Chapter 25: Jiwoo Ping’s Great Adventure Report Changes Live

[Election Poll Update]

Cho Seoyoung, the New Wind Democratic Party candidate, leads with 33.1%, though her support has dropped by around 3 percentage points.

Yoo Hangseol, the Republican Party candidate, is in second place with 30.5%, also experiencing a decline compared to the previous week.

Both leading candidates, Cho Seyoung and Yoo Hangseol, are seeing their approval ratings fall.

Meanwhile, Kang Jiwoo rises:

Kang Jiwoo, candidate of the Future Marriage Ginkgo Korea Party, has surged to 18.5%, firmly in third place.

Kang Jiwoo is the only major candidate whose approval ratings have increased, showing a notable 3 percentage point rise.

This shift is particularly significant because, until recently, Kang Jiwoo had only surpassed 15% in one poll. Now, all major polling agencies report her exceeding 15%, with national broadcasters and news channels confirming her momentum.

Across online communities, Kang Jiwoo’s popularity is unmistakable.

Community Buzz

Title: Shouldn’t We Report “Jiwoo Ping’s Great Adventure”?

“I started watching it absentmindedly, and now I’m on my third rewatch. I have a job interview tomorrow, but I can’t stop watching this. Is this some kind of cyber drug?”

“Three times? That’s nothing. I’ve watched it over ten times. This 15-minute video is packed with highlights!”

Title: “Jiwoo Ping’s Great Adventure” Changed My Life

“I realized we should live life like Jiwoo Ping. Since yesterday, I’ve been following her example by doing good deeds. It feels so fulfilling!”

“What have you done? Smiling at people? Parking bikes? Picking up trash?”

“First, I followed a high school girl and asked her to solve a quiz for me.”

“Are you insane?!”

“He’s already at the police station.”

Title: Feeling Strange After Watching Jiwoo Ping

“At first, I felt warm inside, but then I started crying for no reason. I was just overwhelmed by the purity of it all.”

“Same here. Watching it made me reflect on my life—how much I’ve been focused on status, salary, and networking. Happiness really comes from simple things. Watching Jiwoo Ping perform small acts of kindness made me realize what truly matters.”

Mainstream Media Picks Up the Story

Articles about Kang Jiwoo and her campaign tactics are making waves:

“Kang Jiwoo’s Unconventional Campaign: We’ve Never Seen a Candidate Like This.”

“A Presidential Candidate Says: ‘You Don’t Have to Vote for Me.'”

“Adorable Video Turns Out to Be a Campaign Ad.”

One editorial, titled “A Child Teaching Us About Everyday Politics,” highlights how Kang Jiwoo breaks away from traditional mudslinging politics.

Unlike conventional politicians focused on power, policies, and conflicts, Kang Jiwoo connects with the public through small, everyday acts of kindness—uprighting fallen bikes, building small stone walls to protect dandelions, and spreading warmth and joy.

Her message is clear: politics begins with small, caring gestures in everyday life.

A New Political Paradigm

While critics debate whether an elementary school student could realistically become president, Kang Jiwoo is undeniably a hot topic.

From Politics to Cultural Phenomenon

Jiwoo Ping’s influence has extended beyond politics. The “Stone Wall Challenge,” inspired by her video, has taken social media by storm.

When people spot wildflowers on the street, they now build small stone walls around them. This trend started in Korea but soon went global after a video by a visiting influencer went viral.

Viral Video Title: “Unbelievable Things Koreans Do on the Streets!”

“If you don’t know about this tradition in Korea, you might get arrested!”

Clips show people building stone walls around flowers, with captions like:

“Koreans protect wildflowers with stone walls, believing it brings good fortune.”

“In Korea, removing the stone wall before the flower wilts is illegal.”

Thus, Jiwoo Ping’s Grand Adventure transformed not only Kang Jiwoo’s campaign but also inspired a cultural and global movement.

When traveling in Korea, be careful not to casually dismantle stone walls!

The information was nonsense.

But on social media, what matters more than facts is fun.

The sight of stone walls piled along the streets has inspired people worldwide.

“Did you take all the pictures?”

“Yeah. I’ll send them to you as soon as I get home.”

“Okay. See you tomorrow!”

Park Minjung, a first-year student at Yeongpo Girls’ High School,

headed home after finishing her stone wall stacking project.

