"I, Choi Changgeun, will accept the people's request and unite with the conservative party's Sung Daegyu candidate. I will join forces with no conditions, stepping back to the ranks in white, and run at the forefront for the victory of conservatism."
"I will not forget the concession of Candidate Choi Changgeun. I will also not forget the spirit of sacrifice of the party members who made this national concession. I will restore the economy of this Republic of Korea, which is facing an unprecedented economic crisis, to its original state. The moment I am elected, I will go to Japan and borrow a large amount of dollars!"
I was watching the live broadcast of the joint campaign speeches of the presidential candidates in my grandfather's study.
The sudden announcement of unification came as a shock to me.
The TV showed the flustered face of the progressive party's candidate, Kim Hakgwon.
His expression was in stark contrast to that of the conservative party's candidate, Sung Daegyu.
"The situation is getting interesting. There's probably the Cheongpung Association behind this."
Grandfather's words were spot on.
"I never thought they would play the unification card."
"There must have been some deal. Seeing that he mentioned borrowing dollars, he probably received a promise of support from Japan. Now, the issue of survival is more important than anti-Japanese sentiment."
"Yes, this is a big deal."
"Surely Kim Hakgwon won't lose, right?"
"It's hard to predict now. Even if the current administration's approval rating is at its worst, Sung Daegyu has been drawing a clear line with the current administration from the beginning."
Sung Daegyu had been clashing with the president and conducting his own politics even before he became a candidate.
Thanks to this, despite the decline in the current president's approval rating due to the IMF crisis, Sung Daegyu maintained a high approval rating.
In the original history, even with the conservative votes split, the progressive side's Kim Hakgwon won by a margin of only 500,000 votes.
If the votes were combined, it was uncertain whether the progressives could win.
This was the worst scenario for me.
The Republic of Korea is still a country where the president's power is strong.
I don't know what kind of backroom deal the Cheongpung Association made with Sung Daegyu, but it's not good for me.
"If Sung Daegyu is elected, the power of the Cheongpung Association will increase. We need to consider supporting Candidate Kim Hakgwon."
"Is there anything we can do? We can't win just by pouring in money. We can't spread money like we used to."
I had already provided a considerable amount of political funds to Kim Hakgwon's camp. He wouldn't be short of money.
Not only me, but also President Song of Daehyun, had invested 6 in Kim Hakgwon, 3 in Sung Daegyu, and 1 in Choi Changgeun. Other large corporations had bet the opposite way.
If the election ended with Sung Daegyu's victory, it would be a significant blow not only to me but also to Daehyun.
Sure enough, a call came from President Song.
"Yes, this is Kim Muhyeok."
โ You bastard!!!
President Song's loud voice echoed through the phone, covering my grandfather's study.
"Hehe."
Grandfather laughed as if finding it amusing.
"I'll go outside to take the call."
"No, take it here. I want to watch the show."
With my grandfather's playful permission, I continued the call.
โ You bastard. Why are you silent? Speak up. What the hell is going on?
"Mr. President, I can hear you even if you speak softly."
โ What a peaceful world. How are we going to handle this? What do you mean by regime change?
"I don't know yet."
โ What don't you know? If you combine their approval ratings, it's over 60%.
"I know. Just wait a bit longer. We've already made our bets. It's too late to change now."
A sigh came from the other end of the phone, but I calmly added,
"Going to Sung Daegyu now won't change anything. Support Kim Hakgwon more. It's better to be number one in Kim Hakgwon's camp. Most large corporations have already bet on Sung Daegyu. If Kim Hakgwon wins, it will be a significant reward for you."
โ Hehehe...
President Song's defeated laughter was heard.
"The trigger has already been pulled. Now we need to decide what to do for Kim Hakgwon's victory. It's too late to regret."
โ Yes, ultimately, the choice is mine. Do you have any plans?
"I need to find them."
โ I see. Well... it's all or nothing.
President Song hung up, leaving a long aftertaste.
Putting my phone back in my pocket, my grandfather gave me a signal to speak.
I shrugged.
"You seem worried."
"It's different for us. We have the weapon of dollars, so we're somewhat fortunate... but..."
"I only gave you options. The final decision was up to President Song. Besides, President Song isn't someone who would be swayed by my words. He probably weighed all the options and made his decision. He probably called to vent his anxiety."
"Hehehe, I wanted to see President Song flustered."
"We need to do something too. We can't let the Cheongpung Association gain the president's power."
Grandfather nodded.
Like the darkness outside the window, the 15th presidential election was unpredictable.
The attack on the Republic of Korea was the result of the interests of Wall Street hyenas, who had suffered significant losses in Hong Kong and Taiwan, aligning with those of the U.S. authorities.
Credit rating agencies, including Moody's, committed the atrocity of lowering South Korea's credit rating to African levels in one go.
The announcements by credit rating agencies accelerated the outflow of foreign capital from Korea.
U.S. media continuously reported that South Korea's available foreign exchange reserves were at the 2 billion dollar level.
Stock prices plummeted, and the exchange rate fell to its maximum extent every time the fluctuation range was widened.
Of course, the government did not sit idly by.
They sent special envoys to Japan and the United States to propose currency swaps, but both sides refused, citing their own positions.
In the end, in December, IMF Chief Camdessus came to Korea.
Korea had no choice but to engage in a humiliating negotiation.
