Dear Comrade the Leader, Episode 305
Chapter 105. Will you succumb to the storm or… … .
And Bo Si-rai’s strict decree soon became a reality, bringing a dark cloud to the DPRK-China relationship.
First of all, the preferential status that had brought enormous benefits to North Korea’s exports and trade since the time of Jiang Zemin was unilaterally abolished.
Read at noblemtl.com
Naturally, the people of Yanbian, who had benefited enormously from inter-Korean trade through intermediary trade, became increasingly dissatisfied, but Beijing remained the same.Read at noblemtl.com
No, perhaps in the first place, he seemed determined to weaken the local economy in Yanbian, or at least reduce the influence of North Korean capital in Yanbian, which he realized late.-hey! You bastards! What the heck did we do to blame our store? Did the guys who usually eat bribes suddenly take medicine?
– No, comrade. Now that the people’s representative election is just around the corner, wouldn’t it rather stimulate the Korean-Chinese and give pro-Chinese candidates an advantage? Please tell the center to reconsider just once… … .
– It’s already late. argument comrade. Yanbian is already polluted. It is the intention of the Beijing Central Party and the Standing Committee that the people of the autonomous provinces must choose between living in Korea or living in China.
-All joint ventures with North Korea, foundations with North Korean capital, factories, and even a local dumpling shop, if there is any relationship with North Korea, somehow catch the pod. Confiscation still remains to be seen, but it is okay to suspend business, pay fines, and at any rate, let all the people know clearly that it will be difficult to earn money and make a living in Yanbian if you continue to be friendly with Lee Seop-gi and the Joseon people behind them. last word. do you understand
And these measures produced half the intended effect of the Party Central Committee.
About half of the people living in Yanbian were terrified by such a violent explosion and withdrew, but the other half, the Korean-Chinese in Yanbian, who were still boiling, headed to the brink of the explosion, saying, ‘Beijing is trying to kill Yanbian.’
In the election that was only a few weeks away, if Lee Seop-ki and other pro-Joint candidates were not elected, there was a hint that anything would happen right away.
Of course, this did not end with economic retaliation, but also at a diplomatic level. The Joseon ambassador to China was summoned and listened to strong protests from the intimidation group, and messages of protest accusing North Korea of wrongdoing continued to come and go.
The messages of the Communist Party of China and Bo Si Lai delivered directly or indirectly through this process were clear to anyone looking at them.
– Do not try to influence the current popular elections in Yanbian.
-Even if it is not intentional, if even a very slight effect is exerted on Yanbian and the Korean-Chinese living there, the Chinese side will interpret this as a challenge to China’s sovereignty over Yanbian Autonomous Prefecture, and Joseon should take all responsibility for the deterioration of relations.
* * *
In the new year of 2014, Pyongyang, the capital of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, was overflowing with rare excitement.
This is because experts have begun to diagnose that the world economy, especially North Korea’s economy, has overcome the aftermath of the 2008 real estate crisis to some extent, and that the four major tasks presented as economic stimulus packages have finally been successfully completed.
In particular, the West Pyongyang station area development project, which was a representative construction project, and the 88-story tower, which could be called the crown jewel in the construction, boasted a graceful curve that was shaped like the eaves of a hanok and looked over the newly born Pyongyang city.
The high-altitude swimming pool, which took up the entire four floors just below the observatory on the top, was already being selected as a must-visit hot spot when visiting Pyongyang by famous foreign magazines and overseas travel agencies as well as local residents before it even opened.
(Though the sudden disappearance of someone who should have been the owner of the 40-story Pyongyang City Hall next door has already been forgotten in everyone’s mind)
In any case, considering the event and publicity, the skyscrapers that were opened to the public and moved in along with fireworks on New Year’s Day were making Pyongyang a city with a fantastic skyline that is unmatched anywhere in the world.
However, the party cadres gathered in the meeting room of the new building of the Workers’ Party of Korea, where the symbols of prosperity of the Korean People’s Republic are best seen, did not seem to be able to enjoy this happy day.
In particular, General Secretary Kim Jeong-hwan, the owner of this new building, the beginning and the end of the present republic, who led the present-day prosperity from the closed and backward communist country to today’s prosperity.
“… … Comrade General Secretary, this is completely intimidating. It’s not a diplomatic practice, beyond the luck of being rude… … Aren’t you treating our republic as a vassal state?”
“It must be urgent over there. Heck, it was originally intended to be a government election, so it must have been something like a public opinion poll in advance… … After all, even if the results come out that they do not welcome, they can manipulate the results as much as they want, and it is strange that they are not vigilant.”
