1979, Manager Kim is Inheriting Dictatorship! - Chapter 39



Only Krnovel

Episode 39

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As the Kims began to lose contact, the North Korean military began to grow increasingly anxious.

These were not organized communist countries like the Soviet Union or China.

In fact, in a monarchy, when the king and crown prince died, it was natural for the country to become paralyzed.

“Shouldn’t we also escape from China or the Soviet Union now?”

North Korea’s leaders are starting to get anxious.

Even if it were ordinary people, it would be different because the South’s president had clearly declared that the punishment of the North Korean leadership would not be light, so if they were caught in the South, it would be clearly different from the treatment given to ordinary North Korean citizens.

“This won’t work… Let’s go to China too…!”

In this way, the leadership and military, one by one, left for China and the Soviet Union.

As a result, the rear units also began to slowly collapse.

There was no way the army could function without a leader to lead them.

The units that were slowly becoming exhausted and not even receiving supplies began to surrender one by one.

North Korea is so nostalgic and proud of the 1970s that it calls it its golden age.

However, North Korea was already a country suffering from chronic food shortages, to the extent that in 1977, a private deserted and defected to the South because he was so hungry.

In particular, the food situation in the upper ranks could not have been good. The remaining units also began to surrender one by one as their food ran out.

“Let’s just surrender, comrades…”

“Let’s do that.. That would be better than starving to death.”

So on October 27th, 1983.

Most of the remaining North Korean units have already surrendered, and virtually the entire north is now occupied.

In fact, unification by force was over.

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From the blinded content on October 29th.

It was the day when China finally sent its troops to Korea.

If this happens, the calculation becomes extremely complicated.

If China intervened directly, and the United States eventually intervened, and even the Soviet Union intervened, this would ultimately lead to World War III, and ultimately to mutual destruction.

However, the story of North Korea’s occupation of all regions much faster than expected quickly reached China’s ears, and finally, on October 29th, the day of the decisive battle.

China gave up on pushing forward and chose another option.

What they chose was a four-party diplomatic meeting.

On the afternoon of October 29th, President Carter received a call.

His voice was slightly excited.

The fact that South Korea has unified with North Korea will be advantageous to them in many ways in their future policies toward the Soviet Union and China.

From their perspective, it was like picking their nose without touching it, so they couldn’t help but feel good.

“You look happy, President Carter.”

“How could it be bad? Our ally, South Korea, won the war. Congratulations to President Kim Jong-guk on your victory.”

“Haha.. thank you.”

“Oh, and the reason I called you was to ask you to have a four-party meeting to deal with the aftermath of the war.”

“A four-party meeting?”

“Yes. It was a proposal that first came from China. The four of us, Korea, the Soviet Union, China, and the United States, should come together in Switzerland to discuss what to do about the post-war situation.”

It was ridiculous.

This war was a war between South Korea and North Korea.

Except for a few foreign reporters, none of the dead people are from South or North Korea.

But the idea of ​​four-party talks was an absurd proposal.

But… I couldn’t refuse.

This is the position that South Korea still holds in the international order.

‘But compared to what was practically omitted from the Korean War Armistice Agreement… I would say it has actually gone up a lot.’

But I have to get one and come to the negotiating table.

As the President of the Republic of Korea, it is not honorable for the Republic of Korea to just go up there without anything.

“Haha.. but I don’t understand why China and the Soviet Union are involved in this. I understand that the United States is our biggest ally, but why should we talk to those enemy countries that didn’t even participate in this war?”

Continue talks with Carter without making the United States the enemy as much as possible.

President Carter is a little taken aback.

I thought it would be easy to accept

“I can’t help it. After all, given the geographic location of the Korean Peninsula, we can’t ignore the fact that they have influence. I don’t like their behavior either.”

Carter is trying to appease me somehow.

“Whew… I understand. But there is a condition for Korea to sit at the table for this four-party talks.”

“What is it?”

“Korea’s accession to the UN has been approved.”

“Hmm..”

Carter ponders for a moment.

