George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 225

< Episode 224 >

Stories about the Korean War were circulating in Europe. This was only natural, given the high stakes involved. Among those most affected were not politicians, experts, or even businessmen, but investors.

And not just small-time stock traders, but individuals who professionally invested vast fortunes in promising companies.

“I was surprised. I didn’t expect Korea to make such a drastic choice. Most of our experts predicted that reunification wouldn’t happen for at least another 30 years or so.”

The speaker was an elderly German. Despite having invested a considerable sum in North Korea, he remained remarkably calm, lacking the anxiety typical of investors. It wasn’t ideal, but it was better than panicking without a solution.

“Is that so? I thought they would reunify quickly once talks began, like in your case [referring to the reunification of Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall].”

The person responding was French, also an investor with a similar stake. He, too, was elderly. However, he had invested in South Korea. He remained composed, enjoying tea and refreshments.

“Germany and Korea have different histories of division and economic realities.”

The Frenchman had been investing in South Korea for a long time and wasn’t as familiar with North Korea as the German.

“Humans are more sensitive to disadvantages than advantages. In disasters or wars, even slow-moving bureaucrats and fools come up with obvious measures that even a child could think of.”

The small teacup was placed on the saucer with a clear, gentle sound.

“It’s to avoid disadvantages. They shout enthusiastically to gain votes but become indifferent when faced with practical problems.”

“I agree.”

“Your people are probably similar. They are all caught up in the magic of the moral and ethical word ‘reunification,’ instinctively avoiding the problems. For example, the labor market would completely collapse even if we only accepted North Korean refugees.”

“Certainly, it’s not a problem we want to face.”

When faced with something they absolutely don’t want to encounter, humans instinctively turn away. For example, when they see something scary or disgusting, they want to look away. This instinct is deeply embedded in human genes, and it’s similar even in the political arena, a group composed of the most brilliant people in the world.

“Now that they’re even trying to wage war, they’ll have to squeeze the people to cover the budget. No, since it’s closer to a localized conflict, they might not need to allocate a generous budget for post-war reconstruction. But to make North Korea a livable place and teach the people about human rights, it will cost money.”

Ideally, all of this would stay within the initially proposed budget, in other words, within the existing taxes, but the probability of that happening was low. They would probably have to raise taxes and issue government bonds.

“If the country doesn’t want to completely collapse, they’ll have to discriminate legally or secretly, which will worsen public safety first. And some of Korea’s key projects will be supported by the hands of the Korean military. In the meantime, if the military is inevitably reduced in size, whether large or small, due to economic problems, human rights issues, or public opinion, that’s when the real trouble begins.”

“Should we see it as a downfall of a democratic government? Or the bare face of well-adorned human rights?”

The German stroked his chin thoughtfully, then shook his head lightly, disagreeing.

“Hmm, it’s a bit different from that. Let’s just say it’s an economic problem. If we have to be specific, let’s call it the downfall of capitalism.”

He reached into his chest pocket and pulled out a cigar, placing it in his mouth. The aroma was a blend of smokiness and fruit.

“Anyway, the military itself is still intact thanks to public support, but the Korean population is decreasing, and now there are many more mouths to feed. Shall we go further? Initially, they will prohibit North Korean residents from serving in the military. That’s what’s actually happening. Then, North Koreans won’t have the obligation to serve in the military, and they will have great doubts about the reality that they alone have to dedicate nearly two years to the country as soldiers or public service workers.”

“Ah, military service. Back then, I just thought everyone did it, but now that I think about it, those weren’t exactly good times. But I don’t intend to deny that time itself. More than anything, do you know how humid the inside of the Maginot Line [a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles, and weapon installations built by France in the 1930s to deter invasion by Germany] bunker is? My friend had to have his foot amputated because of trench foot there. I told him to apply Vaseline. Stupid bastard.”

“Ah, I was a prisoner of war until the end of the war. It wasn’t a great time. Thanks to that, I learned some English from the British.”

The two old men chuckled, reminiscing about their youth. It wasn’t a good time, but it wasn’t a bad time either. Of course, now was better, but youth wasn’t something you could buy with money yet. Maybe in 30 or 40 years. At least not now.

“Anyway, in conclusion, I think we should hold out in Korea.”

“I thought you were only saying regrettable things, so I thought you were going to tell me to get out of Korea now, even if it meant taking some losses.”

He cleared his throat. Before he knew it, he had a cigar in his hand. Unlike the German, this one was definitely smoky, like factory fumes.