I thought it was going to happen someday, but it must have been the election,” Jeonghwan muttered in his mouth.
The reason China and North Korea, the two one-party dictatorships, the farthest from democratic elections in the world, have reached a serious conflict like now is not because of territorial expansion or a proxy war between the US and China for world hegemony, but because of elections.
“What did you explain to the foreign ministry on the Chinese side? What is the official position on the relationship between Comrade Lee Seop-gi and our republic?”
“’Comrade Lee Seop-gi is clearly Chinese by nationality, so whether or not to run for the People’s Representative and whether or not to win the election depends purely on the local people in Yanbian and his ability to win the support of the people, and has nothing to do with the Republic.’ told me.”
“It’s just a theoretical position. Did they understand?”
“… … I’m sorry, but… … It’s the exact opposite. Rather, they jumped up and down whether they were making fun of them.”
“It’s not wrong. Isn’t that what we half intended.”
“Gigi is like a giraffe, but… … I don’t know what kind of coercive logic they are trying to hold us accountable because it seems like they’re going to get a result they don’t like after having a formal democratic election first. Even if it was true that the republic worked hard in Yanbian, it was probably not that he was forced to go to the homes of citizens of Yanbian Autonomous Prefecture and select representatives of the people that suit our taste, but it is not a pure Sainte’s restaurant.”
Kim Yong-geon, head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was reporting to him what he had received unofficially from the Chinese foreign minister, revealing a rarely chewed expression in front of the supreme leader.
As the DPRK’s chief diplomat and long-time co-leader of Jeong-hwan’s Yanbian pro-Koreanization and buffer zone plans, Kim Yong-geon could not help but be puzzled by the current situation before outrage.
It is true that North Korea has long and deliberately reached out to Yanbian to escape the direct influence of its unreliable ally, China, but the turbulent response from China now is not the extent to which the loss of influence within the buffer zone is the extent of an enemy’s invasion of its territory. Isn’t that the level of reaction you see when you do it?
But in the first place, this is not the early 20th century, when the imperialist powers ate each other’s colonies.
With the advent of the United Nations and the enormous cost of modern warfare, and above all, it has been revealed that colonization will ultimately do more harm than good. What caused you to feel it?
Although he thought that the supreme leader’s plan was risky, for this reason, Kim Yong-geon, who did not think that China would even bring up the possibility of using force in Yanbian, was both displeased and puzzled at the same time.
Also, Hyun Young-sook, the head of the propaganda and agitation department, who was present and listened to the report, tilted his head as if he did not understand.
“I don’t understand that either. As the comrade said in the first place, China knows that if the election results are unfavorable, we will fix it, we know it, and everyone in the world knows it, but I don’t know why they react so sensitively. Why would you do such a foolish thing to destroy the long-standing friendship with our republic with an election that can be manipulated at any time? … .”
“It’s not that simple. Whatever the cause, it was something to come. These comrades are finally asking us about the defense white paper issue a while ago. I mean, make sure your attitude. So I will ask my comrades on behalf of President Boshi Lai, who is far away, who is not here now.”
“… … ?!”
“Comrade General Secretary. what is that… … .”
All the executives gathered in the seat at Jeonghwan’s sudden declaration, including Kim Yong-geon, Hyun Young-sook, Jang Seong-taek, and Baek Seung-cheol, all tilted their heads, but Jeong-hwan raised his hand and stopped them for a moment.
‘The essence of this question is simple, but it is so difficult to answer. But at least the executives here should know what storm is coming.’
The thought crossed his mind that he had been putting off the question that should have been answered by these and the members of the Central Committee for too long.
Today or anytime in the future, the more you avoid answers, the more these conflicts will get worse rather than resolved.
“… … So, think carefully before answering. As the general secretary and supreme leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, I will ask a question here. In this deadlock situation right now, or, in the current conflict with China, what do you think our republic should take toward China? Concession or struggle?”
“… … .”
“Let me ask you a simpler question. Should our republic continue to submit to China in the future, or will it have to defend its core interests even at the cost of armed conflict?”
The air in the intestines stopped in an instant.
The executives in this position were both the heads of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and members of the Central Committee of the Political Bureau of the Workers’ Party of Korea, but no one could easily answer the supreme but determined question of the supreme leader and avoided their gaze.
However, the supreme leader, Jeong Hwan, had a firm idea.
‘Finally, the time has come. In the first place, all other options are secondary. Do you give in to the mighty power, or do you risk your life to fight it?’
From time immemorial, the growth of a country located on the Korean Peninsula has always been a thorn in the eyes of the continent.