Until then, both sides wanted to join the UN as the sole governments of the Korean Peninsula, but North Korea was unable to join the UN due to opposition from the United States and South Korea due to opposition from the Soviet Union.

But now one side has collapsed.

It was clear who was the sole government of this Korean peninsula.

Now, more than ever, joining the UN is essential to making the leap to becoming a normal country.

“Okay! I will take responsibility for that and make it happen. If you approve Korea’s UN membership, will you come to the four-party talks?”

“Yes. I don’t feel like it, but I’ll do it.”

There is nothing on earth more certain than the words of the President of the United States that he will take responsibility.

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A month later.

Geneva, Switzerland.

It was the day when the four-party talks were scheduled to be held.

Each country enters the conference room one by one.

As time runs out, the last person to enter is Deng Xiaoping, Chairman of the Chinese Military Commission.

They are all quiet, but there is considerable fighting going on to get something.

As the story progresses, we start from the Chinese side.

“We are deeply sorry about this war, no matter what. If President Kim Jong-guk were alive, wouldn’t there have been a more peaceful way to resolve it? In any case, the war is effectively over, and what the Chinese people want is effective control over the North Korean region near the Chinese border.”

“You crazy kids.”

Suddenly, a swear word comes out in Korean.

Fortunately, since I spoke in a low voice and there was no interpretation, other countries didn’t seem to notice.

But it was true that they were crazy kids.

In effect, it was a story about giving up some of the land in the north.

I had heard that he was a gentleman who always thought of practical things, but when I sat down in front of him, he was barking like a dog.

Next, the Soviet representative speaks.

However, the Soviet representative was not the current Secretary General Andropov.

But it wasn’t Chernenko who was to become the next secretary.

I asked the Soviet side subtly.

“Secretary Andropov didn’t show up today?”

“That… that… due to personal reasons… I came from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today instead.”

‘I guess he’s really in a coma…’

There was no other answer to the question of whether he could not attend important events such as the four-party talks other than that he was in a coma.

“Anyway, what the Soviet Union demands is the withdrawal of US troops from a unified Korea.”

“Is there anything else?”

I thought they would talk nonsense like China, but their demands were simpler than I thought.

Perhaps, without a secretary, there was no proper control tower.

“Yes.. This is the end for us.”

‘The Soviet Union won’t care···.’

I was convinced that the Soviet Union was not a major concern.

With the leader in such poor health, it was impossible for him to express his opinions properly.

And now it wasn’t just the leaders.

Chernenko, who also came in as Andropov’s successor in the history of the Yuan Dynasty, died of a chronic illness just over a year after becoming secretary.

For the next two years or so, the Soviet Union will not have the capacity to care about the outside world, even because of its power structure.

Even if they pretend to listen to them and then crush them, they will soon be forgotten because of their own power struggles.

In the end, the problem was China, which was talking nonsense.

The reason we went to war with North Korea was because they didn’t have nuclear weapons.

But China was already a country that possessed nuclear weapons, an asymmetric weapon.

We shouldn’t treat it the same way as North Korea.

“What is America’s opinion?”

Deng Xiaoping asks questions to the United States, not to Korea.

In fact, it was seen that Korea was not the main player in this issue.

“America..”

I interrupted President Carter for a moment and spoke to Chairman Deng Xiaoping.

“Can I say something for a moment?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Is China’s current statement essentially asking them to hand over the territory of the Korean Peninsula?”

“Yes. From the Chinese people’s perspective, there are lands that the United States and its ally South Korea should not occupy.”

“Is that so? But what can we do about this? We have no intention of giving up even a single square meter of land on the Korean Peninsula to China.”

The faces of Chinese representatives, including Deng Xiaoping, are distorted.

Perhaps he had seriously considered that request.

I had no intention of taking away the land that is now Chinese territory.

Anyway, the people living there are actually of different ethnicities and it is difficult for them to assimilate.

Even if unification were achieved by force, these were lands that would only result in more social chaos.

However, the land of North Korea today was different. This land was the land of the Republic of Korea that had continued since the Joseon Dynasty.

