I Will Stage A Coup D’état - Chapter 77



Only Krnovel

EP.77 Peaceful Daily Life (1)

In May 1942, the two countries, which would have been engaged in a heated battle in the distant past, were catching their breath on the front lines, glaring at each other.

Germany was too daunted by the Soviet Union’s magnificent might in 1941 to dare to attack, while the Soviet Union itself was weakened by its defeat in the winter fighting.

While the two mustaches were enjoying a peaceful time, Korea was also enjoying its own peaceful daily life.

“Hey, shoot!”

Boom boom.

“It’s the White Bone Corps!”

As young students ran away screaming from tear gas canisters, riot police wearing gas masks emblazoned with skull marks chased after them, swinging their batons mercilessly.

His head was cracked and blood was flowing out, but the police showed no mercy.

“You bitch, you bitch, I fed you with rice from the country, and now you dare talk nonsense!”

“Whoa! Stop pulling!”

“How dare you, what kind of world is this, protesting!”

People were angry at the ruthless suppression of the police, but they did not dare to come forward.

“Those guys are worse than those dogs!”

Still, I was lucky today.

If the military or military police who had received loyalty training had come forward, there would have been more than enough casualties.

Such protests have occurred occasionally in wartime Korea.

The reason why protests are not frequent in Nazi Germany, which has a similar structure to ours, is because Hitler did not properly manage the wartime economy.

They are producing all the goods for civilian consumption, and supplying a significant portion of their normal needs by plundering from the occupied territories, so why would they rise up?

Instead, they live in occupied territories that they have pillaged with guns and swords, terrorized by the military and police.

Protests and terrorism.

If we have to compare, our situation was much better.

“Your Majesty. Here is a report on casualties from today’s protest. One student died during the suppression of the protest.”

It happens often.

At first, I thought I was going crazy when I heard reports that people had died during the suppression of the protests.

However, I kept hearing that people are adaptable creatures, and I became numb to it, as if I was hearing statistical numbers.

It felt like I was seeing the world through Stalin’s eyes.

This feeling wasn’t good.

“Who is the arrested person?”

“According to the Ministry of the Interior, the number is said to be around 350.”

“Only give the ones who led the attack a proper ‘education’ in the detention center, and let the rest go. Tell them so they understand. Do you understand?”

“I will accept it.”

Even if we suppress them by force, protests will continue to occur.

It’s more strange that people don’t wake up when they are forced to work in a factory for 12 hours a day.

The country would have risen up too.

I understood the feelings of the protesters who rose up because they could not die.

No, I agree.

Having worked 16 hours a day on a translation machine, I knew how painful it was.

But ‘understanding’ their position and changing their circumstances were two entirely separate issues.

Unfortunately for them, our country was at war.

As in any country, sacrifices made by workers were inevitable to meet the enormous demands of a wartime nation.

Of course, it’s not just workers who make sacrifices.

In a total war system, all classes had to make sacrifices.

Even capitalists were paying taxes at a top rate of 90%, just like in the United States.

In the exhibition, such absurd measures are justified and tolerated.

Because the survival of the country is of utmost importance.

That’s why the war was so cruel to the people.

I said, taking a deep drag on my cigarette.

“owner.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Do you know? I really wanted to make this country, Korea, a good country.”

Even though I was full of lies and contradictions, this was the truth.

“Your Majesty, you are doing so. No one in his right mind can deny that your Majesty’s rule has led this country on the right path.”

No, I don’t know the length.

They do not know the freedom to curse their country and insult its head of state with impunity.

I don’t know of a rich country where people don’t have to work 12 hours a day in a factory and don’t go hungry or shiver.

In that respect, this country, the Korean Empire, resembled Kim Jong-un’s North Korea more than the 21st century Republic of Korea.

“I see.”

In the end, even Jeong Gil couldn’t understand my feelings.

Well, who can you blame?

I am the one who has led this country to this point.

As the highest authority in Korea, I had infinite responsibility for the reality of this country.

While I was lost in thought, I received a call from outside.

“Your Majesty, the Minister of the Interior has requested an audience.”

“Tell them to come in.”

I put out the cigarette butt and sat down on the chair.

“dismissal.”

Instead of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mobility bowed deeply.

“Okay, senior. Hey, man. Straighten your back. I’m a burden.”

Lee Dong-seong was Lee Seong-jun’s senior from the military academy by two years.

