A Gate Opened On My First Day As A Politician - Chapter 30: North Wind (1)

“North Korea used a nuclear weapon to stop the monsters.”

Cha Jae-kyun spoke.

“While only one gate opened on the Korean Peninsula, many gates opened just above us, in areas such as Shenyang, Jilin, Yanbian, and others.”

It seemed gates had opened just north of North Korea.

“How many locations are we talking about?”

“It’s not something we can pinpoint to a single place. They appeared sporadically across a wide area.”

Apparently, there were a ton of them.

“The issue is that China adopted a strategy of pushing monsters into foreign territories.”

China had forced the monsters into North Korea.

“Countless monsters poured into North Korea, and yesterday, at around 8:52 PM, North Korea used a nuclear weapon 20 kilometers north of Hyesan in Yanggang Province.”

North Korea had fired a nuke to stop the monsters.

“If we’re talking about Mount Baekdu, it’s the southern foothills. Since it’s an active volcano, there’s also the possibility of an eruption.”

“…What about the damage?”

“It varies greatly depending on the direction of the wind. We can’t predict where the volcanic ash will head. Fortunately, scholars claim there’s little risk of an eruption. The nuclear weapon was quite small, and it missed the plate boundary by some distance…”

Mount Baekdu nearly erupted, but apparently, it didn’t. I sighed in relief, but Cha Jae-kyun added grimly.

“The impact varying with the wind direction still holds true.”

“…Ah.”

“We have no idea where the radioactive fallout will go.”

—

The country was in turmoil.

The price surge, epitomized by the ₩70,000 cans of tuna associated with the “Gangbuk Style,” was starting to spread insidiously.

“They’re saying a single pack of ramen costs ₩10,000 now. Even in Busan.”

“That’s insane…”

Lee Ho-jung frowned and covered her mouth.

Yang Il-ho asked nervously, “Isn’t the radioactive fallout going to come down this way?”

“…It’s summer right now, so the continental winds are blowing. Southeastern monsoon winds.”

“Excuse me?”

“The wind’s blowing from the sea toward the land, you idiot.”

“Then the fallout won’t come our way…?”

I nodded for now.

But wind is unpredictable, and there were no guarantees. Not to mention the possibility of typhoons.

The news anchor on TV fanned public unrest.

– “The nuclear weapon dropped near Mount Baekdu is estimated to have been about 7 kilotons, half the size of Hiroshima’s bomb. Authorities claim they are doing their utmost to measure the fallout damage, but some speculate the possibility of Mount Baekdu’s eruption…”

“Are they insane? Why haven’t they issued a press guideline yet?!”

“Hyung! Calm down!”

“Damn it!”

With no president, the chaos among the press was uncontrollable. While Cha Jae-kyun held sway near Seoul, there was no way to stop the noise from media outlets elsewhere.

Of course, the more the media sensationalized the situation for ratings, the more the country descended into chaos.

The more people were provoked with cries of “This is serious!” the more likely they were to panic, turning “serious” into “disastrous.”

I gulped down a bottle of sparkling water, trying to soothe my parched throat, and furiously flipped through the TV channels like a maniac.

– “Citizens isolated in Gangbuk are being exposed to fallout…”

– “The exact scale of the explosion remains unclear…”

– “Baby shark, doo-doo-doo-doo…”

– “Large-scale protests erupt in Uijeongbu…!”

– “Military authorities have yet to establish a clear course of action…”

Of course, none of it registered. The word “nuclear bomb” alone was enough to dominate everyone’s thoughts.

I answered the eighth call from a contact as my phone kept buzzing nonstop.

“Hello? Oh, yes. Auntie. Yes, I’m fine. Yes, nothing’s happened. Of course, I’m safe! Don’t worry so much. Yes, yes, ah, I have to head into a meeting now. Yes, goodbye.”

The shock of the third-ever use of a nuclear weapon in history was immense. People were gripped with fear. My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the sofa.

The moment one call ended, another ring came.

“Hello.”

– “Seung-Moon.”

“Oh, yes, Assemblyman.”

It was Yang Pan-seok. He spoke in a somber tone.

– “I’m at the martial law command center.”

“Ah, are you in Gangbuk?”

– “Remember the secret meeting room where we met Cha the Vice Minister? Come there now. Quickly, if you can.”

“Understood.”

As soon as he said, “Come now,” the line went dead. He must’ve been surrounded by others.

Just as I was struggling to strap on my prosthetic leg at the door, my phone rang again.

“Hello?”

– “Hey. Are you okay?”

“…Noona?”

– “I asked if you’re okay.”

“Oh, uh, yeah.”

– “Be careful.”

Click. Yeo Do-yeon hung up.

Staring at my phone in disbelief, I noticed 24 missed calls from Yeo Do-yeon.

—

“Ah, you’re here. Take a seat.”

“Sorry for being late.”

“No, no, come over.”

