[2006 Local Elections — Centrist Party Sweeps 14 Metropolitan Government Seats Including Gwangju Metropolitan City.]

As the curtain fell on the 2006 local elections, a powerful centrist wave swept across the country.

In this election, the Centrist Party achieved an unprecedented victory, securing fourteen metropolitan government seats, including Gwangju Metropolitan City.

This result was being interpreted as a sign that the Centrist Party had emerged as a new powerhouse in local politics, heralding a major shift in Korea’s political landscape.

In particular, the Centrist Party’s victory in Gwangju Metropolitan City came as a tremendous shock to many.

That was because Gwangju had traditionally been known as a region with strong progressive leanings.

However, with the Centrist Party candidate defeating the Progressive Party candidate in this election, people were now evaluating it as the opening of a new possibility for centrist politics.

Meanwhile, the broader progressive bloc, including the Progressive Party, barely managed to preserve its dignity by securing victories in Jeollanam-do and Jeollabuk-do.

These two regions had long been considered the heartlands of progressive politics, but the results shown in this election were viewed as somewhat disappointing compared to previous years.

Despite their victories in Jeonnam and Jeonbuk, the broader progressive camp had clearly been pushed back by the Centrist Party nationwide.

Looking at the local election results overall, it was clear that a new political wind was blowing through Korea alongside the Centrist Party’s landslide victory.

The rise of the Centrist Party was expected to have a considerable impact on future parliamentary and presidential elections, while the broader progressive camp, including the Progressive Party, had reached a point where it needed to seriously analyze these results and seek new strategies.

The 2006 local elections would be remembered as a significant event foreshadowing a new political order in Korea.

The Centrist Party’s sweeping victory and the progressive camp’s concerns were expected to open a new chapter in future political discourse.

“Hahaha, Representative Lee. Come in, come in.”

Party Leader Lee Jeongho welcomed Lee Myungsoo as he entered the conference room.

At the same time, camera flashes burst from every direction as reporters pressed their shutters.

The supreme conference room of the Centrist Party, which normally carried a solemn atmosphere, had transformed into a festival hall.

The Centrist Party had achieved an overwhelming victory in this local election, signaling a major shift in Korea’s political landscape.

And at the center of all this success stood Floor Leader Lee Myungsoo.

Throughout the election campaign, Lee Myungsoo tirelessly traveled across the country, delivering the Centrist Party’s message directly to voters.

His strategy had been clear, and sincerity had filled every word he spoke.

As a result, the Centrist Party had achieved a massive victory, securing fourteen metropolitan government seats, including Gwangju Metropolitan City.

“Congratulations, Floor Leader!”

“You’ve worked incredibly hard all this time!”

Everyone in the conference room rose to their feet and applauded at once.

They all praised Lee Myungsoo in unison, their faces filled with joy and gratitude.

For a moment, Lee Myungsoo simply stood there, accepting the warm applause and congratulations directed toward him.

It felt as though all the exhaustion he had carried until now was melting away like snow.

Smiling brightly, Lee Myungsoo gave a slight bow before speaking.

“Thank you, everyone. But this victory does not belong to me alone. It was only possible because all of us worked together. We achieved this as one team, as one family.”

His voice, giving all the credit to everyone else, was humble yet firm.

Thanks to that, the atmosphere in the conference room became even warmer. As they encouraged and congratulated one another, the Centrist Party’s unity became fully apparent.

Lee Myungsoo shook hands with each person individually, expressing his gratitude.

This victory had been earned through his efforts—from establishing the election strategy to tirelessly traveling from one campaign site to another despite exhaustion.

But this wasn’t simply a victory gained through winning more seats.

It had become a milestone pointing toward the direction the Centrist Party needed to move in from now on.

And the celebration that day was merely the beginning.

The Centrist Party now had to begin an entirely new political journey.

Once the reporters had all been sent out, the real closed-door meeting began.

Suppressing the joy visible on his face, Lee Myungsoo spoke.

“We managed to take Gwangju Metropolitan City, but we cannot be satisfied with this victory.”

Winning a metropolitan government seat in Honam had been incredibly difficult. It was a huge achievement, but they couldn’t afford to become complacent.

“On top of that, the citizens of Gwangju Metropolitan City gave control of the local council to the Progressive Party in order to keep the mayor in check.”

Although the Centrist Party had taken the Gwangju mayoralty, the Progressive Party had secured eighty percent of the local council.

The citizens had voted for a Centrist Party mayor while simultaneously empowering the Progressive Party in the local assembly so the two sides would compete against each other.

“If we want to continue winning in Honam moving forward, then we must fulfill the pledges we made.”

In this election, the Centrist Party had pledged the construction of Subway Line 2 and large-scale transportation infrastructure improvement projects.

These were projects Gwangju Metropolitan City could never carry out alone.

“And alongside that, we must also fulfill our promises regarding the successful hosting of the Gwangju Biennale and transforming the city into a cultural and arts hub.”

At that moment, Representative Lee Jeongho spoke up.

“Representative Lee. Let’s slow down a little. The election just ended. And you’re already talking about campaign pledges? First, let’s enjoy this victory.”

“Representative. If we get drunk on victory and overlook things, there’s no telling what will happen in next year’s presidential election.”

“Haha. There’s no way we’d lose the presidential election—”

Lee Myungsoo firmly cut him off.

“Representative. Who would have thought President Yoon Changho would be elected? Even two years before the election, nobody predicted it. Surely you understand that better than anyone.”

“......”

“Elections always come with variables. If we grow arrogant because of victory and stop making an effort, the people will judge us.”

A clash of opinions erupted between Representative Lee Jeongho and Lee Myungsoo. The warm atmosphere instantly disappeared.

