 1986 and was five years older than Lee Kang-cheol.

So it’s not entirely a joke.

“It was a joke, but medicine has made remarkable progress now. It is still common for a person to celebrate their 60th birthday and be recognized as an old person, but in a while, that will gradually disappear. “Youth in your 60s is youth.”

“Oh my, I was wrong. Please stop it.”

“ha ha ha!”

“ha ha ha!”

After talking for a while in a friendly atmosphere.

Kim Chang-suk opened his mouth with a straight face.

“Even so, our Senate Presidency planned to visit the President at the beginning of the year.”

“hmm? Teacher Simsan, do you have anything to say?”

“I’m cautious about saying this, but some people keep talking about the election. “Now that the country has stabilized to this degree, we should now choose a leader through elections, the flower of democracy.”

“ah… … .”

The promised 10 years have not yet passed.

However, Lee Kang-cheol was also aware that some people have recently raised opinions about whether it would be appropriate to hold the presidential and House of Representatives elections early.

And who is making that claim?

“I know.”

“I thought you might.”

“So, you said you wanted to visit me. Does the Senate agree with you?”

“Please don’t misunderstand and please listen to us until the end.”

“haha! Please speak comfortably. “Aren’t the people here people I trust?”

“Then let me tell you. The President has done really well so far and is doing well. “All citizens are enthusiastically supporting the president.”

“That’s too much praise.”

“no. Can we really hire a better leader than this? It’s enough to raise questions. “We believe that the president is a god sent by heaven out of pity for our people.”

“… … .”

In a way, it is not wrong to say this.

If wormholes had not been created, history would not have been reversed.

“But even though you are doing this well, you are labeled as a military leader. And that provides an excuse for a small number of complainers. That’s what our Senate is concerned about. No, even if a presidential election were held right now, it is obvious that he would be elected with overwhelming support, so why wait until 10 years have passed? Well, something like this.”

“Hmm… … .”

Lee Kang-cheol thought for a moment and then opened his mouth to Kim Gu.

“What do you think, Teacher Baekbeom?”

“I feel the same way. Even though we are doing this well, there are bound to be dissatisfied people everywhere. And it is also clear that being a military president is a formal flaw. “In times like this, I don’t think it would be a bad idea to have full legitimacy through early elections rather than having to wait 10 years.”

“Hmm… … .”

“And haven’t we consistently provided education and enlightenment about elections over the past few years? “I understand the president’s concerns, but why not trust the people for once?”

“I understand what you mean. “I will go back and think deeply before I tell you.”

“Hehehe! “No matter what decision is made, our Senate will support the president.”

“thank you.”

Lee Kang-cheol, who returned to the General Government Complex, immediately called Go Seok-man, National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-hyun, and Secretary General Kim Ho-jin into the room.

And he delivered what he said in the Senate.

“What do you think?”

“As expected, words are slowly starting to come out.”

“Yes, Secretary General.”

“But who are the complainers that Teacher Shim San spoke of?”

“Well, who would it be? “It’s obvious, right?”

“I’ll tell you that.”

Director Cho Tae-hyun of the National Intelligence Service spoke to the Minister.

“As you might expect, it is him.”

“What if it’s him? ah!”

“Yes, that’s right. “This is Mr. Woonam.”

“Ha, I see.”

He had been demanding elections since entering the country, but he fell out with Lee Kang-cheol, and even the Senate rejected him when he gave the chairmanship to Kim Gu.

In the end, it was obvious what he could do.

“‘Embarrassed figures’ such as Woo-nam and Yoon Chi-young have been meeting regularly, and as soon as we allow them, they will form a political party and become active. And because the public’s support is so overwhelming, they don’t say it out loud, but they are questioning our origins and are digging into it in their own way.”

“her! That guy too! Because of his age, he doesn’t just receive courtesy and live quietly. And so are those ambiguous greetings. “If you’re not punished, you just stay quiet.”

“… … .”

Kim Ho-jin said with a sad expression.

Although Woo-nam clashed with Lee Kang-cheol as soon as he entered the country and things were not amicable with the current government, that did not mean he did not treat him with courtesy.

For him who had no suitable place to live, he purchased Ewhajang, where he originally lived, and put it in his name. He also provided more money than others, allowing him to not only make a living but also maintain his social dignity.

However, he said it was unfortunate that he had been forming a faction since long ago because he was dissatisfied with the current government.

