The original Parents’ Union was merely one of many conservative groups that were proliferating.
However, after Park Si-hyeong’s election as governor of Gyeonggi Province, it rapidly grew, now boasting more than 3,000 regular members. Furthermore, it became a massive organization capable of mobilizing tens of thousands for a single protest.
They claimed to uphold the banner of eradicating pro-North leftists and protecting free South Korea, but in reality, it was more akin to Park Si-hyeong’s loyalist group.
They proudly displayed their affiliation with pro-Park organizations without hiding it.
At first glance, there seemed to be no major issues.
The problem lies in their actions. Whenever anyone displayed even slight criticism of the government, they would descend en masse to protest.
They targeted not only civic and labor organizations but also legislators and media outlets.
Illegal protests were commonplace, along with business interference, property damage, insults and threats, and even acts of violence.
It resembled the Red Guards during the Mao Zedong era.
If other civic organizations had acted this way, relevant individuals would have been arrested by now, and their leadership would be dismantled.
However, the police and media openly turned a blind eye to the Parents’ Union’s actions, leading to increasingly radical protests.
To stage large-scale demonstrations, substantial financial resources are required. While participants may gather voluntarily, funds are necessary for protest materials, banners, and other supplies.
Moreover, the Parents’ Union has chartered buses to transport members not only from the metropolitan area but from across the nation for demonstrations. Their protests have taken them everywhere, wherever pro-government rallies were needed.
The expenses must be considerable, raising questions about where the money comes from.
In response to a journalist’s inquiry about funding sources, Chairman Lee Yong-gwang confidently stated, “We operate on donations collected from elderly people who gather scraps!”
Yet, even as scrap prices continue to hit record lows, the Parents’ Union’s funds show no signs of drying up.
On the third floor of a large building near Jongno Tapgol Park, renting in the city center is quite expensive, yet the Parents’ Union occupied an entire floor as their office.
A few days ago, the conservative groups were fiercely protesting in front of the OTK Company headquarters. However, after Big Won’s arrival, the protests abruptly stopped, and the executive team gathered in the office to enjoy a rare moment of relaxation.
Chairman Lee Yong-gwang made calls to the president of the National Veterans Association and the head of the Mother’s Army.
“Suspend the protests until further notice, and ensure strict internal monitoring.”
The elderly members of the executive sat on the sofa, sipping mixed coffee while watching the news. The TV screen displayed the devastated scenery of San Francisco.
Seeing the scene, the secretary general gasped.
“Wow, I can’t believe a major earthquake actually happened.”
An elder cautiously replied.
“Then isn’t it the aftermath that helped America?”
Another elder retorted angrily.
“What are you talking about? This is all thanks to President Ronald! What did that guy even do?”
“Still, they hailed him as a hero in America.”
“That’s nonsense! Americans are being deceived without knowing the truth! That guy is very bad!”
“Right! Isn’t he a pro-North Korea communist?”
While they were talking, suddenly, the office door opened, and police officers entered.
‘What are the police doing here?’
Chairman Lee Yong-gwang, though surprised, greeted them cheerfully.
“Oh dear, you must be having a hard time today too. So, what brings you here?”
But the answer he heard was unexpected.
“This is an arrest warrant. You have the right to remain silent, and any statement may be used against you in court. You have the right to appoint an attorney and can allow your attorney to speak on your behalf when questioned. If you do not appoint an attorney, a public defender will be assigned to you.”
“Huh?”
What is this, a bolt from the blue?
Lee Yong-gwang said to the approaching police officers attempting to arrest him.
“Wow, we’re on the same side!”
At those words, the police momentarily halted, and he smiled.
“Why act surprised? We’re from a pro-Park organization. Seems like you’ve come to the wrong place…”
The officer who ordered the arrest said, bewildered.
“You like being on the same side? Arrest them all!”
The elderly inside the office were all seized by the police.
They shouted in dismay.
