Republic of Korea in Yeokcheon - Chapter 295



Only Krnovel

#295. Wonhwa Zone

Lee Kang-cheol and the other ministers were momentarily speechless.

Because I smelled Kim Jong-woo’s scent from the Minister of Planning and Finance.

“Hmm! So, that’s it? In short, you’re saying that we should properly create and utilize the sovereign wealth fund?”

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you still doing similar things?”

“It’s different. It’s a world of difference in profitability and efficiency compared to managing money professionally.”

“Then, where are you going to invest? What if you buy something like the Empire State Building, an American symbol, like the Japanese did during the bubble economy in the 1980s? If you attract the world’s attention for no reason, you’ll be hated.”

Kang-cheol Lee doesn’t know much about investment or finance, but he still has a lot of experience.

It was obvious that if I did things like buying symbols of other countries to make some money, I would be hated.

As the saying goes, a square peg in a square hole makes a round hole.

“Of course? I won’t do that. I will thoroughly divide it into long-term and short-term, and in the short term, I will operate it to maximize profits, and in the long term, I will focus on securing resources such as minerals that our country’s future depends on. Oh, even in the short term, I mean investments that look at several years at most. Whether it’s financial products or companies with good prospects. Long-term is more than that. And I plan to have it as unrelated to our country as possible.”

“Hmm, then it doesn’t seem so bad? What do you all think?”

“Let me tell you.”

The Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy raised his hand as if waiting for Lee Kang-cheol to speak.

“This is something we have been discussing with the Minister of Strategy and Finance for a long time. It is not bad, but at least we need to do it now. At our Segi Holdings, we have been doing this for a long time. And if the current trade surplus continues, it is only a matter of time before our economy suffers from the overflow of foreign exchange, as the Minister of Strategy and Finance said.”

“Is that it?”

“We are sweeping the global market by sequentially releasing future technologies and knowledge. This will continue in the future. We need to manage it as professionally as possible from now on.”

“Oh, I see.”

“As the President said, we will invest quietly. We will not only invest in the United States, but also in Europe, South America, Africa, Asia, and all over the world, as secretly as possible.”

“Minister of Finance, when do you plan to start?”

“We plan to start modestly with $50 billion. We will establish the Korea Investment Corporation under the Ministry of Strategy and Finance.”

“You said you were going to be quiet?”

“We can just establish several companies under the Korea Investment Corporation that don’t have any trace of the Republic of Korea. That way, we can clean up several levels.”

“Hey, even if you earn money legally, do you have to launder it? We’re not the mafia or anything?”

“ha ha ha!”

“Heh heh heh!”

Everyone laughed at Lee Kang-cheol’s joke, but it wasn’t a refreshing laugh.

Even though I earned a lot of money, I had to be mindful of others.

It is natural for people and countries alike to be looked upon with envy when one person monopolizes too much wealth.

Therefore, it was natural to be aware of the feelings of those around you, and even if you monopolized the wealth, you had to live by giving to some extent.

Because we live in a world where we all coexist.

But that wasn’t the reason why there was resentment in the laughter.

This is because no matter how rich South Korea becomes, there is a line that cannot be crossed.

It’s the United States.

Although we are now close enough as blood allies, international relations are a cruel law.

So if South Korea grows to the point where it threatens America’s wealth, the United States will certainly act.

Regardless of the means and methods.

Sensing that atmosphere, the Minister of Strategy and Finance opened his mouth again.

“Not now, but someday we will create a Wonhwa Zone… … .”

“Enough! That’s it. That’s not the issue we’re going to talk about now. We’ll have a chance to talk about it later, much later.”

“yes…….”

“Be careful not to let any strange rumors spread.”

“All right.”

“As the Minister said, the opportunity will come someday. Someday.”

“… … .”

At least for now, we must absolutely cooperate with the United States.

“Anyway, please prepare the national wealth fund properly and raise it. I will have it formally approved at the State Council meeting. Since we are already doing it, let’s start by filling it up a bit more.”

“All right.”

“Okay! So, what’s next on the agenda?”

“I’m going.”

“Oh! Minister Jang In-young! Go ahead. Hahaha!”

When Minister of Health and Welfare Jang In-young raised her hand, Lee Kang-cheol smiled pleasantly.

Because I had an idea of ​​what he was going to say.

“It is estimated that the population of the Republic of Korea will exceed 100 million as of the 1st of next month, that is, November 1st.”

“Oh! Already?”

“Hahaha! That’s amazing!”

“That’s really great news. Hahaha!”

Everyone was raving about how good it was.

After trying so hard to increase the population, it finally surpassed 100 million.

No matter what anyone says, population is the basis of national power.

The reason China can do such atrocious things in modern times is because it relies on its ridiculous population of 1.4 billion.

Moreover, since the current Republic of Korea has a very small population compared to its vast territory, the government’s efforts to increase the population were almost paranoid.

In particular, efforts were made to increase the population of the original Korean people, so that they would not lose their identity as Chinese, Japanese, and even Russian people became members of the country.

Also, a large population was desperately needed to deal with China, where so many people were dying from war and, as if it were not enough for them to do it themselves, were dying again and again from mistakes like the Great Leap Forward.

