Dear Comrade the Leader Episode 270
In response to Junghwan’s concise but meaningful words, Jang Seong-taek paused again with an ambiguous expression on whether he paused when he closed his mouth or stopped when he opened his mouth.
And his embarrassment wasn’t because he didn’t know what the buffer country he had just declared means.
‘Because it’s a giraffe, the general secretary’s words… … .’
Buffer state.
It refers to a country or region that acts as a middle ground between great powers in hostile relations.
Typical examples of a term frequently used in international politics are Thailand, which was a buffer between the British Empire and the French colonial empire, and East and West Germany, which served as a European buffer between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, but nowhere else, North Korea, and the mouths of their leaders. The case of calling a foreign country a buffer country in Korea was a novelty for Jang Seong-taek as well.
This is because, until now, North Korea, or to be more precise, North and South Korea, has been a typical buffer state in the conflict between the maritime powers represented by the United States and Japan and the continental powers represented by China and Russia.
However, in Jeonghwan’s mind, 20 years ago, when he first thought that Yanbian should be subordinated despite the opposition from China, the position of the Korean-Chinese Autonomous Prefecture in Yanbian was a buffer zone that would serve as a direct influence fighter from the neighboring power, China.
Previously, North Korea had acted as a buffer to protect mainland China from US forces in Korea, but now Jeong-hwan has just declared to Jang Song-thaek that he must take over that role.
However, in order to make such a judgment, one important premise must exist.
That’s right… … .
“Comrade General Secretary believes that the Chinese can seriously invade our republic. It is not a possibility, but a realistic concern that may arise in the near future.”
“Is there any reason not to judge that way? Our republic’s blood ties and friendly neighbors, our Chinese comrades, have been getting more radical and unpredictable day by day since almost 10 years ago, or, to be honest, right after I took office. So, wouldn’t it be common sense to assume the worst-case scenario and plan ahead of time to keep the risk as far away from the mainland of the Republic as possible?”
To tell the truth, these thoughts of Jeong-hwan were from the time of the Tiananmen Square incident, when General Secretary Zhao Ziyang died and the Tank Man was trampled on.
He already knew that there was a variable called himself, and that the flow of history would gradually deviate from the direction he knew as that variable normalized the gunpowder high school in East Asia called North Korea. Seeing this, Junghwan couldn’t help but be astonished.
And seeing all the changes from Deng Xiaoping’s absurd overthrow, the terrorist attacks in Shanghai instead of New York to the subsequent Afghan war and the recent reign of Bo Si Lai, Jung Hwan became convinced of his own decision.
This China, the current China, was far more unpredictable and dangerous than Jung Hwan himself knew and expected.
The Communist Party of China, a group of strictly selected elites on a huge continent with a population of 1.3 billion, although partially corrupt and incompetent, can lead China’s development in a grand dynasty and can compete with the United States in its power to any extent. He showed patience and judgment until he judged that he had reached the point where he was.
But now, because of the endlessly prolonged wars, the actual collapse of the collective leadership system, the economic downturn and populism, the people who started making decisions that they would not have made in the original history, avoiding irrational groups that would have been avoided, and jumping into wars that they would not have jumped into. will be.
And while watching such a scene from right next to him, Jeonghwan thought.
This dragon of China and us, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is highly unlikely to remain as a long-term friend.
“We are one of the closest pro-American countries to China. The Middle East countries west of China are checked by Chinese troops stationed in Afghanistan, India in the south is closer to the third line rather than pro-American, and Russia has a buffer zone called Mongolia. How long do you think it will be before they put pressure on us?”
“… … China’s first goal of annexation is not our republic, but Taiwan across the sea, our compatriots! If I dare to say without an example, this Jang Seong-taek… … I’m just worried that the General Secretary will get caught up in too much worry and will rather touch the heart of the clan and put the Republic in great danger!”
Once again, a crime of blasphemy for supreme dignity was committed, but Jang Seong-taek had no hesitation in uttering these words as he thought he was the judge of this judge since he came this far.
And Jung-hwan, too, did not get angry with Jang Sung-taek’s words and just calmly responded.