“The Korean government will soon do everything in its power to hold onto foreign capital. There will be quite a few benefits there. In fact, this is already the case.”

“If Korea collapses, won’t we collapse together? No, we won’t collapse, but the losses will be enormous. We won’t be able to sleep properly for a while to make up for the losses.”

In his youth, the act of not sleeping was just something he could endure with perseverance, but since becoming old, it was the act of burning his life itself. Why would he burn even more of his already limited life?

“There’s only one reason why it won’t collapse for the time being.”

“That is?”

“It’s the existence of the United States. That Yankee head pushed for the Korean War. That means they’ll take responsibility for the pre-war and post-war periods. Just like during the First Korean War [referring to the Korean War of 1950-1953].”

Already, a portion of America’s vast wealth had been invested in North Korea. It was unimaginable that the United States would simply abandon this. Above all, the current US president was so ethical that he wouldn’t just leave it alone.

In Africa, most of the places under American influence were becoming livable. People needed practical help rather than noble ideals or concerns like relief efforts. They needed a huge force that could shake the government itself from outside the box, not the intervention of civilian organizations that had to swim within the bounds of common sense. And the Bush administration in the United States became such a force.

“Honestly, if I were an American citizen, I would want to impeach the president for doing whatever he wants. He’s arbitrarily pouring America’s wealth all over the world according to his values. Above all, he’s strangely popular in that neighborhood.”

The German chuckled as he looked at the dissatisfied expression on the Frenchman’s face and stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray. The moderately cooled tea was quite drinkable.

“Isn’t that what public opinion is all about? Anyway, according to the information I’ve obtained, this Korean investment is a low-risk, high-return investment, whether it’s in the upper or lower neighborhood.”

“What information did you obtain?”

“The USFK [United States Forces Korea] will not withdraw from Nampo Port even after the war ends. When reunification is complete, they will integrate into the USFK in Korea, and they plan to integrate the command, which was temporarily divided administratively. And this isn’t just limited to Korea. There probably won’t be any US troops stationed somewhere withdrawing within 10 years or so.”

“And that’s a huge opportunity for us.”

Let’s leave the ‘still’ peaceful Europe behind and focus again on the Korean Peninsula, which is a battlefield. Sergeant Kim was aiming down the mountain from inside a camouflaged pit. The trees obscured the view a lot, but it wasn’t impossible to shoot.

Today, the K-2 [South Korean assault rifle] felt terribly heavy. It was already ridiculously heavy from the start, but today it felt even heavier. It would be stranger if a lump of metal and plastic didn’t feel heavy, but anyway, it felt about twice as heavy as usual.

He didn’t know if his body was tired from carrying rice, or if it was the weight of the pressure that came from thinking of this place as a battlefield, or if it was both. But one thing was certain: it was always annoying to hear.

“It feels like a fake war.”

Corporal Park muttered.

“What?”

“I mean a fake war. Sergeant Kim, I know you’re not interested in history, so I’ll skip everything and tell you that before World War II, there was a real and fake war between France and Germany.”

“Why?”

“Germany and France didn’t want to fight. You don’t want to fight either, Sergeant Kim. Well, it ended with France being eaten by Germany later.”

It was a very short conversation, but Sergeant Kim already had a look of disgust on his face. If the concept of boredom had a physical form in reality, it would be in this form. In other words, if it had been 10 years ago, he would have been making them do headstands right now.

“Damn it. Do I have to come all the way to North Korea to listen to history lectures? What is this, ideological education?”

That’s when it happened. Several figures were seen walking up to the pit. One of them was wearing a South Korean military uniform, and his height was close to 2 meters. Sergeant Kim felt like he knew who it was.

“Halt, halt, halt!”

“You bastards! I told you not to do that to me! Sweet and sour pork!”

“No, how can we not do this in wartime? And how can you say the answer first? Yogurt!”

“It’s not night, and I can see your face clearly. And how can you say octopus, you idiot.”

The people following behind him were villagers. The villagers were armed with old guns that they had somehow pulled out. Their appearance was reminiscent of a reasonably well-trained militia.

“Next time you come, please radio ahead.”

“Okay, you son of a bitch. I knew that old 999k [military radio] would break down someday. This damn thing.”

“By the way, are you telling me to stand guard together?”

“The company commander ordered to use all available forces. Just know that.”

“The company commander?”

What authority does a company commander have to conscript civilians? But if the number of people increased, at least ‘shift work’ would be possible, so he wasn’t in a position to complain. There were some suspicious parts, but Sergeant Kim decided not to say anything.

There was something more worrying.

“What about our supplies?”