Golden Spoon Investor

The mother cat devoured two bowls of food as if she hadn't eaten in days. With her belly full, she seemed less defensive and didn't hiss anymore, making Seok-won smile softly.

"You little one, if you want to keep getting food, you should try to relax."

As he squatted by the deck and looked up at the sky, he noticed that it had become overcast, with clouds thickening above.

"They said it would snow heavily tonight and get colder… I hope she'll be okay."

He was concerned but knew that meddling too much might cause the mother cat to abandon her kittens or move them to another place, so he decided to leave things as they were.

"Thirsty?"

When he filled the empty food dish with water, the mother cat eagerly lapped it up. Watching her drink, Seok-won smiled and then stood up to head back inside.

As he entered the house, holding the bag of cat food, Mrs. Gunsan hurried toward him, her apron on.

"I was just about to call you, but you came in at the right time."

"Is something the matter?"

"The Chairman is asking for you."

"Father?"

When Seok-won gave her a curious look, Mrs. Gunsan urged him, "He's in the study, so you should go see him right away."

"…"

Wondering why his father would summon him in the middle of discussing business with his brother and Chief Gil, Seok-won tilted his head slightly.

'Well, I'll find out when I get there.'

"Okay."

Seok-won handed the bag of cat food to Mrs. Gunsan and made his way to the study.

Knock, knock.

A firm knock on the door was met with his father's deep voice from inside.

"Come in."

When Seok-won entered the study, he found his father, Chairman Park Tae-hong, seated on the sofa with his brother, Executive Director Park Jin-hyung, and Chief Gil Sung-ho, sitting across from him.

"You called for me?"

"Yes, take a seat."

Seok-won quietly sat down next to his brother, where there was an empty seat.

"Since you'll be joining the group after you graduate, I wanted you to be aware of what's going on."

With those words, the eyes of Chief Gil and his brother shifted toward Seok-won.

His father's intention to firmly anchor Seok-won in the group upon his return after graduation was clear, leaving no room for argument. Understanding this, Seok-won internally sighed.

Chairman Park took a sip of his strong-smelling coffee and gestured to Chief Gil to continue.

"Let's pick up where we left off."

"Yes, sir."

Chief Gil adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and continued.

"As you may know, after his defeat in the recent presidential election, Kim Jae-chun, the former leader of the Min-Pyung Party, has announced his retirement from politics and is planning to go to the UK for further studies next month."

"A temporary retreat abroad?"

Chairman Park inquired, and Chief Gil responded promptly.

"No, sir. If he completes the course he has applied for at Cambridge University, he'll be in the UK for at least six months."

"Hmm, that's not a short time."

Nodding slightly, Chairman Park continued.

"Losing the presidency three times must be a bitter pill to swallow."

"The election to choose the first civilian president after decades of military rule must have made the defeat even harder to bear."

"It certainly would."

Especially given the close race throughout the election, only to lose momentum at the end, the shock and despair must have been immense.

"The Min-Pyung Party is expected to elect a new leader soon to stabilize the internal situation."

At this, Park Jin-hyung, who had been quietly listening, interjected.

"This means Kim Jae-chun is effectively retiring from politics, doesn't it?"

"We'll see about that."

Chairman Park, who had been reclining on the sofa, responded skeptically.

"The desire for power is one of the most persistent human urges. Do you really think he's going to give it up that easily?"

"But he has publicly declared he won't be involved in politics anymore and is planning to stay abroad for an extended period, isn't he?"

Chairman Park gave his eldest son a measured look and said, "A politician's words can change as easily as turning a hand. And even if he goes to the UK, he can always come back depending on the situation."

"…"

"Moreover, even if he leaves the country and a new leader is elected, as long as the Donggyo-dong faction holds power within the party, the Min-Pyung Party will remain under Kim Jae-chun's influence."