“Comrade, the ideal diplomatic line for our republic is to exchange with the United States, but always maintain a pro-China attitude! Separation and independence of their own territory and ethnic minorities is the thing the Chinese are most wary of, but if you touch them for nothing and cause anger… … .”
“Of course, it would be best to avoid such an extreme situation as going to war with China. However, in that case, our republic will never be able to escape from the role of a buffer and seawall protecting mainland China from South Korea’s US forces in South Korea. Someday, if not now, the United States and China will surely collide sooner or later, and we must prevent that battlefield from becoming our republic.”
“That word… … You didn’t mean to be completely attached to the Americans!?! If you’re thinking of something like the U.S. military… … .”
“No. But I do have a second in mind. With or without a buffer country, it is crazy to stand up to China alone by the republic.”
“… … !!!!!”
When Jeonghwan responded calmly, but at the same time almost impudently, Jang Seong-taek didn’t answer at all, as if he was now excited.
From his point of view, like Jeong Hwan, who did not know the differences and changes between the original history and the present China, he could not understand why he would unnecessarily engage in a decisive discord with a country that was dozens of times bigger and stronger than North Korea.
Junghwan also gave a supplementary explanation for his decision as if he understood Jang Sung-taek’s position.
“Early or late, the small countries around the empire will eventually have to make a choice at the risk of their fate. Either form a permanent alliance at the level of semi-subordination, or maintain independence with the support of other empires at odds with that empire.”
“… … Even if they are close to each other, like the United States and Canada, they are treated equally, and there are cases where the alliance continues. Now, our republic is no longer a beggar to China as it was in the past, and Comrade General Secretary has never thought about the assumption that Korea and China have such an equal and strong relationship… … .”
“Yeah, it’s only possible because the two countries have the same Anglo-Saxons as the main ethnic group, and English is the main language in the Christian world. Were we and China such a case? Besides, even though it looks like that, the United States and Canada are by no means equal. 25% of GDP depends on the United States, how is that equivalent? furthermore… … .”
Jung-hwan, who had said this so far, was still unconvinced and came to a conclusion as if he was driving a wedge to Jang Seong-taek, who looked at him with a distrustful gaze.
“… … See how the CCP has dealt with Tibet, Uyghurs and Afghanistan so far. One day they will force us to choose. Even if it’s not a merger, they either become like their own satellite state, or they turn into hostile relations.”
“… … .”
“So we need a buffer to take over that role. A buffer country or a buffer zone is not known in times of peace, but if the balance between the two powers is out of whack, it’s a reference to ‘a land that can eventually become a battlefield at any time’. And I think it is our duty as supreme leader to free our republic from such unrest at any time.”
Jang Seong-taek’s expression was still not resolved even though he had said this up to this point.
To him, who still looked dissatisfied, Jeonghwan persuaded him by changing his tone slightly as if he understood himself.
The question that Jang Sung-taek raised so far was because he thought that it was a concern that anyone, even if not a realist, could be concerned about the pro-China faction.
“I understand Zhang’s concerns, but I also have no intention of fighting unless the Chinese side asks us for something that cannot be conceded. This is what insurance means anyway. If we fight the People’s Liberation Army on the mainland of our republic, or if a proxy war with the US military takes place, the achievements of economic development that we have achieved through reform and opening up will be blown away. And if one in a thousand or even one in ten thousand happens, we are effectively lost.”
“… … I understand what you are teaching.”
“Thank you for understanding. Then go back and see.”
At the end, Jung-hwan spoke as if to appease Jang Seong-taek, but there was still a hint of dissatisfaction on Jang Seong-taek’s face.
However, despite this, he bowed his head, bowed to Jeong-hwan, and turned around and exited the secretary’s office.
Seeing this, Jeonghwan smiled bitterly, saying that he thought it would be difficult to persuade him.
‘From now on, I want to avoid the worst of an armed conflict with China as much as possible.’
However, in Jung-hwan’s opinion, the formation of the Yanbian buffer zone was something that had to be completed at any time within his tenure.
The US has already begun to recognize China as its main enemy, and even after the financial crisis of all time, it clearly showed that it has no intention of giving up hegemony in the Pacific in the future in a way that empowers its allies in East Asia such as Japan and South Korea. .
