Dear Comrade the Leader Episode 201
Chapter 72. number of cases
“That… … Looking at the current group composition, the chances are very slim… … . From the round of 16 onwards, it’s a winner’s tournament (tournament), so if you keep winning, someday… … .”
A wrinkle was formed on the forehead of Jang Seong-taek, who was close to Jung-hwan and shared a camera flash with interest. He realized what the supreme leader was worried about.
Originally, sports are bound to act as legitimate outlets for nationalism and nationalism.
The World Cup fever is in full swing in both North and South Korea, the teams that have won the World Cup for a long time, and the confrontation mentality that gets hotter as the original two teams win.
It is unthinkable for either side to step down, and the winning side will have an unofficial national holiday, but the losing side will be a rebel that will go down in history.
“… … We’re going to bump into each other. It’s best not to have anything to do with the target (opponent) as much as possible… … . Even if you win or lose, you have nothing to gain.”
The current year 2002 is when North Korean jeans roll in the South and South Korean automobiles in the North as they open the door and move to the same market economy system.
In the same way in North Korea, the mentality of ‘why do you shed your eyes on a compatriot of one bloodline when we rescued them from being sold to foreign powers’ dominates among the general public. Reports of the situation are increasing day by day.
Given the sentiment of the two peoples, if the two Koreas were to face each other in the World Cup finals, the joint North-South World Cup itself would be in a difficult situation.
You might say that it is overinterpreting just one sporting event, but the relationship and history between Korea and North Korea are very special compared to other countries, and their heads are too hot.
And before the issue of diplomatic relations with South Korea, even if at least one of them meets the Korean national team in the finals and loses… … .
“??? Comrade general secretary! Shouldn’t it be a matter of smashing it up as soon as it clashes? Our Republican warriors have achieved remarkable improvement in their skills under the systematic support and training of the Party! What are the South Koreans afraid of, who aren’t even the best European soccer players in the rankings of the International Football Federation or us?”
‘Oh, I’m afraid. Not as a political conflict, but as a skill level. I don’t know about other World Cups, but for this 2002 World Cup, Korea should be avoided more than Germany or Spain! ‘
Jeonghwan looked at one of the Politburo members who were ignoring the leader’s speed and shouting loudly with dismayed eyes.
This World Cup has a great meaning in North Korea as a venue for propaganda of the regime and gathering public opinion.
However, if it is not any other country, but if it is defeated by South Korea, what will be the propaganda that it has been doing so far, ‘a republic that begins to walk the path of becoming a powerful nation not only in the economy but also in sports’?
Even the beautification of the propaganda and agitation department has its limits, but even in a match that is broadcast live, if they lose to South Korea, which they thought had a slight edge, the party and, furthermore, the general secretary of the party, Jeong Hwan, face all the disgrace of disgrace.
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Normally, you could trust the training performance of the Republic of Korea national team and try it once, but for this World Cup, Jung-hwan was well aware that South Korea and Korea should be avoided whenever possible.‘Because I don’t touch it when the momentum is rising. Be it a person or a country.’
Moreover, if the opponent was North Korea, it was obvious that the Korean players would do their best in the match than any other country.
That being said, it may be said that losing one soccer match is overly heartbreaking, but if the opponent is South Korea or South Korea, the story is completely different for North Korea.
Furthermore, if the Korean team suffered a defeat in this World Cup, it could make the people even a little suspicious of Jeong-hwan’s system.
Considering the purpose outside the arena of enhancing inter-Korean relations and raising national prestige through unsuccessful hosting of the World Cup, it is best not to see each other at all.
Even if they win, Jeong Hwan and the leadership of the Workers’ Party of Korea, who are changing the direction of the virtual enemy from south Korea to China, could only be hostile to South Korean public opinion for nothing.
But for now, we had to consider a game other than a match against Korea in another neighborhood, Group B, first.
“… … As my comrade said, compared to those who belong to the same group as the Republic, the South Korean Gannars are comparatively weak. It’s just the first game. actually… … It’s embarrassing to say the whole thing, but considering the ball-kicking skills of our comrades in the Republic, the real obstacle to accomplishing the task of a sports revolution right now is more than South Korea… … .”
“Ah, in fact, if you follow the current group formation, you won’t even be able to step on the threshold of the round of 16 before meeting with South Korea.”
According to the words of Jang Seong-taek, who avoided his gaze with an expression of regret to say anything to the supreme leader, this time North Korea was literally placed in the group of death.
As expected by the current group formation and experts, in fact, before the two Koreas met and had a football match and what to do, we had to worry about not getting a disappointing result in this match that drew the attention of the people of the whole republic.
The results of the group draw held last year in Busan, Korea were as follows.
Group B – Korea, Poland, USA and Portugal
Group H – North Korea, Italy, Cameroon, Germany
“… … No matter how many times I revisit it, I go back. Why is the group formation so different? Blatter, that Ganna should have paid for it if she ate so much money! Is it the spirit of capitalism service that pays attention to things like this, even if you don’t make more money?”