Although most people are seniors or juniors at the military academy, Lee Dong-seong was personally close to Lee Seong-jun.

Because of that connection, I appointed him as the Minister of Home Affairs, but he was anxious because he couldn’t show his loyalty.

Although it may have been a bit excessive at times, I felt more comfortable giving the job to a loyalist like this rather than someone I couldn’t trust.

“Yeah, what’s going on, senior?”

“Yes, these days, subversive books are being spread around factory dormitories. That’s why I came to see you, Your Majesty, to see if there is a law to crack down on this.”

“What kind of subversive book is that?”

I looked through the booklets that Lee Dong-seong had handed me, and they were all booklets that reeked of communism.

The cover was so crude that it looked like it had just come out of a printing shop.

It is unlikely that the Soviet communists, who were currently dependent on Korea for military supplies, ordered the book to be distributed; it seems that the communists who came naturally distributed the book.

“Hmm. They really are commies. Right.”

“What would you like to do?”

This one seemed a bit difficult to deal with by just using your hands.

“Rather than banning it outright, let’s just provide corrective education to those who possess or read the book.”

Corrective education refers to the revolutionary concentration camp version of the Lee Seong-jun series, which is studied in a juvenile detention center.

It is not as far-fetched as the previous brainwashing education, but rather can be understood as education that makes people docile enough to cooperate with government policies.

“Would that be enough? They’re pure communists.”

“They are still young, so let’s not overdo it.”

I didn’t want to be more cruel than necessary.

He was already a great military dictator by his actions alone, so he didn’t want to add any more titles to it.

Student protests, worker protests, and even communist books.

The peaceful daily life of Korea was enough to give me a headache.

At that time, the Security Service came up with a plan to solve this problem.

“Your Majesty, the Security Service has prepared a plan to attract national attention.”

“okay?”

In a situation where national discontent had already accumulated, having a target to redirect that anger would have been helpful in governance.

Turn your complaints around.

It would be good to push for something like the 3S policy, but you don’t have the money to do that in a time of war.

Soon, Security Commander Lee Jeong-yoon came in and handed over the file.

“Create a fifth column?”

The fifth column meant that the fourth column was an outsider who stood apart from the general crowd.

It was also often used as a substitute for spy.

“Yes, Your Majesty. It is to create ‘suspicion’ among the people that German and Chinese spies are operating within the country and carrying out sabotage.”

“Five columns without any beginning or end? Who would believe such a thing? It’s something I can’t believe myself.”

“That’s why I prepared the plan. Please read from page 4.”

As I flipped through a few pages of documents, I saw the key points prepared by the Security Service.

The Security Command’s plan was to brand religious people, namely the Lutheran Church, a Protestant denomination that had come over from Germany, as spies.

“So, let’s get Germany and these guys together.”

“You saw it exactly.”

All conspiracies gain strength when they become concrete.

A target that the people can hit.

Lutheranism had all the conditions for that to happen.

In small numbers, everything from relations with enemy countries to the alien cultures in Korean society were targets of attack.

But, I didn’t feel like doing that.

It wasn’t because I had a guilty conscience.

‘The method is easy, but if we continue to swallow such poison, this country will never be saved.’

Although I had no choice but to drink poison like a coup d’état, I also knew how to exercise restraint when it was not necessary.

Even I think this is a wrong idea.

“Hey, hey. This is just the wrong way to do it.”

Lee Jeong-yoon was startled by my reprimand.

“yes?”

“Who in the world would attempt to commit terrorism against a specific group of their own people?”

Stalin and Hitler were doing it, but they were outsiders and needed to be excluded.

“Trim it gently a little.”

“What do you mean?”

“What good would come from making a specific religion a victim?”

Lee Jeong-yoon looked as if he had gained insight at my words.

“I was short-sighted, Your Majesty.”

“Since it’s a plan that the owner brought, polish it up and prepare thoroughly.”

“I will accept it.”

After waving my hand and sending Lee Jeong-yoon away, my thoughts became more complicated.

It’s a spy operation.

Clearly, this regime is a military regime that is desperate to catch people.

But I couldn’t give any instructions to stop doing such things.

The reason friends like Lee Jeong-yoon do such things is ultimately to support the Korea I lead.

I asked for a cigar at the end of the day.

I always thought I should cut down on smoking, but at times like this, I couldn’t quit.

The taste of a cigarette at the end of a long day was bitter.