But only for °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° a moment.

One by one, the people gathered in the conference room began speaking up.

“I agree with Floor Leader Lee. If we become intoxicated with victory and neglect what we’re supposed to do, the people will abandon us.”

“I feel the same. Politics is like a living creature. Who could have predicted that the Conservative Party would collapse and disappear into the back pages of history?”

At those words, one supreme council member who had originally come from the Conservative Party awkwardly cleared his throat.

But everyone sided with Lee Myungsoo.

The balance of party power was clearly tilting completely in one direction.

“......I misspoke.”

In the end, Representative Lee Jeongho took a step back.

“Thank you, Representative.”

After bowing his head toward Lee Jeongho, Lee Myungsoo continued.

“And while we’re at it, I think it’s time we changed the party’s name. The name Centrist Party was only used to remove the conservative image when we absorbed the Conservative Party. It’s about time we changed it.”

“Hm. Wouldn’t it be better to think about that more carefully?”

Even those standing on Lee Myungsoo’s side reacted negatively to changing the party name.

“This is our opportunity. In the long run, something called centrism cannot truly exist.”

But Lee Myungsoo refused to back down and continued persuading the supreme council members.

And so the supreme council meeting continued deep into the night.

* * *

Even without my direct involvement in this election, they had achieved excellent results.

The fact that such a remarkable outcome came simply from me giving small bits of support behind the scenes and letting Myungsoo do things his own way was deeply satisfying.

Reading my expression, Manager Ma smiled faintly and congratulated me.

“Boss. This is good news.”

“It really is. I’m very satisfied.”

Every media outlet released analyses of the election, and I read through every single one without exception.

Nodding slightly, I set down the newspaper I’d been reading.

“Alright then. Let’s slowly begin now.”

The election was over, which meant it was finally time to handle the matters I had postponed.

“Park Joohyeong returned as Executive Managing Director in charge of management, right?”

“Yes. He was reappointed a few days ago.”

“He got back into the center of things faster than expected.”

Park Joohyeong had more backbone than he looked like he did.

Slowly rubbing my chin, I continued asking questions.

“Who’s he been meeting?”

“He met with the editors and reporters whose names were written in the notebook.”

“And nobody’s approached him?”

“No. We haven’t received reports of any unusual movements.”

“Keep watching him. And if any dangerous situation arises, protect him.”

“I’ll pass the order along, Boss.”

At this point, it felt like all I needed to do was wait until Park Joohyeong came looking for me again.

“Then pass the word to Koryeo Daily. Tell them to release the article in three days.”

“Understood.”

The limit of suppressing who I was had finally started approaching.

Even if we managed to stop Hanminjok Daily this time, there was no guarantee another incident like this wouldn’t happen again in the future.

A few days later.

An article appeared on page three of Koryeo Daily announcing that Dreamhigh Korea would be appointing a new branch president.

[Dreamhigh Appoints New Korea Branch President With Strong Support From CEO Han Kyungyeong.]

Dreamhigh, the “Legend of Wall Street” whom nobody in the global investment world could deny, announced that it had appointed a new president for its Korean branch in order to strengthen its strategic positioning within the Korean market.

This appointment was reportedly made under the strong support and direct interest of Dreamhigh CEO Han Kyungyeong.

The newly appointed branch president was revealed to be one of Dreamhigh’s major shareholders and a Korean who had founded Dreamhigh together with Han Kyungyeong.

Based on this background and his deep understanding of investment, Dreamhigh planned to further strengthen its investment activities and strategic partnerships within Korea.

CEO Han Kyungyeong stated, “Korea is an important market that cannot be ignored in the global economy, and Dreamhigh holds deep affection and strong investment intentions toward the Korean market,” adding, “The appointment of the new branch president is the next step toward realizing our vision, and under his leadership, we anticipate mutual growth between Dreamhigh and the Korean market.”

Dreamhigh already operated branches in major countries across the world and was especially well known for holding considerable stakes in Korean corporations.

The appointment of this new branch president was being viewed as a strategic move to further expand Dreamhigh’s investment strategy within Korea and strengthen cooperation with local companies.

The official inauguration ceremony for the new branch president was expected to take place in Seoul early next month, where detailed plans and visions regarding Dreamhigh’s future Korean market strategy would reportedly be unveiled.

It was also said that Han Kyungyeong himself would personally visit Korea for the inauguration ceremony.

Once the article was released, people’s curiosity regarding the newly appointed Dreamhigh branch president only intensified.

Internet forums in particular exploded day after day.

— So he’s finally decided to reveal himself?

After the article went out, I received calls from countless people.

Even President Yoon Changho contacted me late that night.

“Yes. I think it’s become too difficult to continue working while hiding myself. The era where information could be controlled is gradually coming to an end. Rather than getting swept up in pointless conspiracy theories, I thought it would be better to reveal myself completely and break through head-on.”

— You made the right decision. I’ll send the Chief of Staff as well.

“Thank you. Steve Jobs, along with the American, Chinese, Russian, and Japanese ambassadors, have all agreed to attend the inauguration ceremony.”

I intended to openly display my connections.

The purpose of this inauguration ceremony was to show exactly how influential I was.

After hearing the lineup of invited guests, Yoon Changho let out a small sound of admiration.

— Those are some impressive people. If circumstances allowed, I’d like to attend myself......

“That’s alright. I know you’re busy. Your support alone is more than enough.”

— Instead, after you officially take office as branch president, I’ll invite you to the Blue House separately. Publicly, of course.

“Thank you, Mr. President.”

The call with Yoon Changho ended.

But I had no time to rest.

Because after that, my phone continued ringing nonstop. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

One month later, Han Kyungyeong arrived at Incheon Airport to attend the inauguration ceremony.