1979, Manager Kim is Inheriting Dictatorship! - Chapter 70



Only Krnovel

Episode 70

“South Korea wants to buy Primorsky Krai and Khabarovsk Krai, which are Russian territories.”

The interpreter delivers the message while sweating profusely.

And Yeltsin, who heard the interpretation, slammed the desk down.

-bang!!

“What are you talking about! Selling our country!”

He shouted at me excitedly, perhaps because he was incompetent but not without patriotism.

“Why is that? Didn’t Russia sell Alaska to the United States in the past?”

“That’s because the financial situation and things like that weren’t so good at the time. And the transfer of Alaska is already over 100 years old!”

I continued my story while finishing my cigarette.

“So is the current financial situation better than back then? And Russia has already lost territory due to the collapse of the Soviet Union. What’s the problem if it loses a little more? I think this is an opportunity for Russia to sell off its useless lands.”

Yeltsin hesitates slightly.

Russia has already lost a lot of land when it became Russia from the union state system called the Soviet Union.

In the first place, if Russia had truly been a country pursuing something like a single China, the Soviet Union would not have collapsed.

But Russia has already given up its own lands several times.

I pushed his back again.

“President Yeltsin, think carefully. We need land, and you need money. Frankly, what good will those lands do for Russia?”

Both of these regions are strategically very important in East Asia.

For example, if Korea were to buy that land and build a military base there, it would pose a huge threat to nearby countries, including Russia, China, and Japan.

Both regions were valuable, both geographically and in terms of hidden underground resources.

The strategic value of this region will only increase further, especially after the rise of China in the 2010s.

However, for leading Russian politicians, being posted to this region was of such low importance that it would mean a demotion.

Russian politicians had little interest in the Far East, which lies 6,000 kilometers from Moscow.

And the same would be true of Yeltsin.

“Excuse me, just a moment. The population of the two regions… Can I call the secretary for a moment?”

I shake my head and say there’s no need for that.

“Primorsky has 2.2 million people, Khabarovsk has 1.5 million people.”

It was not a small population, but considering the size of the land, it was a truly tiny population.

Khabarovsk alone was more than three times the size of the Korean Peninsula, but considering that its population was only 1.5 million, it meant that most of the land was essentially wasteland.

Yeltsin is deep in thought.

Then he looks at me and says.

“If… if, really, Russia were to sell those lands, what would happen to the people living there?”

Population: 3.7 million.

To begin with, unlike North Korea, these people don’t even speak Korean.

Also, they don’t share any culture or history at all.

It might be okay for a country like the United States, which started out as a multi-ethnic nation, but it doesn’t fit in a country like Korea, which has lived as a single ethnic group for thousands of years.

‘There’s no need for it. Those people probably don’t want it either.’

“I don’t know if there are people who want to naturalize as Korean citizens, but wouldn’t it be best to move them from Russia to somewhere else?”

Yeltsin’s face brightens slightly.

In Russia, people are more important than land.

Russia had an endless amount of land, but its population was surprisingly small.

That is why Russia’s position was that even if it meant selling the territory, it had to bring the people back.

To begin with, Russia was a country that had only recently recognized private land ownership.

Most of the land was still state-owned.

So there would be no need for land compensation and no need for relocation.

‘We don’t need people with different cultures or languages.’

I gave Yeltsin the words he wanted to say.

“If the population of the two lands were combined, it would be 3.7 million. If this population were to move to Moscow instead of staying in the Far East as it is now and become a labor force, wouldn’t it be a great help to the Russian economy?”

Yeltsin thinks deeply.

And then he shakes his head again.

“That won’t work. Selling the land. How will the Russian people accept that?”

As expected, the biggest problem is public sentiment.

There is probably no nation in the world that would like to hand over their territory to another country in exchange for money.

‘But why do you think that?’

I wondered why Yeltsin was talking about something like national sentiment.

Even though the Soviet Union became a multi-party system after its collapse, Russia was a powerful one-party dictatorship until recently.

Russia is still capable of suppressing public opinion at any time if it wants to.

‘This is a bit disappointing… … .’

I had already done some research on Yeltsin in Korea.

[… … The corruption of Yeltsin and his cronies was serious. In particular, Yeltsin handed over state-owned mineral and resource businesses to his cronies, and Russia suddenly became a place where rich people could rank among the world’s richest people. In addition, in exchange for election funds, Yeltsin gave away a lot of state-owned assets to Russian oligarchs.]

Yeltsin himself amassed countless fortunes.

He was almost indicted several times after leaving office for his countless illicit wealth accumulations, but his successor, Putin, prevented him from doing so out of courtesy, allowing him to barely survive his later years.

‘If it were Korea, I wouldn’t have left it alone, but in this situation, it’s better.’

“Of course we wouldn’t just give you this much money.”

Yeltsin asks in a small voice, startled.

“What does that mean… … ?”

“Aren’t there many things that will require money in the future? I will give you an additional 3 billion dollars. Of course, you can take this money without any problems. In short, this is money given to you, President Yeltsin.”

If the other party is greedy for money and is willing to take legal action, there is no easier solution.