I hobbled over as discreetly as possible and took a seat next to Yang Pan-seok. About eight people were gathered in the cramped room.

Cha Jae-kyun, Vice Minister of Defense.
Won Ok-bun, Acting President.
Yang Pan-seok, Democratic Party senior member.
A Vice Minister of Finance.
The National Intelligence Service Director.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The U.S. Ambassador to Korea.
The Mayor of Busan.

Including me, there were nine people.

Was this South Korea’s most critical meeting? Looking at the composition, the participants were meticulously balanced.

The military,
The Republican Party,
The Democratic Party,
The Sejong City government,
The National Intelligence Service,
The U.S.,
And local governments—each faction had their representatives here.

I smiled inwardly.

I wasn’t wrong. All my efforts up to now weren’t in vain.

I had earned my place here, not just as “the representative of the Awakeners,” but also as a rising star in politics.

As Cha Jae-kyun signaled, the NIS Director began speaking.

“An hour ago, we received additional information. They’re unable to stop the monsters coming down from the north…”

His next words turned the meeting room upside down.

“They’re planning to detonate a few more nuclear bombs.”

—

Bang! The Mayor of Busan slammed the table, flaunting his vigor as a potential presidential candidate.

“We must issue a stern warning and take immediate action! This is an outrageous overreach!”

Translation: I’ll yell big for now, but I have no idea what to do, so you figure it out!

The U.S. Ambassador smiled, calmly offering a conciliatory suggestion.

“Why not send troops to block the border? Perhaps deploy part of the corps forming the encirclement line to advance north.”

Translation: Let South Korea handle it.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs replied firmly.

“We’re already overextended fighting an enemy that doesn’t diminish in number. Even maintaining the encirclement line is pushing us to the limit. Additionally, we cannot predict what would happen if our troops entered North Korean territory. Considering the regime’s legitimacy concerns, such a move would hardly be welcomed. Prioritizing the safety of our citizens by maintaining the encirclement line is the proper duty of the South Korean military.”

Translation: Hell no.

The Vice Minister of Finance, with a look of intellectual clarity, spoke coldly.

“Fear is eating away at the economy. We’re on the brink of collapse, like during the IMF crisis. If the gates had opened only in South Korea, we’d already be finished.”

Translation: The economy’s screwed. Do something.

The NIS Director maintained a poker face as he continued his report.

“Public dissatisfaction is mounting among the isolated citizens in Gangbuk. Protests are already widespread, and the entire nation trembles in fear of radioactive fallout.”

The media response teams had tried their best, but they couldn’t turn the tide of public opinion.

I glanced at my watch. It had been 1 hour and 16 minutes since the meeting started. Soldiers and bureaucrats had spent over an hour trembling and whining.

This was the chronic problem of South Korea. The people at the top were too scared. It was understandable—they had too much to lose, so they played it safe.

A quiet sigh escaped beside me.

Yang Pan-seok’s sharp gaze flickered between Won Ok-bun and me.

Right. This was the kind of problem that politicians were made for.

The cunning old fox finally spoke up.

“Well, I appreciate everyone’s input.”

Yang Pan-seok stroked his beard with a thoughtful look.

“Radioactive fallout, rising prices, inflamed public opinion. Our nation is drowning in hardship caused by North Korea’s reckless actions.”

He looked around the room solemnly.

“To add a small observation, the damage caused by the nuclear weapons themselves is not the root cause here.”

As his protégé, I added my own comment.

“…Are you saying that people’s fear is the root cause?”

Won Ok-bun answered instead. Politicians really do think alike.

“That’s right. The most urgent task is to address public sentiment and reassure the people.”

Translation: Let’s manipulate public opinion.

Yang Pan-seok smiled contentedly.

“Then, perhaps you’d care to hear my idea…?”

It was his way of saying the experts should step back and let the politicians handle it.

—

Yang Pan-seok’s plan was simple: ‘nationalism’.

He even faced mild criticism for openly mentioning this, but his follow-up explanation left everyone in awe.

The truth was, everyone in that room understood the situation well enough. They’d simply panicked and flailed in confusion at the sudden crisis.

Once Yang Pan-seok laid out his plan, the leaders quickly calmed down and fleshed it out into a more polished strategy.

Sitting in the back seat of the car, I rewatched the press conference Cha Jae-kyun had given three days ago.

This had been Yang Pan-seok’s ‘first step’:

‘‘A Warning from the Military Commander.’’

– “We express grave concern and issue a stern warning regarding the reckless actions of the North Korean puppet regime.”

– “There will be no further warnings. The Republic of Korea Air Force has already secured air superiority over North Korea and stands ready to strike anywhere in their territory…”

It was true that the Air Force had secured North Korean airspace. It was also true that they were ready to strike anywhere in the North.

The real target, however, was the monsters being pushed southward into North Korea.

If North Korea fell, those monsters would flood into our territory. This move also served to deter further use of nuclear weapons.

