Republic of Korea in Yeokcheon - Chapter 365



Only Krnovel

#365. Good was good

November 9, 1966.

A VIP visited Gimpo International Airport.

“Welcome, Secretary.”

“Hahaha! Long time no see, Prime Minister Koh Seok-man.”

“Hey! Why are you sticking your mouth out?”

“Ah, ha! You were so happy that you wanted to kiss our socialist brother?”

“I’m not a socialist, and I absolutely refuse to wear men’s clothing.”

“President Lee Kang-cheol also said the same thing… … .”

“I think it would be better not to do that to people from our country?”

“All right.”

Khrushchev visited South Korea again, this time at the beginning of the year, and this time only Ko Seok-man went out to greet him.

Although Go Seok-man was acquainted with most of the leaders of each country, it was Lee Kang-cheol’s consideration to build friendships from now on in preparation for the year after next.

Of course, just like Lee Kang-cheol, Go Seok-man also suffered humiliation trying to avoid that damned ‘socialist brotherly kiss.’

“Is President Lee Kang-cheol in good health?”

In the car on the way to the Blue House, Khrushchev asked about Lee Kang-cheol’s well-being.

“Yes, it is still the same.”

“Oh, really! I really don’t know the age of the people in your country. President Lee Kang-cheol is a few years older than me, but he looks 10 years younger. The same goes for Prime Minister Goh.”

“It’s nothing. I just take good care of my health.”

“Anyway, I’m jealous. Oh, by the way, I heard that the Prime Minister is planning to run in the next presidential election?”

“Yes, it was too much, but it happened.”

“Hahaha! Is that too much? You’ve been doing this for over 20 years already? Let’s do well from now on.”

“First of all, he is a candidate. He has to be elected.”

“Hey, who doesn’t know the political situation in your country? The entire nation supports you, so how could it not work? That’s why… … .”

“… … .”

Go Seok-man was already feeling tired.

It’s true that not just anyone can become president.

Still, time passed and soon we arrived at the Blue House.

“Welcome, Secretary.”

“Hahaha! President Lee Kang-cheol! Nice to meet you.”

“Oh, please sit down and stop making a fuss.”

“Is this always the case? Between us?”

“What is the matter between us?”

“Isn’t it a neighboring country that shares a border? And a very close one at that?”

“It’s not that close, is it?”

“Hehehe! Isn’t that what it’s going to be like in the future?”

“Okay, let’s talk again after that happens. So don’t act too friendly.”

“Why are you treating me so coldly?”

“Do you treat other leaders the same way? Even President Kennedy gets cursed at sometimes?”

“… … .”

After calming down Khrushchev, who was whining, Lee Kang-cheol opened his mouth again.

“You came earlier this year, why are you here again?”

“Hey, why are you doing this? Didn’t we officially decide to upgrade our bilateral relations right after the war ended?”

“Well, that’s true, but isn’t it something that can be done by sending the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?”

“That can’t be possible. It’s about the two countries completely ending the unfortunate events of the past. To be honest, I wanted to come to the surrender ceremony, but that just didn’t seem right.”

“If that were the case, I would have been cursed at by the People’s Republic of China.”

“Hahaha! That’s why I held back.”

By this time, the Soviet Union and China, although both communist countries, had completely different appearances.

After Stalin’s death, the Soviet Union adopted a revisionist line when Khrushchev took power, but the Chinese Communist Party, even during the Mao Zedong era, pursued a dogmatic communist line, and relations between the two countries continued to deteriorate.

Although relations between the two countries improved significantly after Liu Shaoqi became chairman, there was still a huge difference between the Soviet Union, which was virtually communist in name only, and the Chinese Communist Party.

In reality, the Chinese Communist Party was in a situation where it traded with the Soviet Union depending on the circumstances, but behind their backs, it openly criticized them as traitors.

However, the Soviet Union was still a communist power, and many of the weapons used by the Chinese Communist Party in this war were imported from the Soviet Union.

Of course, it was exported with the understanding of South Korea.

In any case, it was clear that if a country that sold weapons to the communist power had happily attended the surrender ceremony, it would have been heavily criticized.

“Anyway, in two days, our Republic of Korea and your country will declare that their relationship has been upgraded to a comprehensive partnership.”

“So, what I’m saying is, why can’t we just have a strategic partnership?”

The South Korean government used the diplomatic stage-by-stage friendly relations as a contemporary example, and the stages were divided into partnership, comprehensive partnership, strategic partnership, comprehensive strategic partnership, global strategic partnership, and the highest level, global comprehensive strategic alliance.

Here, the top global comprehensive strategic alliance relationship was solely with the United States, followed by the United Kingdom, Vietnam and Burma among EATO countries, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand as global strategic partners.

And the rest of the EATO countries were one step lower in the comprehensive strategic partnership.

Until now, the Soviet Union had been in a partnership with Japan, but this was the time to upgrade it to a comprehensive partnership, and Khrushchev was a bit more ambitious and wanted to upgrade it to a strategic partnership.

“Secretary Khrushchev, let’s go a little slower. Don’t you feel ashamed to see the Chinese Communist Party?”

“Hey, it’s obvious that things will get worse again. There’s no need to worry about it anymore, right?”

