George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 239

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South Korea was gradually sinking into a quagmire, ensnared by unseen forces. The sudden surge in population due to the unexpected reunification, coupled with flawed administration and armchair theorizing, created immense strain. Major and minor conflicts erupted from the blending of cultures separated by fifty years. The entire situation felt unstable, like a chain reaction of nuclear fission.

Some even quipped that Kim Jong-il, even in death, had planted a nuclear bomb of resentment within Korea.

Perhaps without the consistent financial support from the United States, South Korea would have faced severe consequences while absorbing North Korea and its people, potentially leading to a Korean version of the Arduous March [a period of mass famine in North Korea in the 1990s]. The suffering endured by the populace would have been unimaginable.

“Damn it. This tastes like crap!”

However, the adverse effects of reunification manifested in an unexpected area—right in the heart of Seoul.

– Despite the reunification that the nation has longed for, the faces of Daegu market residents are grim. This is due to the sharp decline in local production in China caused by Super SARS, which has disrupted the supply of cheap Chinese goods.

The news presented it this way, but the reality was subtly different. The report was influenced by the government, deliberately omitting a crucial detail: the limited supply of goods entering China was being redirected to the North.

Shouldn’t restoration precede full-fledged welfare programs and human rights initiatives? When people think of restoration, they often envision rebuilding Pyongyang after the war. However, it extended to the entire North.

Existing buildings and infrastructure were either severely outdated or so flimsy they seemed on the verge of collapse. While some structures remained intact in the former North Korean territory, they were primarily bunkers.

These bunkers offered no economic benefit. Despite the extensive aerial bombardment of Pyongyang, the bunkers remained intact, showcasing efficient designs that the South Korean military could readily utilize as garrisons.

Beyond bunkers, the underground lines, deep beneath the surface—the subway—remained functional. However, it was an antiquated system, practically unusable. More than outdated, it was essentially rusty scrap metal, a miracle to keep operational.

Back in Seoul, consider the case of a Korean BBQ restaurant.

“What the hell! No garlic? Seriously, how can you eat meat without garlic? Skipping alcohol is one thing, but garlic is essential!”

This wasn’t an isolated incident. As soon as the garlic supply dwindled, prices for all dishes containing garlic soared. In countries where garlic is merely a spice, this wouldn’t be a major issue. But in Korea, where garlic is a staple ingredient, the overall cost of dining out increased significantly.

Prices were already reaching exorbitant levels, and now, with reunification adding to the strain, the situation was maddening.

Yet, these remained largely personal complaints and grumbling. There was a general understanding that the logistics supply was temporarily disrupted, and these complainers were a small minority known for causing trouble.

The government’s desperate measures kept the price increases manageable, and the numerous daily problems were glossed over with patriotic fervor.

“Hey, ma’am! This, this. Why does this gukbap [rice soup] taste like this?”

“What is this! How can you not have kimchi? Kimchi is essential for a Korean meal! Kimchi!”

Despite the patriotic fervor surrounding reunification, a large-scale strike—the first since reunification—erupted at construction sites. The reason behind the strike, which paralyzed the entire construction industry, was surprisingly simple: the taste of the food. It might seem trivial to outsiders, but it was crucial to the morale of the construction workers. The quality of the cafeteria meals, not the salary, determined their motivation.

While salary influenced their willingness to work, unappetizing food, even with a doubled salary, sapped their motivation.

Without motivation, work slowed down. Unable to complete their assigned tasks, their daily wages were cut, infuriating the construction companies. They could have addressed mistreatment, but the garlic shortage in the cafeteria had demotivated the workers?

Those who have worked in the field would understand, but desk workers couldn’t comprehend. The situation was absurd, yet they had to endure it.

In reality, the South Korean economy wasn’t so fragile that a slight decrease in goods from China would cripple it. The government had anticipated the prolonged situation and implemented various measures, resulting in price increases but not a complete collapse of supply.

However, the unprepared reunification complicated matters. The South Korean government had to allocate a significant amount of goods to the North for reconstruction. Ideally, they would have kept the goods in the South, but that risked sparking unrest in the North due to perceived unequal treatment.