The Donggyo-dong faction was named after the area in Mapo District where Kim Jae-chun lived, and the politicians who followed him were known as the Donggyo-dong faction. On the other hand, the faction of Kim Sung-gyu, the president-elect, was called the Sangdo-dong faction.

"Are you saying that Kim Jae-chun will return to politics?"

"Yes, he will distance himself for a while due to his public statement, but he will definitely return before the next presidential election."

Indeed, Kim Jae-chun did return to politics less than a year later after repeated pleas from senior members of the Min-Pyung Party. He then ran in the 15th presidential election and finally won the presidency on his fourth attempt.

Knowing this future, Seok-won was inwardly impressed by his father's insight, who, unlike him, had not time-traveled but still accurately foresaw what was to come.

"As expected, someone who leads a company of this scale has a different perspective."

Indeed, if his father had been incompetent, he would not have been able to grow the inherited company into one of the top 30 conglomerates.

"Anyway, that's a matter for the future. What we need to focus on right now is the new president."

Chairman Park directed his gaze back to Chief Gil.

"There's going to be a transition team set up in Yeouido, right?"

"Yes, sir. Former Minister Han Jae-joon has been appointed as the head of the transition team, and it is expected to be launched before Christmas."

Park Jin-hyung added in a calm voice.

"Unlike the current president, who merely received a brief handover report, this transition team plans to thoroughly review government operations, including budget execution."

Chairman Park furrowed his brows slightly as he listened.

"I expected as much, but they're starting off quite rigorously."

"Even though they belong to the same party, the fact that this is the first civilian president after 32 years of military rule means they'll want to establish discipline among government officials."

As Park Jin-hyung suggested, whenever there was a change in leadership, the first order of business was usually to establish authority.

"Indeed, even though they merged three parties to get their desired president elected, they're still in a position where they need to assert themselves against the established powers."

The three-party merger was an event where the ruling party, having failed to secure a majority in the National Assembly, merged with the second and third opposition parties to form a new major ruling party, giving birth to a powerful ruling party with strong regional support. The newly elected president, Kim Sung-gyu, had been the leader of the second-largest opposition party at the time.

"Although he was criticized heavily for forming an alliance with those he had once opposed, it was a decisive move that allowed Kim Sung-gyu to become president ahead of his longtime rival, Min-Pyung Party's Kim Jae-chun."

Chairman Park was about to move past the issue of the transition team as mere establishment of authority when he noticed the hardened expression on Seok-won's face and asked.

"What's on your mind, Seok-won?"

Surprised by the sudden question, Seok-won hesitated before replying. "Me?"

"Yes, you. You seem to have something on your mind. Speak freely."

Now, Park Jin-hyung and Chief Gil turned their attention to Seok-won as well.

Though he felt the pressure of their gazes, Seok-won quickly regained his composure and organized his thoughts.

"I might be wrong, but I think we might be underestimating the situation."

Expecting a routine answer, Chairman Park's interest was piqued by the unexpected reply.

"What do you mean by that?"

"President-elect Kim Sung-gyu is known as a master politician who has survived the treacherous political arena for many years. He wouldn't go through all this trouble just to establish authority."

"So, you think there's more to it?"

"Yes, I do."

Seok-won nodded firmly, his tone full of conviction.

However, Park Jin-hyung frowned slightly and countered his brother's statement.

"It's just that the transition team is larger this time, and there's more to report. Aren't you exaggerating?"

Chief Gil didn't say anything but gave a look that suggested he agreed with Park Jin-hyung.

"If it were just about handing over duties and preparing for next year's inauguration, I'd agree with you."

Looking at the three people sitting around the sofa, Seok-won continued.

"But I'm certain the real purpose of this transition team is to prepare the groundwork for swiftly taking control of all government departments as soon as the new administration starts."

"That's to be expected."

Park Jin-hyung responded as if it were a given, and Chairman Park seemed disappointed, expecting something more significant.

However, Seok-won remained serious and pressed on.

"But what if it's about clearing obstacles before making a big move?"

