Dear Comrade Leader, Episode 329
“Because you’re a giant, you’re not even another comrade, and it’s been a long time since I heard all of that from Director Lee.”
“… … For some reason, I’ve been like this lately… … I don’t really understand why you’re making such an extraordinary greeting.”
The Politburo Standing Committee member, even the youngest member, had an unbelievably disrespectful tone to the supreme leader. Jeonghwan just shrugged once more.
“It’s just not resisting the flow of history. Come to think of it, Comrade Hyun Young-sook, and there was another person here who was not happy even though he got what he wanted. Comrade Ri Kyung-soo, didn’t you once crave these things more than anyone else? Free elections and democracy.”
“… … Wait… … I never dreamed that Comrade General Secretary would lead the way. Besides, it’s the flow of history. The person who changed the course of the history of this republic more than anyone in the meantime would say such a thing… … .”
Despite Junghwan’s point, Ri Kyungsoo, similar to Hyunyoungsook just before, made a complicated expression that was difficult to explain and blurted out his words.
Astonishment, joy, curiosity, jealousy, anger, joy, incomprehension, etc… … His eyes and complexion as he looked at the general secretary who once hated him more than anyone but now seemed to have become an object that could not be overcome seemed to be a mixture of a hundred emotions.
In fact, even Ri Kyung-soo’s expression did not represent his current feelings even 100%, but his mind was so complicated that he couldn’t even express himself exactly.
Such confusion in Ri Kyung-soo’s mind was partly due to the changes in the party and republic that had been raging like a storm in recent years, but the biggest reason was because of the stories he heard when he accompanied Jeong-hwan to Yanji on-site guidance after the end of the war.
And as if he could guess Ri Kyung-soo’s feelings at that time, Jeonghwan opened his mouth indifferently, turning his gaze back to the stage with a calm expression.
“Hey, Comrade Ri Kyungsoo. The last time I went with you to Yanji, didn’t I call you and explain to you? I’m not that great of a being, I’m just a human being just like my comrade. I have been mistaken myself for a long time, but I only recently woke up from the dream.”
“… … I’m talking about Yeongil, but the fact is that the shocking greeting I talked about a while ago is not the story of Comrade Hyun Young-sook. That comrade has already proven his perseverance and ability more than enough… … What the general secretary comrade said to me last time in Yanji… … .”
“Tttttttt. Where did all the enthusiasm that used to attack me at Kwanliso 23 without being broken? Or is the comrade already frightened like comrade Hyun Young-sook? If I come out like this already, I also feel a little bit anxious about my choices.”
Read at noblemtl.com
Now Junghwan turned his gaze back to Ri Kyungsoo from the podium and looked straight into his eyes.Outside, Hyun Young-sook’s speech at the North-South summit was almost coming to an end.
“Comrade Hyun Young-sook clearly has a strong base within the party and is capable. It is enough to suppress the uprising or opposition within the party or republic, which will be evident at the beginning of the reunification discussion. But what about after Comrade Hyun Young-sook like that?”
“… … .”
“Next is you, comrade Ri Kyung-soo. The 3rd general secretary. So please don’t make me regret my choice already.”
* * *
-The first reason is the security reason I just mentioned, and the second reason is Park Tae-ryong’s top rank.
-… … Yes?
– You didn’t hear it wrong. He’s the comrade of the Baekdu Mountain Special Operations Team, who was awarded the Order of Heroes of the Republic for his active role in the North Manchurian War. After reading the report of the operation after the Battle of Ando-hyeon, it became clearer the road I had to go. There are, of course, many obstacles ahead to get there, but you will need a lot of help from your comrades to clear them.
A few months ago, the members of the Politburo Standing Committee, who were conducting on-site guidance with Jeong-hwan in Yanji, heard the shattering news that their general secretary was preparing to retire and planning to dismantle the Workers’ Party’s one-party system.
The news itself was astonishing as well, but when the name of a low-ranking military officer in the Reconnaissance General Bureau came up unexpectedly for the reason of the general secretary’s decision, the standing committee members’ faces were filled with complete chaos.
High-ranking Park Tae-ryong was a comrade where and what he was doing… … ?
-If you are at the top of Park Tae-ryong, aren’t you the captain of the Baekdusan group who worked together with the South Korean comrades in this Operation Ahn Do-hyeon? Apparently he was also awarded the Order of Heroes of the Republic for that merit… … .