I had no intention of giving it to another country.

“So, are you saying that you are prepared to have friction with China at all costs?”

Deng Xiaoping starts to come out strong.

“There are already a huge number of our self-propelled guns deployed near the border. If you have any intention of crossing over, you should be prepared.”

The atmosphere in the diplomatic room becomes tense.

Then Carter steps in and lightens the mood.

“First, both of you calm down. We didn’t come here to fight today, but to end the war and negotiate.”

It was typical of the anti-war activist.

“First of all, from the Soviet Union’s perspective, South Korea and the United States have been blood-related allies since the Korean War. The complete withdrawal of US troops stationed in South Korea is impossible. However, we know what the Soviet Union is worried about. Therefore, we, the United States, will not deploy any more US troops in the North, which South Korea has now occupied, and we will not deploy US nuclear weapons in South Korea.”

It was a sly answer. Perhaps the decision to abandon the deployment of US troops in the North was made after seeing South Korea’s military power and judging that South Korea’s military power alone was sufficient, and as for the deployment of nuclear weapons, it was made after judging that if South Korea develops nuclear weapons on its own, as in the previous secret agreement, then they can just deploy them.

‘You’re saying that he secretly has a bit of a snake-like side…’

The Soviet Foreign Ministry chattered among themselves for a while, but then seemed to accept it for now.

“First of all… I guess we’ll have to talk for a bit, but okay.”

It was a somewhat ambiguous attitude.

The problem arose because the position of Secretary was effectively vacant.

Still, to this extent, it seems like it is practically accepted.

It was correct to see that the problem with the Soviet Union had been resolved.

‘Is it this way in the end?’

“What China is saying is nonsense. They are telling us to hand over Korea’s inherent territory to China.”

Carter takes Korea’s side for once.

But China is not backing down.

“We are prepared to go to war with Korea if our conditions are not accepted.”

I looked straight into Deng Xiaoping’s eyes and spoke.

“Chairman Deng Xiaoping. Are you saying such things because China thinks that Korea will not be able to attack the Chinese capital?”

“What.. what did you say..!!”

“Please… Please exercise some self-restraint, President Kim.”

Deng Xiaoping was surprised, and President Carter was surprised and restrained me.

“We are capable of launching a direct strike on Beijing right now. Do you know what I mean?”

Of course, not right now.

But after a while it really became possible.

The daily accumulation of 100 points begins as soon as unification occurs.

I was collecting these points without using any of them.

The reason was to purchase intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Because they thought that their capital could be attacked at any time, they couldn’t say such nonsense.

Nuclear weapons could actually be made at any time.

No, to be exact, it was already being made secretly.

If only we could develop an intercontinental ballistic missile and secure the point, we could put the Soviet Union or China within nuclear range at any time.

“Your Majesty, we are not saying that we should have bad relations with China. Now that we have unified Korea, isn’t it inevitable that we will have diplomatic relations with China?”

Deng Xiaoping asks, suppressing his anger.

“Are you saying that Korea’s current attitude is not to go towards a bad relationship with us?”

“If China recognizes Korea as the only country on the Korean Peninsula and readily congratulates this unification, we will also cut off diplomatic ties with Taiwan.”

“.. .. .. .. .. ..”

Deng Xiaoping falls silent.

If we are going to pursue diplomacy with China anyway, severing ties with Taiwan is an inevitable process.

The United States had already severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979.

Korea severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1992.

It was much later than that.

Taiwan keeps complaining about this, but in fact, compared to most countries, Korea was very late in severing diplomatic ties.

‘I’m sorry to Taiwan, but in the end, it’s a choice you’ll have to make later anyway.’

After China grows a little more, it will have to cut ties with Taiwan without any price, but now it can be used as a diplomatic tool.

Reform and openness, the policy that Deng Xiaoping most strongly promoted.

And at the heart of it all, diplomatic and economic exchanges with the West were essential.

So normal diplomacy with South Korea would certainly be an attractive deal.

