Republic of Korea in Yeokcheon - Chapter 264



Only Krnovel

#264. That’s notorious!

January 6, 1958.

The ceremony to celebrate Lee Kang-cheol’s reelection as president was held grandly in front of the National Assembly building in Yeouido.

Lee Kang-cheol instructed that the plan be carried out as simply as possible, but the executive branch as well as the Senate and House of Representatives raised their voices in opposition, so there was no choice but to carry out the plan in a grand manner.

“It is a well-known fact in the world that the President hates hassle, but this is not the President’s personal event. Our country is now a global superpower, and we cannot afford to scuttle the presidential inauguration ceremony.”

“That’s right! No matter how simple it is, it must at least be in keeping with the national prestige.”

“Hahaha! This time, do as we say. It’s a formality, but the presidential inauguration also helps unify the people of the newly annexed territory. Think about it. What would you think if you saw the heads of state or other high-ranking officials from the world’s leading countries gathered in one place to congratulate the inauguration of our country’s president?”

“Ugh!”

I don’t know about anything else, but Lee Kang-cheol himself thought that it would be effective in national unification, so it was difficult to refuse it any longer.

In the end, the inauguration ceremony became a huge event attended by numerous heads of state and other dignitaries, so it was natural that the highest-ranking officials of a country would not want to miss this difficult opportunity.

So, not only before the inauguration, but also for about ten days after, it was so hectic that there were even rumors that interviews were planned down to the second.

“Congratulations on your reappointment. Originally, His Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I of the Ethiopian Empire was scheduled to come in person… … .”

“Oh, please tell His Majesty the Emperor that I am very grateful to him. I hope to see him soon, either when I visit Ethiopia or when he comes to our country. Please tell him that I have special respect for him.”

“Go, thank you!”

The Ethiopian special envoy returned with a feeling of genuine emotion, for he knew that he had been given special treatment in the presence of so many other envoys from so many countries.

Since its founding, South Korea has not been a country that has paid much attention to the west of Burma.

In particular, South Korea is the country that has almost officially declared that it will not engage in anything other than business in the Middle East and Africa, excluding Europe.

This was out of consideration for the European empires that were wary of the rapidly expanding Republic of Korea, but the mere involvement in Israel’s establishment of North Africa and France’s policy toward Algeria was intended to eliminate potential troublesome elements in advance, and from then on, a completely indifferent attitude was adopted.

Nevertheless, the reason for being friendly towards the Ethiopian Empire was also because of the gratitude they had received in the original history for sending elite troops to the Korean War.

There was another reason why I was especially grateful to Ethiopia: Ethiopia’s dispatch of troops to the Korean War was done with truly pure intentions.

Originally, 16 countries sent troops to the Korean War in history.

Of course, they are all countries to be thankful for.

But would all those countries truly send troops to Korea, a country they barely knew?

No, to be honest, most of them probably didn’t even know where they were attached.

Many countries would have simply sent troops in accordance with the international dynamics of the Cold War, and countries like Colombia, in particular, are said to have sent troops semi-forcibly from the rear, unable to bear the hysteria of the United States while in the midst of their own civil war.

After that, they suffered to the point of death from the bitter cold that they had never experienced before in their lives. Because of this, Colombian veterans of the Korean War were socially neglected even after they returned home. So, unlike veterans from other participating countries, many of them did not reveal that they had participated in the Korean War.

Even if I reveal it, I haven’t heard anything good.

Later, as the Korean economy developed and the Korean Wave swept the world, they became proud.

Of course, regardless of the intention behind the deployment, it was truly a grateful event for each and every veteran.

Because most of the veterans endured the bitter cold and shed blood in the name of protecting freedom.

But what makes Ethiopia so special is that even its ‘purpose of dispatching troops’ was so pure that it could be said to be unique.

When Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I received the UN’s request to send troops, he immediately ordered the dispatch of his own personal guard, purely for the sole purpose of protecting the country from invasion.

(The famous ‘Barefoot Abebe’ was also there.)

It may have been because he remembered the sorrow of his own exile during the war with Italy, but it was clearly a great undertaking.

In some ways, you could say that he was naive as a ruler… … .

In any case, the Ethiopian ‘Gyangnyu Unit’ received the order from the Emperor to ‘Fight until you win, or fight until you die!’ and they did fight until they died as the Emperor ordered.

This was proven by the fact that they recorded 253 victories, suffered 123 deaths and 536 wounded, but did not take a single prisoner.

However, the veterans who fought so bravely did not have peaceful later years.

Because they were thoroughly oppressed by Mengistu, the worst mass murderer in Ethiopian history, who later staged a military coup and took over the communist regime.

In any case, for various reasons, the South Korean government was particularly friendly to the Ethiopian Empire and Emperor Haile Selassie I in Africa, and made them happy by providing them with a lot of economic help, if only to prevent a coup that might occur later.