"This is Kim Muhyeok."
โ Hello, this is IMF Chief Camdessus. Are you Charlie Kim?
"Yes, but... how did you get my phone number?"
โ I would like to meet you. Can you come to the hotel where I am staying? In secret.
"Is it an order?"
โ Of course not. Would I order the owner of Dream High Investment? I just want to meet quietly and also convey a message from the U.S. administration.
"I'll call you back."
โ I'll be waiting.
I hung up.
Camdessus's authoritative voice, which was different from what I heard on the phone, was now coming from the TV.
Camdessus, who spoke calmly in front of the President of the Republic of Korea, was the same person.
I called Han Kyunggyeong.
"Brother, Camdessus wants to meet me. Do you know anything about it?"
โ Hmm... He probably received instructions from the U.S. administration. He might ask you not to help Korea.
"Hmm..."
โ Your name might appear in Forbes next year. You've already negotiated with the U.S. Treasury, but they can't stop your name from being published. Charlie Kim. The details won't be fully disclosed, though.
Forbes, in my opinion, is a tabloid-like magazine that publishes sensational articles like the 'World's Richest People' every year.
The ranking is only half-complete, missing the names of hidden billionaires.
However, it feels detailed enough to be convincing when you read it.
If the names of hidden billionaires, including Middle Eastern royalty, the Rothschild family in Europe, and the Rockefeller family in the United States, were included, the Forbes ranking would surely be completely replaced.
"It's fine as long as the name Kim Muhyeok doesn't appear."
โ You're number one, and I'm number two. Does that make sense?
"Hahaha. I'm going crazy. Are you coming to Korea tomorrow?"
โ I'll arrive in the morning.
"You might be surrounded by reporters at the airport and immediately summoned to the Blue House. Congratulations, you're a celebrity now."
โ No way...
"It's not a joke. I'm just softening it a bit."
Han Kyunggyeong's name had spread not only in the U.S. but also worldwide.
The existence of Han Kyunggyeong, a Korean-American, was a ray of hope for the current Korean government.
A politician who went to the U.S. as a special envoy to negotiate with the U.S. government even requested a meeting with Han Kyunggyeong, though he refused.
"Give them some lip service."
โ Okay.
After hanging up with Han Kyunggyeong, I called Manager Ma to go to the hotel where Camdessus was staying.
Avoiding it wouldn't solve anything.
The hotel lobby was empty, as if they had been informed in advance.
"Nice to meet you, Charlie."
Camdessus, recognizing me, extended his hand first.
I shook his hand and greeted him.
"It's an honor to meet you. I only see you on the news every day."
"Haha. It's embarrassing to hear that from the world's richest person."
We exchanged greetings and sat down to continue the conversation.
Camdessus, glancing at Manager Ma standing behind me, spoke in a low voice.
"I would like the security guard behind you to leave."
"He's part of me. If there's something he shouldn't hear, I don't want to hear it either."
Seeing my firm refusal, Camdessus made a helpless expression and handed me a letter.
"It's a personal letter from President Clinton."
I took the letter and passed it to Manager Ma.
"Aren't you going to read it?"
"Later. I want to hear the reason you wanted to meet me today first. And how you got my phone number."
"Then I'll start with the message from the U.S. administration. 'Absolutely do not help Korea's foreign exchange crisis. If you do, all the responsibility will be on you,' said Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin."
"Is that a threat?"
I hadn't completely severed the connection to the phantom company yet.
But if I made a concession here, they would pounce on me like hyenas.
Camdessus, looking a bit flustered, waved his hand.
"No, no. Rubin was a bit direct, but he's saying you don't need to help. There's no benefit for you either."
I had no intention of helping the government from the beginning, but I pretended to think about it, rubbing my chin.
'They must have found some leverage. I didn't plan to help anyway. Maybe I can get something out of this...'
Camdessus waited silently for my response, despite my prolonged contemplation.
He seemed far from the person who had been pressuring the Korean government.
I soon nodded.
"Alright. In return, don't interfere with anything I do in Korea."
"Let's share appropriately. Don't eat everything alone, like in Hong Kong."
Camdessus's words had a hidden meaning.
I twisted my lips into a smile.
"The expression 'eat everything alone' is a bit harsh. I clearly moved with Wall Street. I just made a faster judgment based on the situation. I didn't act against Wall Street, did I? We just made the same choice."
Camdessus's eyes wavered.
"I'm sorry if I offended you. It was a joke. Dream High's aggressive investment is famous even in the U.S."
"Please convey to the U.S. administration that I will comply with the request. In return, I have one favor to ask next time."
"What kind of favor?"
"It will be a good deal for the U.S. and Wall Street too. You can refuse if it's an unacceptable request."
"Understood. I'll convey that."
"It was nice meeting you. I hope we meet again."
"It was an honor."
We shook hands and parted ways.
On the way back to Pyeongchang-dong from the hotel, Manager Ma spoke for the first time today.
"Is that the person on TV? The IMF Chief Camdessus?"
"Hahaha. Isn't it funny? The chief of the International Monetary Fund, which calls itself the World Bank, is just a lackey of the U.S."
"He looked completely different from his TV appearance."
"Of course. They know what power I have. The Korean government doesn't know yet, or even if they do, they'll try to suppress it with power. It's a different country from the U.S. They'll come to their senses after a harsh lesson."