“Anyway, I can’t just pass up such a nice slope, right?”

“you’re right.”

“Then how should we celebrate this? It’s not like we can even identify the 100 millionth child.”

“Even God cannot figure out how to identify the 100 millionth child. Who knows who they are and how to identify them?”

“That’s what I’m saying, isn’t there a way to do it symbolically?”

“We have no choice but to do it the way we selected the millennial babies.”

“Millennial baby?”

“Yes, that’s how we selected the millennium babies born at the moment when the year 1999 turned into the year 2000. We designated several famous obstetricians and gynecologists across the country to watch, and then selected the babies born naturally at midnight on November 1st.”

“There will be a huge number of them born at the same time?”

“So, symbolically, we are selecting children born in major obstetrics and gynecology hospitals. No, with a population of 100 million, how can we possibly check all the children born in every corner of the country?”

“Then isn’t that a bit unfair? What criteria will be used to select the main obstetrics and gynecology departments?”

“Hey, really!”

“… … .”

Minister Jang In-young eventually exploded because of Lee Kang-cheol who kept digging for no reason.

“Then, the President, you should choose! Am I a god? Am I a god? You say you should choose symbolically!”

“Hmm! No, why are you angry… … .”

“The President was a bit harsh this time.”

“That’s right. We need to look into what needs to be looked into.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“… … .”

There is definitely an atmosphere that Lee Kang-cheol was at fault.

“No, I could ask because I’m curious… … .”

“Anyway, do you want to do it yourself?”

“I was wrong.”

“… … .”

Lee Kang-cheol immediately put down his hat.

“Since it is physically impossible anyway, we have no choice but to select from among the children born in Seoul, the capital city. I think you are planning to give gifts, but you can give gifts to all the children born on November 1st. Isn’t that how we are now in our country?”

“I see. Then, how much would be appropriate for a gift?”

“If you give too much, the parents of children born in the front and back will object. So give in moderation. Instead, I think it would be better to have a grand ceremony to celebrate reaching a population of 100 million.”

“Okay. Then, Minister Jang In-young, please consult with the ministers of the relevant departments and handle it properly.”

“Okay, and I’m sorry for getting angry earlier.”

“No, no!”

Jang In-yeong is someone who always has the word “beating” in his mouth.

Even as Lee Kang-cheol, he had no choice but to keep an eye on it.

And that evening.

The war was over and reports that the population had reached 100 million made Lee Kang-cheol feel good, so he had a drink with Ko Seok-man for the first time in a long while.

“Oh! That’s good! I feel relieved now that all the work is over.”

“Wow! It tastes better when I eat it after a long time.”

“Hehehe!”

“Hehehe!”

It was the first time in a long time that we had a drink together.

This is because I avoided drinking alcohol as much as possible during the war, so I couldn’t even smell soju for a while.

After drinking like that for a while, I ended up opening my fourth bottle of soju.

“older brother.”

“huh?”

“Just now, what the Minister of Finance said… … .”

“Oh, that? I know what you mean, but it’s been a while. If the rumor spreads and reaches America, it’ll be a headache. At least it’s not something to talk about now.”

“That may be true, but isn’t this a problem that we’ll face at some point? We can’t just avoid it.”

“That’s true. Ugh!”

Lee Kang-cheol poured a glass of soju into his mouth and opened his mouth again.

“What is the current population and GDP of the United States?”

“The population is about 180 million. The nominal GDP is $3,500 per person, and the total GDP is estimated at $740 billion. It is about five years faster than the original growth rate in history. Originally, the per person was $3,000, and the total GDP was about $540 billion.”

“This is incredible. This is incredible. This is incredible.”

“Hahaha! It’s amazing. When our country was only at $150, we alone hit $3,000. At that time, the UK, which was in second place, had a total GDP of around $70 billion and per capita of $1,300.”

“I’m so sick of it, I’m sick of it.”

“Well, that was when the US accounted for 40% of the world’s total GDP.”

“… … .”

It was truly a time when the United States single-handedly dominated the world.

“So, what about us now?”

“They said that the GDP per capita for a population of 100 million will be around $2,800 this year.”

“Then the total GDP would be around 280 billion dollars?”

“I guess so?”

“hmm…….”

Lee Kang-cheol thought for a moment and then said.

“Seokman-ah.”

“Yes, brother.”

“I want you to consult with the Governor of the Bank of Korea and the Minister of Strategy and Finance and calculate GDP as conservatively as possible. Very conservatively.”

“Is it really necessary to go that far?”

“That’s how it should be. We are growing too fast, and it will continue to be that way. So, if possible, it’s better to be conservative and divert some of the attention from the outside.”

“Very ‘conservative’, you say?”

“Yes, very! Very! A lot!”

“All right.”

“If we grow at this rate, we will eventually clash with the United States. But I think we should delay that time as much as possible. And until we have fully developed our true capabilities.”

“… … .”

“That way, there won’t be a major conflict with the US. The US will have to admit that it can’t do anything. When? Probably when we definitely retire. It’ll take at least 15 years.”

“… … .”

The two poured glasses of soju in silence.