Min-gu Noh faltered for a moment at Seong-ho Kim's greeting.

He had not for an instant expected to be met warmly, and Seong-ho Kim's greeting left him flustered.

After looking down for a moment at the offered hand, Min-gu Noh hastily collected himself and took it.

"It's a pleasure. I'd heard a great deal about you and thought I'd like to meet you if the chance came, and here we are."

"I've wanted to meet you as well, Minister Noh."

The two of them exchanged the pleasure of having each wanted to meet the other.

President Dae-sang Kim had failed in his original plan of introducing Min-gu Noh to Tak-hyeon Lee, but he judged that the warm greeting with Seong-ho Kim was a gain in itself.

So he began introducing Min-gu Noh to Seong-ho Kim rather than to Tak-hyeon Lee.

"Our former Minister Noh here has been selected as our party's candidate this time."

"I was aware that former Minister Min-gu Noh had won the Mincheong Party's presidential nomination. Belatedly, congratulations."

Seong-ho Kim offered the greeting with a smile, as though it were all familiar to him, and Min-gu Noh bowed his head slightly in thanks and answered.

"I know I haven't the caliber for it, but I mean to run for the party's sake, and for the country's."

President Dae-sang Kim rose from where he sat and laid a hand on Min-gu Noh's shoulder.

"Because Minister Noh volunteered himself for hard ground, he's short on numbers in the way of badges. But I don't believe there's another figure with convictions as clear as his. So my expectations of him are high. Chairman. I'd ask for your guidance and counsel going forward."

President Dae-sang Kim spoke the request with a smile to Tak-hyeon Lee, whose head was still turned away.

Now that the President had addressed him directly, Tak-hyeon Lee gave Min-gu Noh a slight nod and said:

"What help could I possibly give former Minister Noh? I hear you're standing for election — I'll hope for a good result."

Tak-hyeon Lee was making it flagrantly plain that his mood…