The Chaebol Returns To The Presidency 1967 [EN]: Chapter 124

The Starving Giant

124. The Starving Giant

A woman sobbed as she answered.

“On the way, the Chairman suddenly clutched his chest and couldn’t breathe.”

“Ah, a myocardial infarction [heart attack]. Sudden death! Why didn’t you press the emergency bell right away!”

“I didn’t know,” she sobbed.

“You weren’t told about the emergency bell?”

“No.”

“Oh, no! Don’t tell anyone else that! You’ll all die!”

“Yes, sob!”

It wasn’t sudden death. It was the result of the medicine permeating her skin.

It didn’t affect healthy people, but it caused a sudden heart attack in those with heart disease, leading to death, with the advantage of leaving no evidence.

Her parents and younger sibling had been beaten to death by the Red Guards [paramilitary social movement mobilized by Mao Zedong], and filled with resentment, she had been recruited by an informant.

Mao Zedong was taken away in an ambulance.

It was his end.

It was a regime change operation by Korea and Mossad [Israeli intelligence agency].

*

Pyongyang.

Chairman Kim, ahead of the North Korea-China summit, was stunned by the news of Mao Zedong’s death.

Chairman Kim lamented.

“For the great Chairman Mao to pass away! Ah, life is fleeting.”

A sense of emptiness washed over him at the fact that human lifespan had nothing to do with power.

No matter how much good food you eat, how expensive the clothes you wear, how advanced the medical treatment you receive, how much you enjoy the company of beautiful women, or how much obedience you receive from subordinates in the highest position, your lifespan remained the same.

He hurriedly convened a political affairs meeting.

“Chairman Mao relied more on folk remedies than Western medicine, which caused many problems. The Chairman should also introduce scientific health medicine.”

“I suppose so. Form a medical team centered on Western medicine.”

“Yes, Comrade Chairman!”

“How is the order of the funeral committee in China being organized now?”

“According to the latest information, Deng Xiaoping has risen to the top of the Politburo [the principal policymaking committee of a communist party].”

“Hmm, Deng Xiaoping… The alignment with the Americans will accelerate.”

Deng Xiaoping was an active advocate of openness, arguing that it didn’t matter whether the cat was black or white as long as it caught mice [a pragmatic approach to policy].

He was not a favorable leader for the North.

“Comrade Chairman, how should we organize the delegation of mourners?”

Chairman Kim’s inner thoughts would be revealed in the list of the delegation, allowing one to predict the next successor of the North in advance.

Vice Chairman Kim Young-ju prepared himself.

However, another name came from the Chairman’s mouth.

“Send Pyong-il.”

He designated his son, Kim Pyong-il.

Everyone looked surprised.

“Comrade Chairman, Comrade Kim Pyong-il is still low in the ranks….”

He was still a tender young man of twenty years old.

“Since it is a condolence visit on my behalf, it is natural to send a blood relative.”

As the saying goes, blood is thicker than water. Everyone thought that Vice Chairman Kim Young-ju, the second in command, would be the successor if the Chairman had an accident, but the Chairman’s intention was focused on his son.

Although they didn’t show it outwardly, Kim Young-ju and Jang Song-taek were deflated.

The Chairman said.

“I would like to send our Vice Chairman Kim, but his health is not good, so he is excluded from long-distance travel. Keep that in mind. Instead, Vice Chairman Jang Song-taek will accompany him as a guardian.”

In fact, Kim Young-ju had a chronic illness and was often absent from meetings due to poor health, so Jang Song-taek was taking over the duties of the Vice Chairman.

“Understood, Comrade Chairman!”

A North Korean delegation of mourners, led by Kim Pyong-il, was formed.

The young Kim Pyong-il, with the funeral approaching, did not take the safe train but flew on a Koryo Air flight to Beijing.

Swoosh-

Mourners from communist countries around the world, as well as those ranked within the top tier in the West, flocked to Beijing.

The Prime Minister also attended the funeral from South Korea.