“… … If I had known this would happen, I would have paid more attention to lobbying earlier or whatever.”
Junghwan sighed inwardly, even though he thought it was Daejin, who was ignorant of football and looked hopeless.
This was a result of this decision, which was decided without any time to spare during last year when Jeonghwan, who has no interest in sports, was paying attention to the huge event of the Sino-Afghan war.
As there was a variable such as North Korea’s hosting and participation, which was not in the original history, he had a foreboding that the draw would of course change from the original history, but he had no idea that the odds would be placed in a group with such a catastrophic win rate.
Jang Song-taek and other party officials, who sensed the discomfort of the supreme leader, began to make hopeful predictions to satisfy Jeong-hwan’s mood.
“Ah, it’s too early to judge yet! Comrade general secretary! Except for the Republic team, all the other teams are strong teams, so didn’t our Republic get to be able to enjoy its fishermanship by fighting for the supremacy?”
But the bad hunch is right, and the number of cases is starting to come true.
Just two hours after the Korean team defeated Poland, a surprise occurred in Pyongyang comparable to that of Seoul, South Korea.
At Jeong Mun-yeong Stadium in Ryugyong, Pyongyang, Cameroon’s national football team began to take the lead in Group H by defeating Italy, one of the strongest contenders, 1-0.
Cameroon, who has been at the forefront of the African football team’s strength, called the ‘black blast’ since the early 2000s, showed its potential.
And Cameroon’s next opponent, which had risen to the top, was North Korea, the weakest team in Group H, recognized by others.
As the situation unfolded, concerns about the inter-Korean match that had just dominated Jung-hwan’s mind had disappeared and priorities were re-established.
“I should stop worrying about the South Korean comrades and take care of us first. Please inform Comrade Chung Moon-young of this fact in advance. We have to come up with countermeasures in advance.”
“If you say you are Chairman Chung’s comrade… … .”
Chung Mun-young, the chairman of the modern group, who happened to be the honorary president of the soccer associations of both South and North Korea, had already retired from the front line due to health problems and passed the business to his sons for a long time, but he was still alive.
Originally, he was destined to have passed away in 2001, but the life of caring for Seonsan while smelling the air and soil of his hometown of Tongcheon, which he had longed for in his later years, may have prolonged his life. He came down to Seoul with Jeonghwan to watch the opening of the World Cup.
“What are you going to do by calling Comrade Chung? … .”
“What should I do, I have to cheat.”
“… … yes?”
“In the beginning, I didn’t even expect to win the World Cup and I don’t want to see the faces of my South Korean comrades in the finals, but early elimination is the result that should be avoided the most. Do not forget that this World Cup is not just a sports ground for our republic.”
“Yeah, that’s right. You are truly right.”
‘What do you expect from a dictator like me? I’ve done a lot more morally problematic things than this.’
In the first place, the World Cup itself was brought in through an unclean operation, and the world already knows that international sporting events are not gentle and fair battles of skill.
And Junghwan was a person who said that if he could achieve his goal, throw sportsmanship to dogs.
“No more, no less, just the round of 16! Our Republic’s goal is to advance to the round of 16 after passing the group stage. If it goes up to the round of 16, it will stand out as a host country, and if it goes beyond that, the chances of having an unpleasant meeting with South Korean comrades will increase significantly.”
As soon as the goal was set, an emergency report was sent to the Pyongyang Secretariat to discuss urgent issues, and while the secretariat formally sent a request for an interview to FIFA, Chairman Chung Moon-young, who was enjoying the southern air, was called in.
After a brief preliminary discussion for the purpose of the operation meeting, today’s real guest, FIFA President Jeff Blatter, was summoned to the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, where Jeong Hwan and Jung Moon-young stayed.
Blatter, who was called in haste, opened his mouth with a very uncomfortable expression.
“I would appreciate your understanding that it was difficult to find time because I was busy. General Secretary. I heard that you are going to go to Pyongyang soon, but I wish the North Korea team good luck in the match against Cameroon… … .”
“The match against Cameroon, we have to win no matter what. For that, I need President Blatter’s help, so I’ll beg your pardon.”
“… … So… … Are you trying to ask me a favor now?”
Jeff Blatter opened his mouth to Jeonghwan’s request, which sounded blatant and even calm, but Junghwan was calm.
It was a battle between people who knew each other about what to do with each other.
“exactly. It’s not the first time I’ve done anything, so it’s a bit strange.”
“That was before the game bid was confirmed, and isn’t the situation different now? No matter how much the general secretary is the head of state, I am also the head of this international organization. … .”
“Who is the official FIFA sponsor for this World Cup? So, out of all the sponsorships, which one has provided the most money?”