The ominous tone in his voice made Chairman Park furrow his brows.

"A big move? What exactly are you suggesting the president-elect is planning?"

"Well, as you mentioned earlier, the president-elect is viewed as an outsider by those with existing power within the Blue House and the establishment. To avoid becoming a puppet president, he'll likely want to clear out any entrenched obstacles first."

"Hmm."

The logical reasoning made Park Jin-hyung and Chief Gil's expressions turn serious, and Chairman Park, too, stroked his chin, his face growing tense.

"And given that he had to betray old comrades from the democratization movement to become president, he'll want to make a significant impact as soon as he takes office."

"Do you have any specific ideas about what he might do?"

"Considering what the public wants most and what could have the most significant impact, it would likely be a crackdown on corruption and a purge of the military."

"!"

Chairman Park's face instantly hardened as he asked again.

"A purge of the military? Are you suggesting he'll dismantle the Hanahoe?"

"Yes."

The unhesitating answer caused Chairman Park's expression to become as hard as stone.

The other two also looked visibly shocked, unable to hide their reactions.

After all, the Hanahoe was the military faction responsible for the December 12 coup that had kept the military regime in power, so their reaction was understandable.

While the others were shocked, Seok-won remained calm and continued.

"To exercise his authority as president fully, the first thing he'll need to do is to dismantle the Hanahoe, which controls the military."

After mulling it over for a moment, Chairman Park, now looking extremely serious, murmured quietly.

"Hm. If left unchecked, there would always be the fear of another coup. It's possible he might go that far."

"But do you think the Hanahoe will just sit back and let that happen?"

Given the gravity of the situation, Park Jin-hyung's voice was tinged with anxiety.

"If he's going to act, it will have to be at the start of his term when the president's power is at its peak. He'll move quickly and decisively."

When Seok-won answered, Chairman Park nodded slightly in agreement.

"You're right. That would be the best time to act."

What had seemed like a simple matter of asserting authority was, in fact, just the groundwork for a much larger plan.

Without Seok-won's sharp insight, they might have completely missed the real significance of the transition team's actions.

"So, the transition team's real purpose is to deal with the Hanahoe, is that it?"

"Yes, there will likely be other matters as well, but this is certainly one of the biggest."

"Hanahoe alone would be enough to cause a national uproar, but do you think there could be more?"

Chairman Park frowned deeply.

"Yes, possibly…"

Seok-won, who had been about to answer, suddenly hesitated. A thought struck him—what if this conversation altered the future in unforeseen ways? This was a serious concern.

When Seok-won abruptly stopped speaking, Chairman Park urged him on.

"Why did you stop mid-sentence?"

"Well…"

After a brief pause, Seok-won decided that since he had already gone this far, he might as well finish what he had started.

"Father probably has some assets and funds under other names, like other conglomerates, right?"

At that time, it was common for conglomerates to have a significant portion of their assets in other names to maintain control and reduce inheritance taxes.

"If this conversation helps you fully legitimize those assets before any crisis hits, it could make things much easier to handle when the time comes."

With his mind made up, Seok-won spoke to the waiting Chairman Park.

"If he aims to combat corruption, there's a strong possibility that he'll implement the Financial Real Name System."

"…!"

Already shocked enough, Chairman Park's eyes widened even further in disbelief. Park Jin-hyung and Chief Gil were equally stunned, their mouths agape.

"Did you just say… the Financial Real Name System?"

Chief Gil, struggling to process the idea, stammered as he asked.

"Yes."

At that time, it wasn't illegal to conduct financial transactions under a pseudonym or another person's name. It had been allowed to encourage savings, but it also came with several problems, including tax evasion.

"Although the Financial Real Name Act was passed years ago, it's been effectively shelved due to the potential for significant negative repercussions, hasn't it?"

Indeed, the law had been on the books for over ten years but had been left in limbo, gathering dust in a government cabinet.

"If the president-elect chooses to, he could unilaterally decide to enforce the law."