-Comrade, I’m sorry, but I don’t quite understand. What did that comrade named Park Tae-ryong do? … .
When Baek Seung-cheol barely remembered the first one and put it in his mouth, the other executives seemed to remember it only then, but it was an expression that he did not understand at all what the relationship between the dissolution of the Workers’ Party’s dictatorship and Park Tae-ryong was.
And Junghwan also added a few words of explanation while looking at their expressions.
– To be precise, it’s not because of Park Tae-ryong’s top individual, but because of a certain aspect the comrade showed in the last battle of Ando-hyeon.
-… … ?
-Tell me, if not a hundred degrees, everyone must have read the final report of the operation that divided the fates of that republic and China at least once. How did that high-ranking comrade, Park Tae-ryong, one of the Republic’s greatest warriors, who had been faithfully educated in the ideology of the Party and the leader more than anyone else in the General Bureau of External Reconnaissance, acted in the final moments of the battle that depended on the fate of the Republic?
-Ah, I looked up… … .
This time, Baek Seung-cheol was the first to understand.
Jeonghwan nodded his head at him, who slapped his forehead and gave him an awakened expression.
– Do you know what happened to the elite warrior of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, Comrade Park Tae-ryong, at the end of that urgent moment, whether or not to lose the battle and destroy the Republic? It was his own judgment. It’s your choice, not the order of a hundred ranks or staff.
-Ha, but the situation was so urgent at the time… … .
– No, it wasn’t like the freedom to exercise respect for field judgment that a military officer above a certain rank could exercise in a situation where the command system was chaotic. At that time, high-ranking Park Tae-ryong had been given instructions from the General Staff that were very clear and direct just a few hours ago. Lead the tank task force and hit the back of the Chinese army to cut the front line. If that is impossible, report back to the General Staff and receive instructions again. But aside from not acting that way, who did you even advise on the situation?
-… … After all, we won in the end, so strictly speaking, this is a serious violation of military discipline. Moreover, following the advice of a South Korean military officer who is not a fighter of the same Republic and has not met for a while… … .
– I saw it and felt it too. Even the members of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, who have been faithfully educated enough to engraved in their bones to obey the orders of the Republic and the military without hesitation, our Party wants to go to a place where the 36 million people aspire to freedom and say what they want to say. How long can we hold on to the desire to do so in the name of ideological education and censorship? Especially in this era when exchanges with the people of South Korea are becoming more frequent.
In response to Jung-hwan’s meaningful question, the party officials were silent all at once.
– Until now, as a general secretary, I believed that I was well aware of the power of such people’s desires. And I believed that if I and the party proved sufficient leadership and the ability to feed the people with meat soup, we would be able to keep this one-party dominance system of the Workers’ Party of Korea forever by squeezing, releasing, inducing, and controlling those desires. It was an illusion.
-… … .
– That is the reason why I have decided to give up the Workers’ Party dictatorship even now, to hand over the position of general secretary to Comrade Hyun Young-sook here, and furthermore to reunify with South Korea. I don’t want to see the Tiananmen Square incident happen in Pyongyang one day after suppressing the people’s free will like that. Are your comrades confident enough to do that? I don’t have
* * *
“… … The desire for people, no, humans to determine and influence their own future and the future of the group to which they belong is an instinct and will never be able to hold on to it forever. That’s the flow of history I talked about earlier, and it’s impossible not only for me, but for any human being, or an organization made up of such humans, to reverse the flow. You can slow it down or put it on hold for a while, but it’s impossible forever.”
“… … However, if there is a leader with thorough leadership and foresight and a system that follows him with the heart of a gun bomb, wouldn’t it be possible forever? From me right now… … .”
“no. The victory in the North Manchurian War itself is not the most fundamental reason why the people of Yanbian decided that their future belonging to the Republic of Korea was better than their future belonging to China. Comrades of the Communist Party of China, much larger than our party and strict censorship, have finally reached the point… … In that sense, the former comrade Ri Kyung-soo was right when you look at it.”
With that assertion, Jeonghwan recalled the pact he made with the members of the Politburo for the next general secretary, Bowie, at Yanji City Hall last time.