“… … It’s the Korea National Oil Corporation.”
“Then where did you apply the most?”
“… … It’s a modern car.”
“Then, if those two companies suddenly stopped sponsoring, wouldn’t it be a bit of a blow?”
Jeff Blatter’s mouth opened wide enough that he couldn’t open it any further.
He was now more than surprised, he looked astonished.
“… … Are you kidding me? Haven’t you thought about the hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties? What about the massive brand value decline beyond that?”
“You’re all worried about me. Common sense, why would an oil company worry about that? It’s not that people around the world suddenly stop using oil. And in the case of Hyundai Motor Company, Chairman Moon-Young Jung here has already agreed to it. Isn’t it?”
As Jung Moon-young nodded quietly, Jeff Blatter was furious and tried to open his mouth again.
But before Blatter could utter any more defiant words, Jung-hwan seemed more bored to speak, and struck the player first, making him shut his mouth.
If it wasn’t for him in the first place, I wouldn’t have been able to drive out Joao Abelanger and sit there.
“But there are many other companies like Adidas and Yahoo… … .”
“But our Republic is the only one who has provided the evidence to drive out the Joao Avelange you were aiming for, and even stabbed it in your back pocket. isn’t it? Do I have to finish this?”
“… … I’ll let the other executives know. If this fact is disclosed, neither the general secretary nor the North Korea team can pass… … .”
“Do whatever you want. I’m a dictator anyway, so I have immunity and just add a few lines of notoriety, but you’ll lose your seat and go to jail. The FIFA president may be elected by elections, but the general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea is… … Well… … Well, it’s also chosen by election, but the results are always consistent. unlike you The choice is yours.”
Junghwan, who had said this up to this point, added one last word as if teasing Blatter, whose face had turned red.
“Ah, by the way, a lot of Yahoo stocks are also owned by the state-owned funds of our republic. I’m not putting pressure on you, just in the sense of knowing.”
“… … .”
Silence fell in the suite room at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul.
Blatter, who was about to explode, unexpectedly lowered his gaze and seemed to be contemplating something.
After about a minute, Blatter raised his head again and let out a long sigh.
“Wow, if you rebelled like this, you would have defended pure sportsmanship as FIFA president against pressure from sponsors. What do you want?”
“Finally, you’re talking.”
“… … But let me tell you in advance, if you’re asking us to beat Italy or Germany in the same group, that’s impossible. Even home advantage can’t be reversed if the skill gap is too big. Besides, unlike the underdeveloped countries like Cameroon, these two countries are also a sedan in the international sports world.”
“That’s not your concern. What you have to do is give FIFA permission to change the stadium for the next match against Cameroon in our republic soon.”
“… … It is against the rules to change a predetermined stadium unless there is a justifiable disqualification, such as a serious accident that prevents the match from being played… … .”
“Accidents will happen. soon to be You must also have something to say to Cameroon. Then go ahead and wait for our call. Don’t forget that you and us are in the same boat.”
Recalling the instructions given through Jang Seong-taek to the secretary’s office shortly before Blatter’s arrival, Jeong-hwan gave Blatter a congratulatory address.
Tomorrow, two days before the match against Cameroon, there will be a small fire at the Yanggakdo Football Stadium in Pyongyang, which is designated as the stadium.
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No one will be hurt, but the audience seats will go down a little, and the grass will burn, making it very ugly for international sports competitions.Then, a stadium capable of accommodating a large number of spectators, a convenient transportation environment for spectators from all over the world, and a symbolic city that can represent North Korea will be quickly searched for as a venue for the match instead of Pyongyang.
“… … May I ask where it is?”
“Yeah, of course it’s Rason. A soccer stadium with a capacity of 32,000 was recently completed in line with the growth of the city, and since it is in a convenient location for audiences from China and Russia, you will also like FIFA, which sells tickets.”
“But I still don’t know why playing in Rason is advantageous for North Korean players… … .”
After the blatter disappeared, Jung Moon-young tilted her head full of white hair, but Jung-hwan gave further explanations.
“Cameroon is a country in Central Africa, near the equator. Of course, it is incredibly hot and humid, with an average temperature of close to 30 degrees.”
“Seeing that, I see. However, it is summer weather in July on the Korean Peninsula too… … .”
“It’s someone else, though. But, Comrade Chairman Chung, what kind of neighborhood is this Chosun land? Just like the Yankee Army experienced during the South Korean Liberation War, it is a country where hellish heat and cold coexist. Besides, Rasun received a report earlier this month that this year is going to be the coolest summer ever.”
Junghwan, who had said this up to this point, satisfactorily rubbed his palms and put a mean smile on his lips.
“On the day of the game, the average temperature in Rason will be 16 degrees above zero. It’s a bit cooler in summer in Raseon, but it’s mid-autumn in the south… … It must be midwinter weather that the Cameroonians have never experienced before.