Also, the ‘ambiguous people’ that fit him were people who participated in the independence movement during the Japanese colonial period, but were not treated as independence fighters due to their actions at the last minute.

In particular, Yun Chi-young was a representative figure. He had passionately campaigned for independence to the point of being tortured by the Japanese, but in the 1940s, he defected, promoted war bonds, and issued statements supporting the war on several occasions.

However, he refused to change his name to Chang and continued to contact Woo-nam, who was in the United States.

In some ways, it was a similar case to Jang Deok-su’s. In the end, his actions at the last minute caught up with him and he was in danger of being punished, but Woo-nam was able to frame him, saying that he had secretly contacted him, so he was not punished as an anti-national offender.

However, even as a person of merit for independence, he was not treated at all, and it is known that he was quite dissatisfied with that.

Moreover, his older cousin Yun Chi-ho was punished as an anti-national activist and died in prison despite his old age, so he had a deep resentment against the current government.

In the end, it seemed like those in such ambiguous positions were rallying around Woo-nam.

“And here’s the funny thing.”

“hmm? “What’s interesting?”

“Park Heon-young.”

“Park Heon-young? “What is he planning?”

“ha ha ha! “I went under that person, Woo-nam.”

“what? Park Heon-young? “You mean Park Heon-young?”

“Yes, that’s Park Heon-young. “He has been going to Ewhajang for some time now, and these days he seems to have gone under Woo-nam’s control.”

“Huh! “It’s absurd.”

Park Heon-yeong was also very dissatisfied when Lee Kang-cheol openly showed reluctance towards him, but he tended to keep quiet in order to survive.

Then, after contact with Kim Il-sung, they disappeared from the world without a word, showing that they were completely benefactors, but after seeing the Soviet Union being destroyed by the South Korean army, they openly announced that they were communists. He said he had given up.

However, it was said that Kim Ho-jin had now gone beyond giving up communism and had gone under the wing of right-wing leader Woo-nam, which was astounding to Kim Ho-jin.

“In any case, it is only a matter of time before they become a political force.”

“That can’t be helped, right? “We don’t allow political parties yet, but we don’t stop them either.”

“That’s right. And there are other forces that are not against our government, but want early elections.”

“Who is that again?”

“Among those who participated in the independence movement, they are in their 50s.”

“hmm? Why are they again?”

“Because of their age.”

“age? Why age?”

“If elections are held after 10 years, many of them will be in their 60s. That’s why I think I don’t have time.”

“ah!”

“We think people in their 60s are the prime age, but people of this age think differently. Medical science has advanced, and they receive special care, so they will have no problem working until their early 70s, but I think they are at an age where it wouldn’t be strange if they didn’t cough the next morning. So, you are impatient.”

“Huh! That’s right! “It seems to me that they are young people.”

“… … .”

Although Kim Ho-jin was in his 70s, he was still energetically active.

So, it is absurd that ‘young people’ who are now in their 50s are impatient with their age.

Lee Kang-cheol watched Kim Ho-jin’s reaction with interest and opened his mouth.

“ha ha ha! I spoke to the Senate today, and they also considered themselves very old. “I think this can’t be helped.”

“So what do you think, President?”

“I don’t think it would be a bad idea to delay the presidential election a little bit. As you in the Senate are concerned, it is true that no matter how well we are currently doing, it is still a military government.”

“That is correct.”

“Yes, so I think it would be a good idea to allow political parties starting this year and hold a presidential election sometime next year. First of all, if you do that, military rule will be officially abolished. “With the current situation, there is no way we will lose.”

“Hmm, not a bad idea.”

“However, the elections for the lower house of the National Assembly are different. I don’t think there’s any reason to take it early. “What does Minister Ko think?”

When Lee Kang-cheol asked Go Seok-man, Go Seok-man opened his mouth with a cautious expression.

“It is certainly not a bad idea to hold the presidential election early. And it would be better to hold elections for the lower house of the National Assembly after 10 years as you said.”

“yes?”

“Yes, of course we will win the presidential election, but we don’t know about the House of Representatives election. Especially since we have not yet become a political force, there are not enough people to run as candidates right now. “The House of Representatives elections must be held as scheduled.”

“What do you think, President?”

“I agree.”

“All right. “Then, let’s do it that way.”

In this way, an early presidential election was decided.