Chapter 58: Do You Know Kang Jiwoo?

A few days ago, Bong Soohee’s name began circulating in the media.

“The core strategist behind Kang Jiwoo’s campaign is this person!”

“The success behind Kang Jiwoo was Bong Soohee.”

“How an advertising director became a hot topic in the political scene.”

These articles were meant to elevate Bong Soohee’s reputation.

Bong Soohee wasn’t particularly friendly with the media.

Even during her time as an advertising director, she declined all interview requests.

This was because she personally disliked being in the spotlight.

The same held true in politics.

She refused all press coverage and interview requests.

Yet, at some point, articles about her began flooding in.

It seemed almost as if it was all orchestrated.

“The genius kingmaker from Korea University… The presidential race unfolds according to Bong Soohee’s plans!”

Just as the public began associating the name Bong Soohee with brilliance, Yoo Hangcheol mentioned her during a TV interview.

“The opposing camps are rife with controversies. Doesn’t Kang Jiwoo’s campaign advisor Bong Soohee also have allegations of misconduct? If there are controversies, they should be clarified immediately, or she should step down. Candidate Kang Jiwoo must show responsibility instead of brushing this off.”

That remark triggered a deluge of allegations against Bong Soohee.

“Bong Soohee’s college admission scandal!”

“Prestigious diploma bought with money and connections?”

“High school sophomore co-author of a professor’s thesis? Suspicious admissions involving Bong Soohee!”

The same media outlets that once praised Bong Soohee turned against her in an instant.

This series of events led reporters to swarm Bong Soohee.

“Ms. Bong Soohee! Do you admit to the allegations of academic misconduct?!”

“Is it true you unfairly had your name included in the research paper?!”

Microphones pointed toward Bong Soohee.

Without saying a word, she gestured for the reporters to calm down.

It was as if she were silently saying, “I’ll explain everything, so settle down.”

Once the area quieted down, Bong Soohee finally spoke.

“Professor Wang Haksoo was my advisor, and he graciously allowed me to co-author a paper with him when I was a sophomore in high school.”

Professor Wang Haksoo.

He was a key figure in the admissions controversy.

Simultaneously, she added:

“Professor Wang Haksoo has just been awarded the Wolf Prize.”

The Wolf, Abel, and Fields Prizes are considered the three greatest awards in mathematics.

It had just been confirmed that Wang Haksoo had won the Wolf Prize.

“This is an unprecedented event in Korea’s mathematical history. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Professor Wang Haksoo on his achievement.”

The reporters’ expressions were filled with confusion.

Wolf Prize?

What’s that supposed to mean?

Their reaction stemmed from ignorance about the prestige of the award.

“And what about the allegations of misconduct?”

“There’s no misconduct.”

“Are you denying all related allegations?”

“Yes. I’ll release an official statement soon.”

Her answers were concise, and her explanation ended there.

“It’s obvious Yoo Hangcheol orchestrated this” ,

Han Seoyoung speculated.

I agreed with her.

Everything fit together too perfectly.

Even the initial suspicions were sparked by a conservative YouTuber.

“Don’t worry, it’s just baseless rumors.”

“Whether true or not, it’s affecting the approval ratings. The impact is bigger than expected.”

To be honest, the way they orchestrated this was impressive.

They first elevated Bong Soohee’s reputation, drawing public attention to her.

Then, just as her name became widely recognized, they detonated the allegations.

There are only a handful of politicians in Korea capable of such a calculated move.

In fact, at this point, Yoo Hangcheol might be the only one.

“Han Chief is right. The news coverage is too widespread. Even if she clears her name, they’ll keep digging. In the worst-case scenario, Director Bong might have to leave the campaign.”

“Grandpa… Did Director Bong do something wrong?” Jiwooping asked anxiously.

“No, she didn’t. But sometimes, even when you’ve done nothing wrong, you have to step back.”

Jiwooping seemed very flustered by the situation.

What Bong Soohee said next made my heart sink.

“If it seems like I’m causing harm, I’ll step down.”

I clung to her thigh, pleading.

“No… don’t leave…”

“…”

Bong Soohee is Jiwooping’s closest friend.

If she left, things would become quite depressing.

Perhaps feeling pity for me, the party members spoke up one by one.

“She hasn’t done anything wrong. She can’t just step down.”

“Exactly. How are we supposed to manage the campaign without Director Bong?”

“We’ll see this through together.”

It seemed the party members didn’t want Bong Soohee to leave either.

Although the approval ratings had risen significantly, there was still a considerable gap to first place.

To close that gap, Bong Soohee was indispensable.

“Can we clear up these allegations cleanly?”

“That won’t be an issue. I feel bad about involving my advisor in this mess, but there’s no other way.”