They paid their respects to Mao Zedong’s body, which was displayed in a hastily made glass coffin, but it was more important for the mourners to make an impression on Deng Xiaoping, who was ranked number one.

One month later.

*

The White House, USA.

The Chinese Foreign Minister held a private meeting with Kennedy.

One of the main agenda items was the transfer of Taiwan’s permanent seat on the UN Security Council, which had been suspended after Mao Zedong’s death.

The Foreign Minister said.

“Didn’t you say that if we liberalize Sino-US trade, you would transfer Taiwan’s permanent seat? You must keep your promise.”

Kennedy replied.

“Even if the four permanent members agree, it is difficult to transfer if Taiwan refuses. Taiwan wants independence and transfer to Korea, even if it means war with China. As you know, armed conflict is inevitable. No one should interfere. The United States wants peace and security in the region.”

“So you’re saying you’ll maintain the status quo [the existing state of affairs]?”

“For the time being, we’ll have to.”

“Chairman Deng Xiaoping wants to link it to free trade. If we don’t get the permanent seat, we will postpone the start of free trade.”

Starting with table tennis, US-China sports exchanges were actively underway, and American auto parts companies were building factories in China.

It was a threat to halt a series of plans to subcontract America’s smokestack industries [heavy industries that produce significant pollution] to China, where wages were low.

*

The Korean Presidential Office.

The US Ambassador met with the Korean President to convey the diplomatic policy of China’s new Chairman.

The explanation was long, but in the end, it was a story of urging Korea to give up and siding with China.

In Wang’s era, the United States would have threatened to withdraw US troops from Korea, but now that part of the US 7th Fleet was stationed to protect the 7th mining zone, the United States had no security card to play.

The President said.

“Which side would be most frustrated by maintaining the status quo?”

“The United States, I suppose.”

“It will be China, more than the United States.”

“With the capital market of 1 billion people blocked, the United States will suffer.”

“The United States, a capitalist country, may value the market the most, but China, a socialist country, values politics the most.”

“……”

He had to instill a firm belief in the United States so that it would not waver and push forward with force.

The President said.

“Before talking about politics, we need to look at the internal affairs of the Chinese economy, which is trying to reform and open up.”

“……”

“Why did Mao Zedong, who started the Red Guard Cultural Revolution [a sociopolitical movement in China from 1966 until 1976], approve Zhou Enlai’s opening up?”

“……”

“Because it has been proven that China cannot escape poverty with its current self-reliant economy. Ideology takes precedence in times of war and revolution, but in peacetime, people care more about food. With the majority of 1 billion people starving, the system is shaken, and they tried to blame the remnants of capitalism by starting the Red Guards.”

“……”

“But even if the Red Guards rise up like fire, rice or money will not come out. So they quickly changed their course to socialism in politics and liberalism in economics.”

“Hmm….”

The US Ambassador was on edge at the Korean President’s keen insight.

The President’s one-sided lecture continued.

“To make matters worse, China is in agony due to the oil shock. It has regressed from a medieval coal economy to a primitive firewood economy. With expensive oil, fertilizer production has been reduced by more than half, and this harvest will be a disaster. The giant of the continent will starve. Now, let’s judge. Which side is running out of time?”

“Hmm, China will be more urgent.”

“That’s right. Then, shall we talk about the more important politics this time?”

“……”

“The Soviet Union is criticizing China for being revisionist [departing from traditional communist ideology], raising the level of criticism. It means a departure from communism. China is declaring reform and opening up, even at the risk of conflict with the Soviet Union, and is already walking a new path. What do you think will happen if it stops here?”

“Well…. Maybe the results of reform and opening up will become unclear.”

“Yes, that’s it! If there are no visible results in China’s food and industrial sectors, the Red Guards will rise up and shout, ‘Again Mao Zedong!’ Deng Xiaoping’s fall from power, whose position is weak, is only a matter of time.”

“Ah! I see! I haven’t heard this analysis anywhere in Washington.”