While those capable of resistance had retreated to the mountains to become guerrillas, there was no guarantee against further uprisings. Deploying troops on a large scale and occupying villages and cities in advance helped prevent civil war participants from blending back into society.

Of course, complete prevention was impossible, but the measures had some effect.

Returning to the garlic shortage, military units also suffered.

“Damn it! Army food never tasted good, but now it’s even worse! How are we supposed to work eating this crap!”

Civilians were already buying garlic at inflated prices, leaving the military with no special solutions. They wanted to purchase domestic products, but the limited supply made it impossible, driving them crazy.

While civilian salaries were gradually increasing due to rising prices, soldiers’ salaries remained frozen. The PX [Post Exchange, a military retail store] offered cheap items due to the absence of taxes, but that was it. The instability of material supply caused PX prices to rise, diminishing the opportunity for soldiers to access private goods with their meager earnings.

“Sorry? Does saying sorry end my military service! Go get some garlic right now! How can you ask me to eat something that tastes so bad!”

“Hey, Sergeant Choi. How am I supposed to get that? Civilians can’t even get it. Should I encourage the kids to desert?”

‘Damn it. Sergeant Kim disappeared, and now Sergeant Choi is acting up.’

Sergeant Choi’s anger was, in a way, justified. The privileges that sergeants had enjoyed before the war had largely vanished. They had to load live ammunition, stand guard, and constantly wear camouflage paint. From new privates to end-of-service sergeants, everything followed ‘FM’ [Field Manual, military regulations] every day.

The antics of end-of-service sergeants were increasing nationwide as a reaction to the strict FM, which was far more rigorous than in peacetime.

“Damn it! I can’t forgive this! Guard duty at the end of my service! Army food at the end of my service! What a dog-like situation!”

Sergeant Kim’s squad had protected the village from the beginning to the end of the war. Even after the war ended, they had to continue protecting the village until the South Korean army arrived.

The officers who went to repair the broken radio were captivated by the North Korean wilderness, so different from South Korea, and became lost. They dug up snakes and tree roots for sustenance and pressed on, eventually being miraculously discovered by an allied forces supply helicopter.

There was a need to expand the non-commissioned officer corps significantly, and Sergeant Kim became a legend by enlisting and being assigned to a unit near the village he had guarded.

“What should I do?”

Bush, back in the White House, read the report and clicked his tongue, his expression grim.

“We have mobilized all possible means. Any more than this, and the media might accuse us of excessive government intervention.”

As China gradually redirected its dwindling supplies and manpower back to its own country, many factories worldwide had to close or change industries, including in the United States. In modern society, living without ‘Made in China’ was nearly impossible. Replacing Chinese products was an option, but the alternatives were prohibitively expensive.

‘Damn it. With my current knowledge, I can’t do anything to deal with this.’

It was only because of its sheer size that the US was in this shape; what would have happened if it were smaller? Moreover, there was a legitimate reason to prevent the spread of infection. The justification for export restrictions was so airtight that there was no way to challenge it.

‘But they won’t be able to sustain this for long. They know very well that they will also be ruined.’

China’s growth to its current size was solely due to the resources and manpower derived from its vast land. These were the fundamental building blocks of the country, essential for development. China used them to create cheap Chinese products. ‘Chinese products, Chinese manpower’—these two elements defined China’s success.

Conversely, the day these two elements disappear marks the true collapse of China. And they castrated themselves. It was like dying to live, but it was still a path to survival.

Of course, China would face complete ruin if it banned exports for about a year, but it would only be temporary. However, the world was already reeling from China halting exports for a short period, making the situation truly absurd.

‘Damn it. I was so eager to devour them, but they’re retaliating in this way.’

It was more of a minimal rescue measure than retaliation, but from Bush’s perspective, it seemed that China had finally struck a blow against the United States.

“Still, it seems that domestic manufacturing is becoming more active because of this.”

Unable to obtain goods from China, they had no choice but to supply their needs domestically as much as possible. As a result, the fact that the United States was the only country capable of supplying everything domestically, while the rest of the world trembled, was the only consolation they could find.

“Still, Chinese products are more beneficial to the economy. This is also temporary.”

It had only been a week, but the time felt incredibly long.

And finally, the day arrived. The day the cure, having completed all mass production systems, was first introduced to the world.