3 billion dollars is enough to eat by oneself, and it would be enough to burst one’s stomach if one divided it among the people under one’s command.

“Three billion dollars… … .”

Yeltsin gulps.

The $3 billion he personally received was more swaying than the $50 billion.

He was a person who was very greedy for money to begin with and made countless illegal gains.

There was no way it wouldn’t shake.

‘This kind of person is a leader. The Russian people are pitiful too… … .’

The average politician is either competent but corrupt, or incompetent but honest.

Unfortunately for the Russian people, Yeltsin was an incompetent and corrupt leader.

But while this was a misfortune for the Russian people, it was, on the other hand, a blessing for the Korean people.

I feel a little sorry for the Russian people who have such a leader.

‘Well, that doesn’t mean I won’t eat it though.’

What I should be concerned about is the people of the Republic of Korea.

It’s none of my business what happens to people in other countries.

Corruption in other countries was none of my concern.

As the President of the Republic of Korea, you only need to think about things that will benefit the national interest of the Republic of Korea.

“Umm… … .”

Yeltsin looks troubled with a different look in his eyes than before.

I was debating whether to hand over that vast land for a mere $3 billion.

And after thinking about it for quite some time, he answers me.

“Hey, can we talk again tomorrow? I need to talk to my staff.”

“Yes, but it would be better to keep this story from being exposed to the outside world. If it were to be exposed to the outside world, negative public opinion would surely arise before the contract is even signed.”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

Yeltsin speaks confidently.

“Then I hope Russia makes a good choice.”

Of course, deep down, I was hoping that Korea would make a good choice.

* * *

The evening of the day the territory was sold.

Yeltsin privately calls in only a few of his most trusted aides and talks about the day’s events.

“Okay, what do you all think?”

At first, everyone was excited when they heard about the territory sale, but when they heard about the enormous amount of money, 50 billion dollars, they all became worried.

“But 50 billion dollars? Did you mishear the 5 billion dollar figure?”

The economic adviser double-checks to make sure the president didn’t mishear.

“50 billion dollars is correct.”

Yeltsin confirms once again.

Then another aide asks Yeltsin:

“Mr. President, but can Korea really afford to pay 50 billion dollars in the first place… … ?”

“that…….”

Before Yeltsin can answer, his economic adviser answers.

“Considering the recent economic situation in Korea, the Korean government’s sovereign wealth fund, and pension returns, it is not a lie. The reason we called the Korean president this time is because of the growth that Korea has shown in the financial market.”

Recently, the Korean government’s fund has become a myth in stock markets around the world.

It was taken for granted that the stocks they bought would go up, and the stocks they sold would go down.

Yeltsin looks at his economic adviser and asks:

“So, what do you think, Economic Advisor? How much help would it be if we received $50 billion?”

The economic advisor thought for a moment, sighed deeply, and spoke.

“Whew, I think handing over territory would actually cause a huge backlash. But I think $50 billion is not just enough to put out an urgent fire, but to get the Russian economy back on track.”

“Really? Then what do you think about Primorsky and Khabarovsk regions?”

In response to Yeltsin’s follow-up question, the economic adviser continues:

“It is certainly strategically important. But in fact, to be honest, it is an area that has more losses than gains for the economy. It has a small population and no industrial base. Rather, it is a deficit land that needs to be supported by the central government. In fact, even if it were given for free, not 50 billion dollars, it would be economically beneficial for Russia.”

It was a corrupt and incompetent president followed by corrupt and incompetent staff, but even taking that into account, it wasn’t a wrong judgment.

In fact, the areas that Korea was trying to buy were places where money was flowing into Russia. Rather, if they disappeared, it would clearly help the economy in the long run.

“I am concerned about public opinion, but I am in favor of it. $50 billion will definitely make a big difference to the current Russian economy.”

When Yeltsin’s most trusted economic adviser nods in agreement with the sale of territory, Yeltsin’s heart begins to waver rapidly.

“If you say that too… … .”

Yeltsin closes his eyes and begins to think seriously about this matter.

But in the first place, this person called the economic advisor.

He was someone who had already made a purchase in Korea.

He was a person who had already been bribed with a large sum of money by the National Intelligence Service of Korea a week before the summit.

Yeltsin was tempted by the $3 billion, but the interest only swayed him by $500,000.

He was a corrupt aide worthy of a corrupt president.

Yeltsin opens his eyes and asks his staff again.

“What do other people think? Is it really okay to sell these lands to Korea?”

Then one of the staff members brings up an unexpected story.

“But if we sell those lands, what will happen to Sakhalin Island? If we sell those lands, Sakhalin Island will become too isolated.”

“Sakhalin Island… … ? Come to think of it… … .”

Yeltsin checks the map again.

Certainly, if those lands were to be sold, Sakhalin Island would be left alone.

At that time, the staff member who brought up the Sakhalin Island story made a suggestion to Yeltsin.

“Since it has come to this, how about selling off Sakhalin Island altogether?”

Yeltsin ponders deeply.

‘All the way to Sakhalin… … ? Then I might be able to receive 70 billion dollars, no, even 80 billion dollars. And the money I receive… … .’

And the thought of the money he was receiving was always on his mind.