“Deng Xiaoping is a radical reformer and advocate of opening up. He’s probably sweating bullets inside. Time is definitely on America’s side. When you hear news of the Red Guards on the continent, then negotiate with Deng Xiaoping. China will not be able to refuse.”

“Your Excellency, I completely understand!”

The President finally brought up the most important issue for Korea.

“And when negotiating with China, start by saying that the United States will be in charge of trade and Korea will be in charge of oil.”

“What do you mean, Your Excellency?”

“To receive subcontracting orders for American manufactured goods, China will need a lot of oil. But these days, oil is a bit expensive. Korea can help China.”

“……”

“We will sell it at a price of 60% or less for 10 years through a maritime pipeline from Korea. In return, tell them to hand over the UN Security Council seat to Korea.”

“You’re saying you’ll make a deal with oil.”

“Yes. From the perspective of starving China, it will be a more tempting offer than ever.”

“Hmm, oil is essential to run the factories, so at 60%, it seems like it would be a difficult negotiation for China to refuse, Your Excellency!”

“Now my thoughts are in line with yours. I emphasize once again, don’t be impatient in negotiations. It’s China that’s hungry. You have to negotiate when the other party raises both hands to create negotiating power. Diplomatic negotiations are not about eloquence. Negotiating power arises only when you understand what the other party needs.”

“Understood, Your Excellency! I’m learning a lot. I will convey this story to Washington immediately.”

If Mao Zedong had been alive, he would have shifted the responsibility for the crisis to the opening-up faction and extended his power through purges.

But now there was no one to train the frenzied Red Guards.

This was the reason for engineering Mao Zedong.

*

A village on the outskirts of Beijing, China.

Angry residents with gaunt faces and protruding cheekbones gathered in front of the agricultural center, grabbing the guidance officer by the collar and shouting.

“Give us rations! Rations!”

The frightened guidance officer said.

“I’m sorry. The food hasn’t arrived from the Central Party yet.”

“The party cadres and guidance committee members eat three meals a day! You guys embezzled it!”

“I only had breakfast yesterday morning and have been drinking water ever since.”

The amount of rations had been reduced by half due to crop failure due to lack of fertilizer, and even that was barely continued every other day, and now it was completely irregular.

“It won’t work. Give us the seeds for sowing!”

“No, you need to plant those to farm.”

“Who will farm after we starve to death! Our children’s faces are yellow and their bodies are swollen with edema [swelling caused by fluid retention]!”

Among the elderly, deaths from starvation were already rampant.

At this time, young people with red Red Guard armbands appeared.

They were holding sickles, hoes, and clubs in their hands.

“We are the Red Guards! The people are devastated due to the remnants of capitalists. Let’s beat down the leaders and party cadres who rule like capitalists!”

“Let’s beat them down!”

The angry residents were already enraged, and the Red Guards’ stimulation caused them to explode like a bursting balloon.

“We’ll starve to death anyway! Let’s beat down the capitalist bastards!”

Wow~

Hundreds of residents and Red Guards beat down the guidance officers who were blocking their way and robbed the grain warehouse, stealing seeds for sowing, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn.

The Chaebol Returns To The Presidency 1967 [EN]

The Chaebol Returns To The Presidency 1967 [EN]

재벌총수가 대통령으로 회귀함 1967
Status: Completed Author: Native Language: Korean
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[English Translation] Imagine a world where the ruthless efficiency of a chaebol chairman collides with the iron will of a nation's leader. Chairman Wang, the titan behind the Hyundai Group, finds himself hurled back in time, inhabiting the very body of President Park in 1967! Korea stands at a crossroads, shackled by authoritarianism and suffocated by bureaucratic red tape. Now, armed with future knowledge and a relentless drive, Wang seizes the reins of power. Witness the birth of a new Republic, forged in the fires of innovation and meritocracy. Will he succeed in transforming Korea into a global powerhouse, or will the ghosts of the past and the weight of history crush his ambitions? Prepare for a thrilling saga of power, ambition, and the ultimate battle for a nation's destiny!

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