“Haah.”

She sighed on her way home.

The girl disliked her house.

There were several reasons, but the biggest one was her grandfather.

Minjung dialed a number on her phone.

The line rang for a while before the call connected.

“Mom. When are you coming to get me?”

Due to circumstances, Minjung was living apart from her parents.

She had ended up staying at her grandfather’s house, where he lived alone.

“It’s not that I hate Grandpa, it’s just… uncomfortable.”

Her relationship with her grandfather wasn’t great.

No, to be precise, there wasn’t much of a relationship to speak of.

Seventeen-year-old Minjung and her seventy-something grandfather had nothing in common.

It felt as if she were living with an alien.

“…Got it. Bye.”

Minjung entered the house.

At some point, she had stopped greeting her grandfather when coming or going.

Her grandfather didn’t seem to mind.

At least they ate dinner together.

Although it was uncertain how long that would continue.

Once they sat at the dining table, both their expressions soured.

Minjung and her grandfather were the same in this regard.

“Let’s eat.”

The two ate in silence.

Minjung didn’t take her eyes off her smartphone,

and her grandfather kept his eyes glued to the TV.

Of course, it hadn’t always been this way.

But the wall of time that had built up between them was now too thick.

There wasn’t even a small crack to peek through, no way to understand each other.

So they ended up just shouting at each other.

Eventually, even shouting grew tiresome, and they gave up on communication altogether.

Apparently, Minjung had once been quite fond of her grandfather when she was younger.

Now, it was nothing more than a legendary tale.

Then, it happened.

“Is that Kang Jiwoo?”

“…What?”

Her grandfather had spoken, reacting to the sound coming from a Shorts video.

It had been days since he last asked her anything.

Minjung was so surprised she didn’t know how to respond.

“How do you know Kang Jiwoo, Grandpa?”

“Why wouldn’t I know? He’s always on the news.”

“Oh.”

Kang Jiwoo was a presidential candidate.

Despite frequently appearing on YouTube and social media, he looked too cute to seem political.

“Do you like Kang Jiwoo too?”

“Yeah. Isn’t she cute?”

“Yeah.”

The conversation awkwardly fizzled out.

As Minjung idly toyed with her chopsticks, she mustered some courage.

“Grandpa, do you… want to see this?”

“Hmm?”

What she showed him a Kang Jiwoo Shorts video.

“Tweet-tweet! Tweet-tweet!”

“Haha, how funny it is…!”

“Isn’t she cute?”

“She really is. Looks just like a little sparrow.”

“Exactly. That’s a sparrow costume.”

“Let me see. Oh, you’re right! He really is wearing a sparrow costume! Hahaha!”

Her grandfather’s reaction was remarkable…!

Honestly, she hadn’t expected this level of enthusiasm.

It was the brightest expression she’d seen on his face in ages.

“There’s more. Look at this one, too.”

“You sure do study hard.”

“Yes. And this one as well.”

“I saw this on TV.”

“Then how about another—”

“No, even if I’ve seen it, I’ll watch it again.”

The two of them spent a long time laughing and enjoying Kang Jiwoo’s Shorts videos together.

Finally, a clip based on Jiwoo Ping’s Grand Adventure appeared.

“This one’s me, Grandpa.”

“You? Minjung, are you serious?”

“Actually, I got to know him when I was coming home on the bus! He sat next to me and noticed what I was studying. He started talking to me in such a cute way! Isn’t that cool?”

“Alright! So, it really is our Minjung here! Haha! I’ve met the future president!”

The fact that she liked Kang Jiwoo.

That was the first common ground found between Park Minjung and her grandfather.

The thick wall of years between them.

A small communication hole had been drilled through it.

“Really cute. It’s like looking at you when you were little.”

“Was I really this cute?”

“Much cuter than this.”

“Oh, come on…”

“It’s true. You might not remember, but when you were little, if I gave you a piece of candy…”

That day, Minjung talked with her grandfather for three hours.

The crack named Kang Jiwoo was tearing down the wall between them.

“We’ve broken through 15% in the public opinion polls! Our candidate has done something amazing! Haha!”

The office was bustling with noise.

It was because the approval ratings had been announced.

“That’s right! Now we can issue the presidential campaign fund!”

Especially Park Seokji and Goo Doseok, who wore excited expressions.