“This isn’t something that can be resolved with just an explanation… These days, issues are endlessly reproduced. Smoke rises even when there’s no fire.”

It seemed Park Seokji  was not happy with the situation.

I understood what he was talking about.

A situation where a YouTube issue had backfired, dragging in major media outlets as well.

It was highly likely that the public already equated “Bong Soohee = admissions corruption” in their minds.

Park Seokji  was an extreme pragmatist.

From his pragmatic perspective, the best solution was:

“Cutting off Bong Soohee.”

It was an extreme stance, but not entirely wrong.

It was simply a different opinion from the majority of the party members.

Meanwhile, Jiwooping seemed puzzled by Park Seokji ‘s words.

“But… can’t we just talk to the person who spread the rumor?”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“Maybe they misunderstood. Can’t we just explain that Director Bong didn’t do anything wrong?”

Jiwooping assumed the rumor spread because of a misunderstanding.

So pure!

“I’ve got a good idea.”

Bong Soohee seemed to have been inspired by something.

“Oh, as expected from Director Bong!”

“I knew you’d come through!”

“What’s the plan?”

Everyone focused on Bong Soohee’s words.

Scratching her head with a back scratcher, she said,

“I’ll appear on the YouTube channel that raised the allegations.”

“…???”

A bold, direct approach.

And that’s how Bong Soohee and I ended up appearing on ‘Freedom Guardian TV.’

—

[Freedom Guardian TV]

Live: Kang Jiwoo and Bong Soohee’s Surprise Appearance! 

-Admission Corruption Allegations! 

-Today, the Truth Revealed!

Viewers: 15,581

‘Freedom Guardian TV’ is a political YouTube channel in South Korea.

A representative conservative channel, it was one of the top two in terms of subscribers and influence.

Unsurprisingly, it supported Yoo Hangcheol.

It always interpreted political issues in a way favorable to Yoo Hangcheol.

Many conspiracy theories originated from Freedom Guardian TV.

The allegations of Bong Soohee’s admissions corruption were no exception.

Today, the channel received a surprising message.

“Wait… Are you saying candidate Kang Jiwoo and Director Bong Soohee want to appear on our channel?”

It was a request from Kang Jiwoo and Bong Soohee to appear.

It wasn’t unusual for prominent politicians to appear on the channel.

Though it was a while ago, Yoo Hangcheol had also appeared.

Many other conservative figures had also been featured.

Such was the influence of the channel.

But this was the first time someone outside the Republican Party had proposed to appear.

Above all,

“In a situation where they’re being swayed by conspiracy theories, they want to come on my channel?”

The candidate he had been attacking was now coming to him.

Inviting someone outside the Republican Party was unprecedented and unplanned.

But this would surely rake in views.

The channel owner took the bait.

“Hello, subscribers.”

He set up the title and began the livestream.

As viewers joined, countless comments flooded in:

“What’s this?”

“Kang Jiwoo and Bong Soohee on the show? lol”

“Your lies are getting worse.”

“Someone send a Super Chat. This guy must be out of cash again.”

“Change your name to Fake News TV!!”

The audience didn’t believe it either.

Of course, it was understandable.

“Even I didn’t believe it…”

If Kang Jiwoo had been announced as a guest on a radical left-wing channel, I would’ve laughed it off too.

So, the viewers’ reactions were expected.

“Everyone, this is real. Candidate Kang Jiwoo and Director Bong Soohee are here in the studio.”

The viewer count kept climbing.

It was already three times the usual average.

Not only subscribers but also Kang Jiwoo supporters were tuning in.

“What’s this guy doing?”

“Typical clickbait YouTuber.”

“Reporting this to the election committee.”

“No wonder Yoo’s approval ratings keep dropping lol.”

Mockery after mockery.

But the atmosphere shifted quickly.

“Let’s not drag this out. Let me introduce Candidate Kang Jiwoo and Director Bong Soohee.”

Kang Jiwoo and Bong Soohee appeared in the live studio.

“H-hello~”

Kang Jiwoo politely greeted the host.

The host, charmed by her cuteness, couldn’t help but smile widely and bow in return.

“Ha ha, it’s a pleasure. Thank you so much for coming.”

The chat went wild.

“???”

“What is this? Really?”

“Jiwooping! Jiwooping! Jiwooping! Jiwooping!”

“What’s going on?”

“How did you book them? lol”

“Wait, Jiwooping came out here?”

“Seriously, I didn’t expect them to show up.”

“Seeing them appear on Freedom Keeper TV, it seems their political sense is sharper than Jo Seyoung’s.”

Everyone reacted the same way, whether they were supporters of Kang Jiwoo or Yoo Hangcheol.

In the midst of this confusion, the interview officially began.

“You mentioned wanting to clarify the allegations regarding admission fraud. Our viewers have many questions they’d like you to address.”

