Chapter 190 — I'm an Infinite Regressor, But I've Got Stories to Tell

Chapter 190

The chapter begins by reflecting on the historical pattern of failed revival movements on the Korean Peninsula, noting that the 'Republic of Korea Revival Movement' initiated by Jo Yeong-su is no exception. For seven years, Jo Yeong-su has operated alone, holding protests and conducting surveys demanding the resignation of Dictator Noh Do-hwa, the dissolution of dynastic guild rule, and the establishment of a National Assembly. Despite his persistence, he gains no members. Survivors mock him or humiliate him with superficial kindness, treating him as an entertainer rather than a political threat. Online SG Net users mock him as the 'Constitution Parrot' or a 'clown,' though some express sympathy. A narrator, identified through dialogue as a mentor figure or older observer, intervenes after finding Jo Yeong-su drunk at a pojangmacha. The narrator warns Jo that public kindness is merely charity and that his activism is viewed as entertainment. He advises Jo that his genuine nature has carved out a niche as a 'clown' or performer in a society that has moved past serious democratic nostalgia. The narrator urges Jo to accept his role and focus on making people happy, arguing that his current perspective is too self-centered and outdated for the current era. Jo Yeong-su, aging prematurely from stress and alcohol, dismisses the advice initially, insisting on his seriousness, but eventually succumbs to unconsciousness. The narrator pays for the drinks and carries the drunk Jo back to his dilapidated shack made of tarpaulins and waste paper, where Jo protects thousands of survey sheets from the rain despite having no proper bed. The narrator observes Jo’s notes from the 91st Public Opinion Survey, which previously attempted to address complex issues like the separation of powers with dense, detailed questions. However, the narrator notices a significant shift. The new survey question is drastically simplified to a binary choice: 'Has the nation of Korea collapsed?' The narrator realizes that Jo’s mindset has changed. The complex political theorizing is gone, replaced by a singular, desperate focus on the foundational reality of the state's existence. Jo Yeong-su launches a frantic, almost unhinged campaign to answer this new question. He abandons his previous method of selecting representative samples, instead aggressively soliciting responses from anyone available, including five-year-old children, whom he bribes with money. He registers on SG Net under his real name, violating his previous anonymous stance, and pleads with users to participate. Shopkeepers and National Road Management Corps members are pressured to include the survey in their daily interactions. Within fifteen months, Jo collects responses from 120,000 residents in Busan alone. The campaign does not end in Busan. Jo Yeong-su moves to Changwon, joining a caravan of the National Road Management Corps, and begins traveling across the Korean Peninsula to survey residents in other cities. The narrator is astonished by this transformation, observing that Jo is no longer just a local protester but a nomadic surveyor aiming to poll the entire peninsula, effectively acting with the reach and resources of a major organization despite having no official power.

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aabckqz9g2

Chapter number

190

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11:14

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