One was the person who demanded money more than anyone, and the other was the one who tried harder than anyone to guard it.

If they issued the fund, there would be no more bickering over money.

“Jiwoo! Should I give you a lift on an airplane?”

“Eek!”

Park Seokji lifted me up with both hands.

Even at his age, he had an overflow of energy.

“This little genius is a political prodigy!”

“Heheh! A prodigy…!”

I am a genius.

Yes, to be exact, I’ve become a genius.

Even if my IQ had dropped, my political savvy had soared.

What? How is becoming cuter a political skill?

I’d like to argue against that too.

But with an approval rating of 18%, how could I refute it…?

“This is a remarkable achievement. In fact, 18% was a figure even the candidate said would be difficult to reach.”

“That’s right, Secretary Han. I remember that boy telling me over and over again that unless the concrete support base cracked, we wouldn’t be able to break the 18% barrier.”

Here, “that boy” referred to me.

To be precise, before I changed.

Politics, to put it bluntly, is largely an engineering science.

No matter how good your actions are, if they don’t translate into votes, no one will acknowledge them.

On the other hand, even something trivial, if it generates votes?

Approval ratings rise like magic.

“Unexpectedly, a lot of votes shifted among those aged 60 and older. It seems we’ve taken a significant portion of candidate Yoo Hangseol’s support.”

When applying an engineering mindset, predicting elections becomes easier.

In elections, you exclude the hardcore supporters from your target audience.

So-called “concrete” voters.

These are the people who won’t change their minds no matter what.

“Visiting the grandmother at the soup restaurant must’ve been effective. I watched the video Director Bong uploaded, and the ending really tugged at my heartstrings. It reminded me of my own grandchildren.”

But the fact that I surpassed 18% meant that even the concrete support base had started to crack.

It was an exceptionally rare occurrence in history.

Of course, it wasn’t yet a number we could be certain about.

The poll could have been an anomaly.

Or the previously indifferent might have been mobilized due to increased attention.

Whatever the case, it was a positive signal for us.

“Secretary Song, have the study materials been prepared for our candidate?”

“Chief Han, are you planning to lock up our candidate in a room to study again? Debates are important, but with the atmosphere this good, wouldn’t it be better to continue with the street campaigns?”

“Wait a moment. The debate preparation is already tight.”

The party members seemed conflicted.

Should they focus on studying or campaigning?

Preparing for debates, the biggest event, was undoubtedly crucial.

But how much could I realistically prepare with my current IQ?

Perhaps continuing the street campaign to maintain the momentum of rising approval ratings would be the better choice.

Not that I’m making excuses because I don’t want to study…!

“But, um, I find going around to be more fun…”

I timidly voiced my opinion.

Even so, the party members continued to bicker.

The one to end the argument was Bong Soohee.

While scratching her back with a back scratcher, she spoke.

“What do you think, Director Bong? Should we prepare for a debate? Or would a street campaign be better?”

Even as Han Seoyoung spoke, Director Bong stared blankly into space, silent.

Thud.

He spat out a plan.

“Why not do both at the same time?”

“At the same time? How is that even possible?”

“We can go to Kidsnara.”

Ki!

Dz!

Na!

Ra?

That was a children’s job experience center.

A place where growing kids could try out various professions.

A sort of children’s theme park.

But why would I go there…?

“They have broadcasting sets there. Since it’s the election season, they’ll probably have something like a presidential debate experience.”

“Oh? That actually sounds plausible…”

“That’s a great idea! You’d get practice debating in front of people and cameras! Besides, Jiwoo’s the only candidate who could campaign in a place like that, right?”

Not just Han Seoyoung, even Park Seokji seemed on board…

Wait a second, Kidsnara? At my age?

I’ve already served in the military, graduated college, led a political party, and even ran for president! And now you’re telling me to ‘gain experience’ in a children’s job experience center???

“Wait, what exactly is Kidsnara?”

“Kidsnara is… uh… like an amusement park!”

Han Seoyoung’s excited response made my pupils widen.

“An, an amusement park?!”

Amusement park.

The mere word made my heart thump wildly.

The corners of my mouth twitches uncontrollably!

Like a cheetah ready to sprint, my legs moved on their own…!!

“Heehee… Heeheehee!”

Damn it.

I was so overjoyed my body started moving on its own!

I might end up breaking into a wild dance!