And now that the belligerent nature of the Boshirai regime in China is increasing day by day, it was Jeonghwan’s judgment that the possibility that the US Army in Korea and the People’s Liberation Army in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula would engage in World War III using North Korea as a stage for proxy war was increasing day by day. .
As a leader of an emerging country who has risen after more than 20 years of hard work, but is too weak to prevent the world supremacy conflict between the two empires, Jeong-hwan, the leader of North Korea, wants to move the battlefield away from the territory of North Korea as much as possible. It was the most realistic way to deal with it.
And in the event of such a conflict between the US and China, North Korea had to answer two major questions in order to survive.
First, which side will you stand on, the US or China?
The answer to this has been clear for a long time.
However, regarding the second question, ‘Even though the US military is not stationed there, is there any guarantee that the US can help in the conflict with China?’ … Junghwan had no choice but to answer this for now.
‘You should go on an adventure. no… … Maybe it’s not an adventure, it’s a crazy gamble.’
Even with that thought in mind, Jeong-hwan picked up the phone in the secretary’s office, connected the General Bureau of Foreign Reconnaissance, and gave instructions to contact the person who had already been ordered for a long time to only monitor with utmost caution.
This plan has been prepared for a long time, even little by little since his inauguration as general secretary, but he decided that it was finally time to implement it in earnest.
Read at noblemtl.com
Now, the moment has come to cross the most dangerous bridge that could be a lifetime achievement for Jeong-hwan as the supreme leader, or, conversely, to turn everything he had built up to ashes.* * *
A few months later, in the winter, a white man was drinking like crazy at a bar in a city in Maryland, USA.
It was clear that he was drinking too much, but the people around him, including the bartender, gave up the thought of stopping him at a glance at the speed and expression of his drinking.
Read at noblemtl.com
Not because of alcoholism or other reasons, but because he realized that he was borrowing the power of alcohol to forget about something big.As for the reason, I could only vaguely guess whether it was a broken heart or the death of a family member.
“Got—!!!! Fucking America! John X The great country of freedom! It is also the greatest country in the world! God Bless America! God bless America! kkkkkk… … Because freedom, democracy and civil rights are guaranteed… … .”
Finally, the man who put his drink down for a while, burping loudly, muttering incomprehensible words mixed with swear words, not like his calm face.
To tell the truth, the guesses of the bartender and other guests were only half right.
The drunken man had great anguish in his heart, but the reason was not like a broken heart, but in a sense much more serious and rambling.
The problem was that it was nearly impossible to tell others that much.
“freedom! Freedom! yes, freedom. Civil liberties, constitutional rights, democracy, yes. That’s important. The freest country in the world! United States of America! It’s different from gangster countries like Russia and China. Cancer, no different… … Heh heh heh… … !!! Ha ha ha ha ha… … .”
The man, who had been engulfed in anguish over and over again, drank alcohol and shook his head for a while, finally got up from his seat and packed his belongings.
It was very dangerous to show such a drunken appearance because of the nature of his job, to be exact.
Taking that into consideration, he purposely drove the car to a remote bar several tens of kilometers away from his usual place, but he, Edward, was not at all relieved.
Edward’s ‘workplace’ is literally a place where he has his eyes on every pub, alley, basement, and even the master bedroom of the world.
Everyone else thought he was paranoid or paranoid, but Edward knew it was the truth.
In fact, that was the root cause of the agony he was going through.
As he walked into the bar doorway drunk, he stumbled and almost fell to the floor in less than ten steps.
“Uh-huh… … !! Ouch!”
“Ike, be careful. Are there any injuries?”
Edward, who almost rolled on the floor, was barely able to center himself and stand upright, thanks to a man standing near the door holding his arm.
Embarrassed, he immediately scratched his head and thanked the man of Asian descent, who held him.
“Ah, thank you. Whoops, I… … Stop getting drunk… … .”
“it’s okay. As long as you live, you can.”
Edward tried to smile awkwardly to the man who spoke good English and smiled kindly.
Until his real name came out in a small voice from his mouth.
“Then why don’t you have a few more drinks with me while you’re drunk, Mr. Edward Snowden?”