“We must not forget the grateful meaning of this incident that did not occur in this history.”

“That goes without saying.”

Ko Seok-man also agreed.

Even with so many congratulatory messages to attend, splitting the time up into minutes, there were also some big-name leaders who had to devote a lot of time.

“Congratulations on your re-election, President Lee Kang-cheol.”

“I don’t know what to do with myself since you came here to congratulate me in person. President Chiang Kai-shek!”

Contrary to everyone’s expectations, President Chiang Kai-shek personally visited Korea as a congratulatory envoy.

At best, I thought they would send their son Chiang Ching-kuo.

“No. We are both victorious nations and neighboring countries, so I have been somewhat indifferent. It only takes a few hours to fly here, so I should come in person.”

“Hahaha! Thank you.”

Of course, no one took Chiang Kai-shek’s words at face value, so they sat quietly for a while and then got to the main point when the tea arrived.

“Since I’m here to congratulate you, I have something else to tell you.”

“Please speak comfortably.”

“As you know, the damage caused by North China is severe. I understand that your country has also suffered considerable damage.”

“Yes, they said they were trying hard to block it, but there was considerable damage, especially in the border areas, but it wasn’t that severe. They started work on recovering the damage right away, and support is also being provided to farmers.”

“… … .”

That was the weight class difference.

Because the Republic of China is located to the south, the damage was greater than that of the Republic of Korea, but because the difference in economic power is so great, the degree to which people consider it to be ‘severe’ is bound to differ.

Although the Republic of China has also developed its economy to some extent, it is difficult to say that the damage caused by pests and diseases, including the recent yellow bugs, is severe, whereas in the Republic of Korea, it is nothing more than a sneeze.

“Okay! I see. Anyway, I have a favor to ask.”

“Please speak. If it is something we can do as a neighboring country, we will do whatever you want.”

“I don’t know about your country, but we have suffered serious damage. That’s why we have to import a huge amount of food, but when we suddenly tried to get it, we found that your country had already taken over most of it and there was no stock. I hope you can give us at least some of it.”

“hmm…….”

This was something I had expected when Chiang Kai-shek said he would come in person.

And although the Republic of China is superficially a friendly country, I had no intention of acting fatally over this issue.

“Okay, I’ll give it to you as you wish. Of course, you have to calculate the market price properly.”

“Of course. We are capable of that as well. Thank you.”

“Instead, I have something to tell you, even though it’s not really a condition.”

“What is it?”

“I know that our government departments have been protesting against your return for some time. There are too many cases of your returnees coming into our waters and fishing illegally. The resulting overfishing problem is also a big one.”

“… … .”

As Lee Kang-cheol said, in this period of history, illegal fishing in the Republic of China to the south was more serious than that in the People’s Republic of China.

Although Northern China’s naval forces were weak, Southern China had a relatively strong navy and coast guard, so it seemed that they believed in that.

“Didn’t you know? It seems like our department is running out of patience.”

“No, I didn’t know.”

“I’ll be honest with you since you didn’t know. Our Coast Guard is also directly under the Chief of Naval Operations. Do you know? Our Chief of Naval Operations is a famous person.”

“… … .”

Chiang Kai-shek almost exclaimed inwardly, ‘That’s notorious!’

How could I not know?

I’m talking about the notoriety of Admiral Kim Jong-woo, also known as ‘Devil Admiral’ or ‘Bloody Kim’.

“Once that person gets into trouble, I can’t stop him. Vice Prime Minister Kim Kyu-sik has been trying to stop him so far, but it seems he’s almost reached his limit. Do you know what I mean? I’m telling you this because I feel like something big is going to happen if this continues.”

“Oh, I know what you mean.”

“Yes, I am glad to hear that. Since your country has a proper coast guard, I hope you will do a good job of cracking down on fishermen. I heard that you were barely able to stop an aircraft carrier from being dispatched not long ago.”

“Oh, no, you’re saying that you’re going to start a war by destroying an aircraft carrier just for illegal fishing?”

“That guy is just like that. He doesn’t really step forward, but once he does, he does it properly and he’s the type to see blood. A lot of blood. Huh! I don’t understand why people are so violent.”

“… … .”

This is a clear threat.

No, aside from the threats, it was a widely known fact that once that demon admiral turned, even the South Korean government would not be able to control him, so it was an issue that could not be ignored.

“As soon as I return, I will crack down on this on a large scale and provide guidance.”

“Yes, that would be good. That person is the type of person who does something first and then reports later.”

“I know, so that’s what I’m saying!”

“Huh? Are you mad at me right now?”

“No, when did you say I was ever angry!”

“No, I think you’re still angry?”

“ha…….”

That’s why I briefly considered sending my son Chiang Ching-kuo.

Strangely, I lose my mind whenever I see this damn Lee Kang-cheol.

Chiang Kai-shek hated Li Kang-cheol more than the evil Admiral Kim Jong-woo.