As the economic and military power of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea grows, its influence, whether voluntarily or voluntarily, is inevitably projected outside the borders, precisely to Yanbian. .
Although it is best to avoid war with a country that is 30 times bigger and more powerful than North Korea, if possible, it is best to avoid it, and Jeong Hwan has been trying to do that as much as possible, but now it is all in vain.
At the end of the 1990s, when he was asked by Seung-cheol Paik, ‘How long can the People’s Liberation Army survive an all-out war with a hypothetical setting up of the People’s Liberation Army? I felt a kind of instinct-like premonition and decided.
Whatever the timing of the clash, as long as the clash is almost unavoidable, at least as long as the stage is set to the mainland of North Korea, I will do everything I can to avoid it.
It was for this reason that Yanbian was turned into a buffer zone by taking the risk of going against China’s intentions like this time and putting it in the hands of North Korea.
Regardless of the time and cause, if the mainland of North Korea becomes the stage for armed conflict with China, on that day, North Korea falls back to the world’s poorest country, immediately after opening up or before it.
It is certain that all the economic and social achievements accumulated so far will return to nothing, or at least significantly regress, and the lives of 36 million people in this North Korea, perhaps even the 51 million people in South Korea down there, will be shattered.
It couldn’t be.
Therefore, the battlefield had to be separated from one another, as far as possible from their own country, as with all great powers.
Just as the Korean Peninsula once served as a stage for proxy wars between the Soviet Union, China and the United States to avoid a decisive battle on the mainland.
That stage was Yanbian.
“… … comrade. Although the situation is serious right now, there are concerns that the opinion might be a bit extreme… … If Comrade Lee Seop-gi is quietly invited to the Republic, and the comrade directly apologizes to Comrade Bo Si-lai and restores the relationship between the two countries, then the situation that you are concerned about will not go away… … .”
“To withdraw all Comrade Lee Seop-gi and the Tuman River comrades now means to give up all the economic and social influence that our republic has built up through blood and sweat in Yanbian over the past 20 years or so. And there will never be another chance like that again. It was the first time I was vigilant, but the CCP is not stupid enough to help its territory fall under the influence of other countries twice.”
“… … .”
“… … And I assure you, if we choose to make concessions this time, China and President Bo Si Lai will eliminate the possibility of this happening again. We will confiscate all factories and capital of all Korean enterprises, including Hyundai Group, which has entered Yanbian, and abolish all foreign schools in joint ventures, and it will be extremely difficult for North Koreans to enter Yanbian in itself. No, maybe, on this occasion, the self-governing province itself may be eliminated and it may be made into an administrative district similar to other provinces. Do you have a friend who cannot agree with this opinion?”
Jang Seong-taek coughed and came up with a compromise, but no executive dared to open his mouth to Jeong-hwan’s resolute rebuttal.
To tell the truth, even if we couldn’t speak openly, all the executives who were there were convinced that it was obvious that even if North Korea unilaterally yielded to China, it would forever give up its influence on Yanbian.
The ‘one China’ principle has been the first principle of diplomacy that the People’s Republic of China has always adhered to since the Civil War, and Taiwan, Tibet, and Uighurs have not recognized any exceptions.
The segregation and independence of ethnic minorities has been the biggest and worst nightmare of the Chinese Communist Party, regardless of whoever is the current leading leader of China, and any regime that allowed such a situation had to be prepared for immediate dismissal by the opposition.
How much less does Yanbian have the ‘behind the scenes’ of North and South Korea, which has the same linguistic and ethnic identity, unlike Tibet and Xinjiang, where even foreign powers to help with the struggle are not modest.
It may be that the possibility of secession and independence has not been seriously considered, and since the leadership of the Communist Party has begun to seriously consider the possibility, if he resigns this time, North Korea will have to give up its dream of advancing beyond its borders, no matter how long it takes.
Even with Lee Seop, if he did not return to North Korea immediately, he could not know when he would be found dead due to an accidental death.
Jeonghwan, who is more certain of this future than anyone else, once again strengthened his voice and asked the executives’ intentions.
“Then this is one last question. … … Comrades, if the proud leaders of the Workers’ Party of Korea who are sitting here have to fight the great CCP in order to defend the core interests of our republic in this situation… … Are you ready to fight at the risk of knowing how much blood will flow in the process?”
And to Junghwan’s meaningful question, someone first nodded and answered:
“Yes. We are fully prepared to follow the instruction of Comrade General Secretary to become a gun bomb that will always protect the republic. Just give me orders.”