“Do you know?”

“Do you think that damn Mao Zedong pig will take power again?”

“You know very well.”

“Hehehe! President Lee Kang-cheol.”

“why?”

“Now, tell me honestly. Back in your country, you hoped that Mao Zedong would take power again?”

“Why did you think so?”

“Hey, are we stupid? At first, I started to suspect that your country was not only condoning but also secretly encouraging the sale of weapons to the Chinese Communist Party, and when I saw the president earlier this year, I was convinced. Aha! Our President Lee Kang-chul is drawing the big picture!”

“Ahem!”

Lee Kang-cheol coughed in vain, feeling a little embarrassed when Khrushchev asked him so openly.

“The Secretary-General, you know, he really doesn’t use diplomatic rhetoric.”

“Hey, why are you making things so complicated? I really don’t like that kind of thing. If it’s not, then it’s not, but if it’s right, then it’s right.”

“Well, that’s true.”

“And by the way, is it just me? Even the President is notorious for being straightforward.”

“Hahaha! I won’t deny it.”

“ha ha ha!”

I really couldn’t deny it.

It was for this reason that Lee Kang-cheol felt fond of Khrushchev.

“By the way, the Chinese Communist Party will be in turmoil for a while if Mao Zedong takes power again, right?”

“Probably so. I think there will be a significant purge.”

“It’s not just a big deal, but it seems like it’s going to be a real bloodbath. Considering the personality of that pig, Mao Zedong, he’s not the kind of guy who would just let it slide. Isn’t he?”

“I think so too.”

“And then you’ll be impatient because you can’t catch me.”

“Haha! Well, since you already know everything, I have nothing to say.”

Lee Kang-cheol couldn’t help but laugh.

The Soviet Union messed with South Korea and suffered a lot, but it was still the Soviet Union.

He is able to predict the situation in neighboring countries with incredible accuracy.

“He’s a real idiot, you know. Why did communism come into being in the first place? There’s no need to put it in a grand way. Wasn’t communism about all people eating well and living well equally? But that pig is so obsessed with power that he slaughters people at every opportunity. Is that communism? Are you saying that slaughtering people and torturing them to death is communism?”

“That’s right. That’s not a warning. That’s just a crazy dictator.”

“Anyway, we’re in trouble.”

“why?”

“No, exporting to the People’s Republic of China was quite fun, but now it seems like we won’t be able to have that fun anymore.”

“… … .”

Lee Kang-cheol had expected Khrushchev to say something like this.

Khrushchev was a man who pretended to be frivolous and sloppy, but secretly took care of the practical matters.

Ultimately, this is what Khrushchev was trying to say.

It seems like the route we have been exporting to the People’s Republic of China will be blocked, so please give us some alternative markets.

“So what do you want to say?”

“Hehehe! Hey, you know everything?”

“Hahaha! Anyway, I can’t stop you.”

“Hehehe! Please digest it a little when you get back home.”

“That’s a bit much. There are already no restrictions on trade with your country. We can’t forcefully import more. Except for oil, that is.”

“So, are you going to import more oil?”

“That much is possible. We will increase the quota for oil imports from your country.”

“Hahaha! Thank you. But that’s really amazing. Your country has an abundance of oil, so why do you insist on importing it?”

“For our descendants.”

“Ugh! We need to do that too, but this is urgent… … .”

As Khrushchev said, South Korea’s oil reserves are among the highest in the world.

The vast Siberia was not even touched, but even so, the oil from the Daegyeong and Yoha oil fields alone was enough to cover it all.

In addition, there was a significant amount of oil coming from oil fields developed in the south and other regions.

However, the South Korean government has enacted a law requiring that at least 50% of South Korea’s oil demand be imported.

The reason was for the sake of future generations.

And as the world market was being swept by cutting-edge products, there was also a need to spend the abundant foreign currency.

“And would you mind if I had something like grains?”

“You’ve already given me quite a bit of that, right?”

“But it’s not easy for the Chinese Communist Party kids to buy it.”

“Why don’t you take a look around Europe?”

“Europe?”

“Yes, Europe. Isn’t it time to start normalizing relations with Europe?”

“Well, that’s true, but even if we wanted to, those guys would be really wary of us.”

“Hahaha! We’ll solve that for you.”

“How do you say that?”

“Let’s start with Eastern Europe. Let’s start with Poland, the great country in Eastern Europe.”

“The ones who hate us the most and are wary of us are the Poles?”

It was something I could have hated.

They had suffered more than a few things since the days of Imperial Russia, and under Stalin they were even massacred.

However, with South Korea’s intervention, present-day Poland became a major power in Eastern Europe.

So much so that it occupied all of western Ukraine, which had originally been Ukrainian territory in history.

“I am friendly with the Polish president, so I will mediate appropriately. The same goes for the Baltic states, Romania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia.”

“Um, is that okay?”

“Both sides want a lot from each other. If it weren’t for the past, we could have been on good terms a long time ago. If I mediate directly, I won’t refuse.”

“Then thank you.”

“Instead, the country should show some sincerity by apologizing for its past actions and providing compensation, even if only formally.”

“It’s nothing more than that… … .”

“Hahaha! Then that’s it.”

Relations between countries far from South Korea were good.