“Who do you think you are, you inconsiderate fools!”
“How dare you, you punks barely out of your teenage years!”
“What did we do wrong anyway?”
“We were just protesting to protect a free Republic of Korea!”
When waving the Taegukgi and the U.S. flag during protests, they were fearless, but alone, they were just powerless old men.
Meanwhile, public authority had thoroughly supported them. The police actually aided the protests.
But suddenly, they turned their blades like this!
Chairman Lee Yong-kwang shouted as he was dragged away in handcuffs.
“You guys are making a mistake! Huh? Do you even know who’s behind me? Do you think you can get away with this?”
***
The police arrested not only the Parents’ Federation but also the executives of groups such as the Park Supporters, the Mom Volunteer Corps, and the National Salvation Military Association.
Meanwhile, summons were issued for journalists from newspapers and broadcasters alike.
Conservative media outlets eagerly wrote articles during this time. They went beyond simple criticism or condemnation, frequently resorting to personal attacks and fabricating stories.
[OTK Company Equity Deposit. Is there really any truth?]
[Most assets have already been siphoned off to secret Swiss accounts!]
[Made $1 trillion through financial speculation exploiting the chaos!]
[Testimonies claim 200 tons of gold bars are hidden in a secret safe under the house…]
[Shocking truth reported by defector groups. Is it possible they conspired with North Korea to destabilize the U.S. after the earthquake?]
[Presumed to have secretly contacted North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho during his trip to the U.S. after the earthquake]
[After the earthquake, it was revealed that Kang Jin-hoo and Kang Chol-young, a high-ranking member of North Korea, share the same last name!]
Notably, the allegations of sexual favors and prostitution, which fed into each other, were outrageous.
[Kang Jin-hoo received sexual favors from porn stars every time he traveled to the U.S.!]
[Engaged in sexual acts with numerous porn stars in a secret room]
[Paid $100,000 for each encounter]
[Must clarify position on prostitution…]
[Minister of Gender Equality Cho Yu-seon calls for harsh punishment!]
[Interpol should cooperate to arrest him in the U.S….]
[Many citizens support the detention investigation of Kang Jin-hoo]
When I checked the source, it turned out to be Daily World News.
Domestic media had copied and reproduced articles that were considered tabloid within the U.S.
Of course, this wasn’t the first time this happened. There had been similar instances where the factual checking was neglected or mistranslations were used.
However, this situation was overly evident in its intent, making it hard to consider it just a continuation of past events. Both FaceIt and OTK Company denied the claims, but no counter-articles were published.
The article inflated suspicions, conservative groups stepped in to accuse, then public authority moved to investigate—this was a typical pattern frequently used by the current government.
Reporters were summoned to police stations one after another to write statements.
Some media outlets recognized the seriousness of the situation and promised to apologize and prevent recurrence, but the conservative newspapers and the three major broadcasters, centered around the Joongilbo, banded together to issue a statement of condemnation.
[The government must immediately stop media suppression!]
[Guarantee the public’s right to know!]
[We will fight to the end for the truth!]
However, public reaction was cold.
– It was nice when you were spreading false facts disguised as articles.
– Those reporters must be severely punished!
– Look at the audacity to spread false information and then scream media suppression.
– Let’s take this opportunity to eradicate those reporters!
– While reporters are an issue, aren’t extreme right-wing sites a problem too? If you look at what they’ve posted online, it’s serious.
– They even dragged in families.
– If Kang Jin-hoo had seen it, he would’ve collapsed holding his neck.
– They’re all deleting their posts now.
– Ah! The OTK company already captured everything and is filing lawsuits.
– We should clean up everything this time.
– Lol, they’ve become the villains too.
***
Park Sang-yeop visited the police station directly. He wasn’t alone; dozens of foreign journalists followed behind him.
Previously, Park Sang-yeop had been assaulted while trying to rescue Jung Gi-hong from protesters. He had quite a solid build, so he was almost fully recovered, but he wrapped bandages around the injured areas on purpose and limped a bit.