Lost for words, Chief Gil finally shook his head in denial.

"Even if he enforces the Real Name System, it would harm his interests as well. Why would he engage in such self-destructive behavior?"

Given his long political career, President-elect Kim Sung-gyu likely wasn't free from issues related to political funds.

"There's a saying, 'Cut off a limb to save the body.' Even if he risks significant damage to his administration, if it allows him to take down major targets, he might consider it a worthwhile trade."

"A big catch… Could it be…?"

A sense of dread washed over Chairman Park as his brow furrowed deeply.

"Two former presidents would certainly qualify as big catches, don't you think?"

Unlike the calm demeanor Seok-won maintained, the faces of the other three turned pale with shock and horror.

TL/n - 

The Financial Real Name System (or Real Name Financial System) in South Korea was implemented to enhance transparency and reduce illegal activities such as money laundering and tax evasion.

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The Hanahoe refers to an influential student organization, particularly associated with Yonsei University, that played a significant role in South Korea's political and social movements during the 1980s

***

Here's a step-by-step overview of South Korean politics from the Korean War (1950-1953) until the presidency of Kim Young-sam (1993-1998).

1. Korean War and Immediate Aftermath (1950-1953)

Korean War: The conflict between North and South Korea began on June 25, 1950, and lasted until 1953, leading to significant devastation in the South.

Post-War Political Landscape: After the war, South Korea was heavily influenced by the United States, which provided military and economic aid. The government struggled with instability and rebuilding efforts.

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2. Syngman Rhee Era (1948-1960)

First President: Syngman Rhee was the first president of South Korea, elected in 1948. His regime was marked by authoritarianism and repression.

Political Repression: Rhee's government suppressed dissent, leading to widespread opposition and protests.

April 1960 Revolution: Growing discontent culminated in student-led protests, forcing Rhee to resign in April 1960.

*

3. Second Republic (1960-1961)

Democratic Experiment: Following Rhee's resignation, South Korea briefly transitioned to a parliamentary system known as the Second Republic.

Instability: This period was marked by political instability, economic difficulties, and corruption, leading to dissatisfaction among the populace.

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4. Military Coup and Park Chung-hee (1961-1979)

Military Coup: In May 1961, General Park Chung-hee staged a coup d'état, overthrowing the Second Republic.

Authoritarian Rule: Park established an authoritarian regime, ruling with an iron fist while promoting economic development through state-led industrialization.

Economic Growth: Known as the "Miracle on the Han River," South Korea experienced rapid economic growth during this period.

Political Repression: The regime cracked down on dissent, leading to significant human rights abuses.

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5. Assassination of Park Chung-hee (1979)

Political Tension: By the late 1970s, dissatisfaction with Park's regime was growing, and tensions escalated.

Assassination: Park was assassinated by the head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) on October 26, 1979, leading to a power vacuum and uncertainty.

*

6. Chun Doo-hwan's Military Rule (1980-1987)

Coup and Martial Law: General Chun Doo-hwan seized power in a coup in December 1979, declaring martial law and suppressing opposition.

Gwangju Uprising: In May 1980, a pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju was violently suppressed, leading to significant casualties and national outrage.

Authoritarian Rule: Chun's government faced persistent resistance from student groups and activists advocating for democracy.

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7. Democratization Movement (1980s)

Public Dissent: Throughout the 1980s, widespread protests against Chun's regime grew, fueled by demands for democracy and human rights.

June Democracy Movement (1987): Massive protests in June 1987 forced Chun to agree to direct presidential elections, marking a turning point in South Korean politics.

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8. Election of Kim Young-sam (1992)

Democratic Transition: Kim Young-sam, a prominent opposition leader, was elected president in December 1992, marking the first time a civilian had taken power since 1961.

Reform Agenda: Kim's presidency focused on political and economic reforms, including anti-corruption measures and efforts to improve relations with North Korea.Conclusion