97. You don’t want to get the vaccine?
After meeting with Ambassador Sugiyama, I relayed the results back to South Korea, and the president asked to see the video again, so I told him about my conversation with Japanese Ambassador Sugiyama.
“hahahahaha! You’re being a little mean. Ambassador Sugiyama must have been sweating it out.”
“Well, I said what I had to say.”
“Good for you. So, when are you planning to go to Japan?”
“In Japan, they say to come as soon as possible, but it’s no fun to go cold turkey, right? You don’t look like you have any hair, do you?”
“hahahahaha, yes, but if you make them wait too long, they might get their feelings hurt.”
“So, I’m going to go in a week, I think that’s about right.”
A week seemed neither too soon nor too late.
I’m a person with a job.
“Hmm, that sounds about right.”
“The question is how much to ask for, what do you think, Mr. President?”
“In my heart, I’d like to use this opportunity to clear up all the past history, including the Dokdo issue, comfort women and forced labor, but—.”
“Why not?”
“We can’t do that, because it looks like we made a deal with human lives in the midst of a pandemic like this. There will be a lot of backlash if we become self-governing, and besides, it’s not something we can handle that way.”
“I see.”
I agree with the president.
“Our government is basically aiming to return everything in our relationship with Japan to where it was before the Japanese ultra-low-flying threat incident in December 2018, which means removing the enhanced screening of exports of materials for the semiconductor industry and putting us back on their white list, and we demand a thorough investigation and explanation for the ultra-low-flying threat incident.”
“Is that all?”
“I don’t ask for much from Abe, and besides, he’ll take a political hit for doing just this much. Oh, and it would be nice to have a plus in the form of an agreement with South Korea on the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, and no more backlash against the comfort women statues. Oh, one more thing, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nuclear-powered submarines! Let’s make sure you agree to that this time.”
“Nuclear-powered submarines? Do we need to tell you about that?”
“You may not know it now, but sooner or later, Japan will. Unfortunately, Japan is a country capable of such things.”
“Even if we keep it top secret?”
“hahahaha, I wish it could be kept secret, too, but that’s not the reality, because there are a surprising number of people with a pro-Japanese mindset within our ranks.”
“…”
I felt bad, but I couldn’t argue.
It’s a world where people can go around in groups and say things like comfort women are frauds in broad daylight.
“It’s better to bury the hatchet on this one and put the nail in the coffin so that Japan doesn’t push back.”
“Okay. So, there’s nothing more to it?”
“Yes, for now.”
“So you don’t mind if I add a little flesh to the bones?”
“Flesh out what?”
“I don’t know, I’ll have to think about it, but it seems like a bit of a waste to just blow this opportunity.”
“hahahaha! As long as it’s within reason, I’m all ears. However, all the conditions I mentioned earlier are that we will first adjust the order of vaccine supply for the sake of good neighborly relations, and Japan will make a token of gratitude in return.”
“Why would you do that?”
“hahahaha, that’s diplomacy between countries. Even if we have the upper hand, we have to save face to some extent, especially when it’s as complex and subtle as the relationship between Japan and Korea.”
“That’s your business, I’m just giving you the basic gist.”
“Oops, sorry about that. hahahahaha!”
A few days before Liberation Day, I was on a private plane headed to Japan.
With the Japanese Ambassador to the United States, Shinsuke Sugiyama.
He told me he was flying in the same day I was, so I just asked him to join me.
I said, “Can’t you take me on a plane?
“hahahahaha, this is really good, isn’t it? It’s a completely flying hotel.”
An ambassador to the United States is a minister or the highest ranking government official in any country.
Even Ambassador Sugiyama, who has only flown first class or on Japanese government planes, was amazed at how good my private plane was.
I recently bought my own private plane after flying chartered.
It’s an Airbus A-350-1000 ACJ (Airbus Corporate Jets).
The ACJ is the equivalent of Boeing’s BBJ line and is the top of Airbus’ business jet line.
They are twin-engine Canton airplanes with up to 475 seats in economy and a range of over 18,000 kilometers.
Many of these airplanes are converted to accommodate only 20 to 30 passengers, so the luxury is indescribable.
Mr. Sugiyama was assigned a room with a queen-size bed, which he loved.
After all, it was a long flight for an old man.
“It’s one of the little conveniences of having a lot of money.”
“hahahaha, I see, but I’ve never been on a private plane this nice.”
“Make yourself comfortable.”
“Thank you.”
She hung around for a while, enjoying herself like a child, and then, when there was nothing else to do, I invited her to join me for tea.
“The ambassador doesn’t seem to be too nervous, after all, you were so nervous at first?”
“hahahahaha! My job is to bring the chairman to Japan, and from now on, it’s up to the acting prime minister.”
“Still, since you’re a government official, aren’t you interested in this meeting, even if it’s just because of the vaccine supply priority?”
“Of course I’m interested and worried, but I’m optimistic.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Because it’s obvious that there will be a give and take. Since you’ve agreed to meet with our acting prime minister on behalf of the Korean government, you’re effectively representing South Korea. If that’s the case, then of course you’ve consulted with the Korean government, and that’s pretty predictable, although I can’t predict the behavior of Alex Kang, an entrepreneur and successful investor.”