The police, seeing Park Sang-yeop and the foreign journalists, looked flustered and asked, “W-what brings you here?”
“I’ve come to submit a complaint.”
“Oh, yes. Please go ahead.”
Park Sang-yeop placed the entire box he was holding on the counter.
The police, increasingly bewildered, asked, “Is this, is this all the complaints?”
“No.”
“Then…?”
Soon after, staff members began pouring in, each carrying boxes.
“How many people are you suing?”
Park Sang-yeop told the bewildered police, “Illegal protests, assault, spreading false information, defamation, insults, and so on. I will sue them all.”
The posts about Kang Jin-hoo on extreme right-wing sites were unbearable to read.
While I could tolerate some degree of criticism and insults, many went beyond that. Combining pornographic images with Kang Jin-hoo’s face was among the milder offenses.
They even dragged in family members!
They claimed Kang Jin-hoo was an illegitimate child, that his deceased father was a spy, and that his mother was visiting host bars, spending millions of won a day from her son’s money.
One person even took a photo of a middle-aged woman entering a motel with a young man and captioned it “Kang Jin-hoo’s mom.” (Another online media outlet even used that as a news article.)
If Kang Jin-hoo had seen it himself, he would have been furious.
The more provocative posts were made, the more responses and recommendations increased. No one felt the need for sanctions or raised awareness.
However, after the Big One incident, the atmosphere changed drastically.
Many who sensed the shift quickly deleted their posts and went into hiding. But by then, everything had already been captured.
Even if he filed a lawsuit, it seemed like there wouldn’t be a proper investigation, so he was just waiting for the right timing.
Park Sang-yeop smiled and said, “Looking at the IDs and IPs, some seem to be identified as National Intelligence Service employees or government officials. Please conduct a thorough investigation and punish them according to the law.”
***
I talked to my mother for the first time in a while.
“Are you home?”
[Of course. It’s obvious I’d be home at this time.]
Due to protests by conservative groups not only in front of the company but also locating and demonstrating at our home in Dongtan, my mother had to move her residence hurriedly.
For a while, she stayed secretly at the Ceylon Hotel.
While at the Ceylon Hotel, CEO Im Soo-mi helped her out in various ways, so I thought I should visit later and express my gratitude.
After the Big One incident, the conservative groups disappeared, and my mother safely returned to our Dongtan home. Still, just in case, she increased the number of bodyguards.
I’m also curious about how they found out about the Dongtan house.
Unless someone tipped them off…
[Your name came up earlier. It feels like you and President Ronald are the only ones on TV these days. CNN and several media outlets wanted to interview me.]
I asked with a smile, “Are you going to do it?”
[What’s the point of me doing an interview? Anyway, I’m proud that you saved so many people more than the money you made. Our son is the best.]
Hearing my mother’s voice made my nose feel a bit tingly.
[When are you coming back to Korea?]
“I’ll be back soon.”
In fact, my role had practically ended with the emergence of the Big One. It wouldn’t be a problem if I went back to Korea, leaving the aftermath to others.
However, Ronald seemed to keep me by his side like an external consultant. The main news always featured us together.
[Always take care of yourself. You know health is the most important, right?]
“Yes, I understand.”
After finishing the call with my mother, I called Taek-gyu to check on the company situation.
[These days, the police are working really hard. They’re arresting the fake news journalists and conducting raids on far-right site servers. We receive dozens of letters at the company every day, most of which are tearful pleas for forgiveness.]”
“Really?”
Taek-gyu replied excitedly.
“[I go to work every day, read through them carefully, and write personal replies saying, ‘No. I won’t drop the charges. I have no intention of doing so. Go back quickly.’]”
“…Is there a reason for doing that?”
“[Yeah. I have to teach them that life is reality.]
Good, no mercy to fake news peddlers