As soon as he mentioned the dismantling of the one-party dictatorship, the gradual introduction of democracy, and the unification to come under the general secretary Hyun Young-sook, Kim Yong-geon said with a sigh.
– I understand the meaning of comrade. However, it will take at least 20 years for the north-south reunification to be accomplished in any form and for a unified leader to be elected… … .
– In the transitional period in between, I don’t know if I can represent the interests of the people of our republic who are not yet familiar with the system to the South Korean government and people who have already experienced democracy for decades. Besides, it’s sad, but I’m not too old now. What a young party worker who can think from the perspective of the people of our republic while having an understanding of the democratic system… … .
– Leave it to Comrade Ri Kyung-soo. He will be the third general secretary to succeed the current manager.
-… … Are you telling the truth? Comrade Ri Kyung-su is now over thirty at most.
-So, for the time being, I’ll have to learn under the current manager. What do you think I have ever put him in the party for? furthermore… … .
-furthermore… … ?
-I trust him. Although it is not a belief in the general sense of the word… … I’ve seen him at the bottom of that comrade. Comrade Ri Kyung-su will never easily succumb to the temptations of power or ally with some party members or existing forces who oppose unification for his own benefit.
Clap clap clap… … !!!!!!
Junghwan and Ri Kyungsoo woke up from their shared thoughts at the loud applause from the podium.
Hyun Young-sook’s speech seemed to be nearing the end.
The rest of the ceremony was, of course, the highlight of the day, when Jeong-hwan, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, appeared in front of cameras and delegates to publicly empower Hyun Young-sook.
As the new head of the Organizational Guidance Department, and as the next general secretary-nominee.
Also, someday, Hyun Young-suk will follow the same procedure to Ri Kyung-soo, who is now in front of Jeong-hwan, and succeed to the party power of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
And in the next generation after Ri Kyung-soo, the transition period for the Republic for the establishment of democracy will end and a new leader jointly between the two Koreas will be elected through a general vote.
Maybe Jung-hwan himself thought he might not be able to see the scene with his own eyes, but he didn’t worry about that.
As I thought from the moment I first met Ri Kyung-soo, Ri Kyung-soo had something in common with Jung-hwan, who he was when he was young.
“Comrade Ri Kyung-soo, so please, I hope you still retain some of the image of when you were a young Hakchong-ryon representative. The unreasonable ideal of youth is to break someday as we get older, but the bigger the ideal, the bigger the broken pieces. Enough to pick up the broken pieces and use them for other useful things.”
“… … .”
“By the way, this is an experience. Then it’s my turn now, so I’ll have to leave.”
“… … Comrade general secretary?”
“Something?”
Just as he was about to step onto the podium with thunderous applause, Jeonghwan turned his head again to Ri Kyungsoo, who called out to him.
And Ri Kyung-soo, who summoned him, hesitated for a moment, and then said softly, but with sincerity.
“This republic and the people are truly fortunate to have met a comrade as a leader.”
“… … .”
“As one of those people, I express my gratitude, and the people, including myself, will forever admire the achievements of my comrades. Even though Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il were all deified, nobody soon remembered them. The comrade’s name probably went down in history forever. You are truly the one who overcomes me to the end.”
“… … Comrade, how long has it been since you became an executive? Well, speaking up is one of the qualities of a leader.”
With those mysterious words, whether it was a compliment or a criticism, Junghwan turned again and walked slowly to the podium.
Hyun Young-sook, who came down from the stage first, shook hands with him, and the sound of applause poured out several times more enthusiastically than when she appeared a moment ago.
“Comrade Kim Jung-hwan, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, supreme commander of the Korean People’s Army, supreme leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and our dear leader, please enter!”
Clap clap clap clap… … !!!
And on that day, three years have passed since the meeting of the delegates at the Mansudae Capitol, where the proposal for a summit on inter-Korean reunification received thunderous applause.
In 2018, exactly 30 years after the 7th Party Congress in October 1988, when Jeong-hwan took office as general secretary, at the beginning of that year, Jeong-hwan made an announcement to the republic and abroad through the secretary’s office.
A few months later, it was announced that he would retire from the position of general secretary.
#writer’s words
Tomorrow is the epilogue.
Maybe later stories or side stories will be uploaded in a few weeks, but I think we will take a short break.
Thank you again to everyone who has been with me this far.