Of course, there was no intention of it becoming a dependent economic relationship like the original history.

I plan to move towards a relationship that is equal to or even higher than that, where I can never treat anyone lightly.

“How about it? Rather than making a unified Korea an enemy, let’s make it a comrade to go together with. Your Majesty.”

Carter also thinks this is the moment and steps forward.

“I think so too. This is a good choice for China as well.”

Even for the United States, whose diplomatic relations with China are improving, this proposal may not be a bad one.

“Whew… I guess there’s nothing we can do. Okay, let’s do that. Breaking diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Establishing diplomatic ties with China. These are our two conditions.”

I approach him and offer a positive handshake.

Deng Xiaoping also had a displeased expression and eventually accepted the handshake.

“Haha.. Well, it’s all over now. Let’s take a picture. When else will we get four countries together at a time like this?”

Carter, who is friendly with Deng Xiaoping, brings him in and takes a picture, looking a little uncomfortable.

Four foreign ministers from China, the Soviet Union, South Korea, and the United States were photographed together.

Of course, there was no Soviet Secretary General, but it was still quite a historic photo.

Korea, which was not a de facto participant in the armistice of the Korean War, is now standing proudly in the diplomatic sphere as a de facto victorious nation.

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Despite some social unrest, South and North Korea are now united.

There were still many issues left, including some high-ranking Communist Party idiots, the infrastructure problem in the North, and the question of what to do with the remaining North Korean leadership, but ultimately, there was the most urgent and important issue.

It was the understanding between the North and the South about each other.

Even within this narrow South Korea, fighting between Gyeongsang-do and Jeolla-do has been going on for a long time.

But then, here came this very foreign entity called North Korea.

It was inevitable that conflict would arise.

The cultures, systems, and regions in which we lived were all very different.

The one thing that was fortunate, though, was that it had only been about 30 years since that fact occurred.

That is why, before any further relationship could be established, it was necessary to instill a sense of homogeneity in the people of one country.

And this time, what I chose was to use a TV program.

It was to use the program ‘Finding Separated Families’, which boasted huge viewer ratings in the past.

This program was originally supposed to start in June 1983, but it was not implemented due to government guidelines.

In the history of Korea, the program ‘Finding Separated Families’ recorded an incredible viewership rating of 78%.

At that time, the program ‘Finding Separated Families’ was a program that found separated families within South Korea or overseas.

At that time, there was no internet, so if you were separated during the war, you wouldn’t even know each other’s phone numbers and it would have been virtually impossible to find each other.

However, this program was broadcast live nationwide and helped to reunite separated families.

And when the show was aired on TV, family members who had been separated from each other contacted each other after seeing the words written on the poster behind the KBS plaza in Yeouido.

At that time, the response in Korea was truly enormous.

However, if this were to be expanded to the North, it was clear that there would be an enormous reaction that would be difficult to imagine.

It was just over 30 years after the end of the Korean War.

Life expectancy has also increased significantly over the years, and many people who were separated from their families back then are still alive today.

In fact, the situation was very different from 2023, when the meaning of reunions between separated families between the South and the North had faded significantly.

This was clearly an idea that was bound to succeed for the broadcasting station.

When I pitched this idea, of course the broadcasting station welcomed it with open arms.

In fact, it was an idea that they wanted to convey first, but they hesitated because of the current situation. But now that the government is pushing them to do this first, it couldn’t be better.

“Is that true, Mr. President?”

The KBS president asks again, unable to hide the corners of his lips that have gone up.

“Yes. I’m sorry about last time. Instead, let’s try to make it bigger this time. How many separated families will there be among our North Korean residents who have been unified this time? If we film a reunion of these separated families, it will be a positive thing for society, whether it’s viewership ratings or social integration. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes.. Yes..! Of course! Mr. President!”

The KBS president and the PD sitting next to him seemed to be secretly cheering as if they could already feel the momentum of a huge hit.

“Then, I will go and prepare right away!”

“Don’t worry and just plan, because the government will provide proper support.”

“Yes! Just leave it to me!”