“I’ll try to explain it briefly.”

At that moment, a call was made. The call connected to Wang Haksoo, the professor who co-authored a paper with Soohee  and had just received the prestigious Wolf Prize a day earlier.

The conversation was led by the channel host.

“Professor Wang Haksoo, first of all, congratulations on winning the Wolf Prize. We’ve covered it on our channel, and it’s truly incredible.”

“Thank you very much.”

The primary topics of Freedom Keeper TV were politics and nationalism, making Professor Wang’s achievement a perfect subject. A video related to his award had already been uploaded.

“So Bong Soohee  is a student of Wang Haksoo?!”

“Professor Wang Haksoo is the first Korean to win one of the three major global mathematics awards, the Wolf Prize, bringing national honor to Korea.”

The fact that Bong Soohee  was his student was not widely known—understandable, since Wang Haksoo had only risen to fame yesterday.

In this context, the timing of Wang Haksoo’s award was rather intriguing.

“Soohee  was a student I cherished deeply and was the most outstanding I’ve ever had. She was already capable of doctoral-level mathematical thinking as a high schooler, inspiring me in the process. That’s why she became a co-author of the paper.”

“Are you saying there was no quid pro quo involved?”

“If anything, I was the one pleading for her to join our university. With her talent, she could have easily been admitted to top international institutions.”

The professor, not Soohee, had been the one to push for it.

This alone was enough of an explanation.

But this wasn’t just any professor—it was a Wolf Prize laureate.

“Would someone who just won the Wolf Prize really lie?”

“I’ve been saying all along that these allegations were baseless.” ^^

“Who’s the idiot spreading fake news?”

The testimony of a distinguished mathematician and Korea’s pride, Wang Haksoo, carried significant weight.

Not everyone, however, was convinced.

“Wang Haksoo, you traitor! Are you in cahoots with Kang Jiwoo? Did they promise you the Wolf Prize?”

Some remained firmly rooted in conspiracy theories.

Still, this was a bastion of conservatism, and the fact that positive opinions about Kang Jiwoo were emerging here was a dramatic twist.

Even the viewers could sense the change.

“It’s refreshing to see someone tackle this head-on.”

“It feels like watching my granddaughter.”

“So honest and straightforward. Yoo Hangcheol could learn a thing or two!”

The channel host also sensed the shift.

‘The atmosphere isn’t bad at all.’

Honestly, they had expected the chat to be flooded with curses. After all, this was the same audience that would typically rage at the mere mention of Kang Jiwoo.

But now, with her right in front of them, the mood was surprisingly warm.

Even the host found it hard to ask tough questions, especially when Kang Jiwoo’s innocent demeanor softened their resolve.

“…Professor Wang Haksoo, thank you for your valuable time.”

The call ended.

Kang Jiwoo looked at the host intently, as if she had something to say.

“Candidate, do you have anything you’d like to add?”

“Yes…”

“Please, go ahead.”

“So, I met Director Ping on the street, and we stumbled upon a math problem. Director Ping solved this super difficult problem… I think Director Ping is a genius.”

“Ah, I see.”

“And I lost my balloon, but it didn’t fly away. Director Ping had clipped it to keep it from flying off. I think Director Ping is a genius.”

“Haha, so you thought they were a genius because of that?”

“And Director Ping teaches me math. They always get the addition and subtraction right. So, I think Director Ping is a genius…”

Kang Jiwoo, in her own way, was defending Bong Soohee.

Viewers reacted to this scene.

“Wow, she speaks so clearly and confidently!”

“Thank you, Candidate Kang Jiwoo, for joining us.”

“Let’s protect liberal democracy together.”

“You remind me of my granddaughter. I’d love to send you a toy—please tell me how!”

Meanwhile, Freedom Keeper TV was struggling with declining views and subscribers.

This slump was due to the poor performance of Tal and Yoo Hangcheol, which directly affected the channel’s success.

The channel owner pondered:

“Yoo Hangcheol’s support rates aren’t improving. Should I just fully shift our focus to Kang Jiwoo…?”

His rigid mindset began to soften, becoming more flexible.

It felt as though his brain was melting—or perhaps it was already liquefying.

Kang Jiwoo’s active role on Freedom Keeper TV and the flood of patriotic content related to her brought new life to the channel.

The massive “patriotic cinematic universe” encompassing Bong Joonhyuk, BTX, Son Hyukmin, Kang Jiwoo, and Wang Haksoo was expanding.

Kang Jiwoo was smashing the foundations of the conservative stronghold.

And then, finally, a moment came that set the hearts of conservatives ablaze:

“Donald Trumpet: Korea’s ‘cute politics’ is utterly charming and fascinating…”

The ultimate figure of conservatism, the Earth’s landlord, had acknowledged Kang Jiwoo.