In essence, we were helping North Korea for free. That was likely their goal all along—South Korea’s “voluntary” assistance. Asking for help directly would undermine their regime’s legitimacy.

We begrudgingly played along with their hooligan antics while preparing a neatly packaged narrative for domestic consumption.

Naturally, the public didn’t buy it entirely. This wasn’t the age where empty words could fool people. Predictably, left and right factions immediately clashed online.

It was all part of the plan.

To unify public opinion, we introduced a strong leader.

This was Yang Pan-seok’s ‘second step’:

‘Won Ok-bun’s Appointment.’

In the driver’s seat, Yang Il-ho asked me, “Oh, right! Hyung, about Acting President Won Ok-bun accepting the role the day before yesterday.”

“Yeah?”

“She’s from the Republican Party—are we sure that’s okay?”

“It was all staged.”

I brushed off his question, recalling her acceptance speech.

“…We are facing the greatest crisis since the founding of our nation. In this turbulent time, many families have already suffered loss. I am no exception. For 28 years, I shared—

…

…At the request of both ruling and opposition lawmakers, I will fulfill the duties of Acting President. I will respond firmly to unknown threats and foreign aggression.

We will restore this nation.

I will let my actions speak for themselves. That concludes my address.”

The sudden “North Wind” had propelled her to leadership without much resistance.

In reality, she was jointly endorsed by the National Assembly and Cha Jae-kyun. With her missing eye and formidable presence, Won Ok-bun looked every bit the strong leader people needed.

She wasted no time. Marching into the temporary U.S.-ROK Combined Forces Command, she roared at the American commander to stop dithering and fight alongside us.

Her stern command left the U.S. commander nodding and signing documents without hesitation.

Of course, the real reason the U.S. agreed to expand their involvement was because Cha Jae-kyun’s special forces had bled to rescue the U.S. ambassador. It had been a quiet deal behind the scenes.

None of that mattered to the public. Watching their leader exude power on live television, people danced with joy. Online reactions were overwhelmingly positive.

For two consecutive days, Cha Jae-kyun and Won Ok-bun had put on a grand “national pride” performance. Then came Yang Pan-seok’s ‘third step’.

‘The First Legislative Move of the Monster Response Special Committee.’

Together with 10 other lawmakers (minus Won Ok-bun), I passed an emergency bill to support “guilds” hunting monsters in southern Gyeonggi Province.

In a grand display, 11 assemblymen bowed deeply before the cameras, proclaiming, ‘“From now on, the Awakeners will protect the people!”’

It was quite the spectacle.

David Kim and Hong Seon-ah were appointed as guild leader and deputy leader, respectively.

On their very first day, they dramatically hunted six monsters, and the media broadcasted every second of their heroic feats. About 20 superhumans had turned the city into a live-action hero movie set, and the public’s reaction was predictable.

All of this had taken place over just ‘three days’.

On the ‘first day’,
Cha Jae-kyun held an impressive press conference, showcasing the military and issuing a warning to North Korea.

On the ‘second day’,
Won Ok-bun became Acting President and secured expanded U.S. military support with a single commanding speech.

On the ‘third day’,
The National Assembly launched the guild system to hunt monsters in southern Gyeonggi.

It was all pre-planned. Nothing new or groundbreaking had been done—just carefully arranged and polished steps.

Yet,
Cha Jae-kyun and I had managed to mobilize the guilds to stabilize southern Gyeonggi,
Won Ok-bun had solidified her legitimacy as a leader,
And the National Assembly had validated the Monster Response Committee’s efforts.

Meanwhile, public morale had been stabilized.

It was all political packaging—empty wrapping paper that still delivered results. Now it was time for me to claim my reward.

Finally, the ‘fourth day’ had arrived.

This time, it was ‘my turn’.

“We’re here!”

“Got it.”

Yang Il-ho stopped the car, and I stepped out.

Immediately, a barrage of camera flashes erupted. Silently, I walked toward the platform.

I slowed my pace and closed my eyes briefly, recalling my conversation with Yang Pan-seok.

“Mass protests, skyrocketing prices—it’s all because people are anxious. Ever since the armistice, we’ve lived with a knife to our throats. This panic is nothing new.”

“…Do you really think so?”

“No! The fallout could blow south, and North Korea might drop more bombs. But does that matter right now?”

“No.”

“Exactly! If people ‘believe’ that ‘we’re fine,’ then the problem is solved—no matter the reality. That’s the key.”

“You’re saying we should brainwash everyone with patriotism?”

“Nothing fancy. Just four days of consistent national pride. And for that, I need your help.”

“…What do I need to do?”

“You, my friend, are now Zhuge Liang.”

Standing on the platform, I took a deep breath.

Yang Pan-seok’s final words echoed in my mind.

“Let the southeastern wind blow…!”

I opened my mouth and spoke in a firm voice.

“The communist thugs are testing our nation’s patience.”