“hahahahaha, I see.”
“Yes, because that’s what relationships between countries are like, especially between Korea and us, Japan, no matter how much we fight each other, there are limits.”
“And why is that?”
“Because we are all allies of the United States. As long as the United States is there, Korea and Japan can never cross the line. Well, as a career diplomat, that’s just as well.”
“hahahahaha!”
I laughed at the old man’s shrug as he continued.
It was a simple statement, but it came from Japan’s ambassador to the United States.
I wanted to hear more.
“But Mr. Ambassador, even if Korea and Japan are allies of the United States, don’t they carry different weights? I know we’ve come a long way, but our economy is still one-third the size of Japan’s. What if the United States had to choose between Korea and Japan? Wouldn’t you tip the scales in favor of Japan?”
“Hmmm, heh heh heh!”
Ambassador Sugiyama smirked, then took a sip of the Southwest Suloch tea I had brewed for him.
“This is just my opinion, so take it with a grain of salt.”
“Yes, feel free to do so.”
“Here’s what I’ve noticed since I arrived in Washington as ambassador. It’s that the U.S.-South Korea alliance and the Japan-U.S. alliance are the same alliance, but the nature of the alliance is completely different.”
“Ho-oh, how do you mean?”
“Basically, if the alliance between Korea and the United States is a blood alliance that comes from the experience of shedding blood together, then the alliance between Japan and the United States is a kind of reconciliation alliance that began as enemies pointing guns at each other and ended with the defeat of our country.”
He calls it a reconciliation after a ridiculous standoff and unconditional surrender?
Well, he’s Japanese, so let’s move on.
“Of course, the weight of America’s current alliance leans toward us, Japan, because, as you said, we’re almost completely on the same team economically and ideologically.”
“Well, you could look at it that way.”
“But you know what? When I’m on Capitol Hill and I’m complaining to American government officials and politicians about some of the issues between Japan and Korea, I sometimes hear something.”
“What did you hear?”
“That you Japanese shouldn’t forget that we, the United States and Korea, are allies who bled together.”
“Ah—.”
“That’s not something I’m saying for you to hear, Mr. Kang. In fact, everybody, Democrat and Republican alike, has said the same thing: that we value the weight of blood.”
“Hmm—.”
“And that’s true for all of the Five Eyes countries that fought in the Korean War, just as much if not more than the United States.”
“I see.”
“Koreans tend to look at the U.S.-South Korea alliance in a rather condescending way. What if the U.S. had to choose between South Korea and Japan? I honestly don’t know, because even though our current U.S.-South Korea alliance is stronger than the Japan-South Korea alliance, I doubt it would hold up in the event of any major event. Does that answer your question?”
“Yes, thank you for your kind words.”
“hehehehe!”
As usual, the old ginger was spicy.
“Welcome, I’m Shinzo Abe, acting prime minister.”
“I’m Alex Kang, chairman of Karma Investments.”
August 13, two days before Liberation Day.
I met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Prime Minister’s Office.
If we Koreans were to name a foreign leader who has been bad luck to us, Abe would be in the top three.
First and second would be Kim Jong-un and Kim Hak-un.
They didn’t talk to each other anyway.
I’m sure Abe hates this whole damn coronavirus thing, too.
“Let me be blunt: We, Japan, are in desperate need of your karma vaccine. Please prioritize the supply.”
Guess what?
It’s not your country that’s going to die, it’s your company.
In other words, they’re not asking Korea for help, they’re asking Karma Investments, the parent company of Karma Holdings.
Is this what you’re going to do?
You called me all the way to Japan?
“Prime Minister Abe, I’m a little confused, are you asking for a favor or are you making a demand?”
“No—.”
“You don’t want to get the vaccine? Are the people of Japan just going to live like this, wearing masks that get stuck in their noses, and many of them are going to die?”
“…”
“I’m an investor and a businessman, but I willingly came all the way to Japan to represent the Korean government at the request of your country, Japan. By the way, your company? Do I look like your company? If you don’t like it, buy a Chinese vaccine. I, we never forced you to use the Korean vaccine.”
Abe’s face fell, and he seemed to be holding in his frustration.
Stupid man.
If I were the prime minister of Japan in this situation, I would kneel down even if you asked me to.
What kind of a prime minister is he, in charge of a whole country?
“If you have nothing else to say, I’ll leave now, and we’ll never see each other again. I’m going to be a bad luck—.”
He just stood up and walked briskly toward the door.
Is that okay?
Yes, I can do this.
I don’t have anything to regret, and no one can blame me for this.
“Hey, Chairman Kang!”
“What? I’m a busy man. Do you think rich people get rich by playing?”
“There—. I apologize.”
“What? I can’t hear you, can you?”
“Song, no, I’m sorry, please stop being angry and continue the conversation.”
Abe bowed his head and spoke politely.
From nob le mt l. co m
Judging by the way his ears are gaping, he must be quite embarrassed.
It’s not a very sincere apology, but it’s enough.
I think we’re finally in the mood to talk.