The Chaebol Returns To The Presidency 1967 [EN]: Chapter 181

181. The Eve of the Pandemic

“One person on overnight leave was infected and spread the disease at a hotel swimming pool. These hotel swimming pools, often visited by foreign tourists, are open year-round, which is why this happened.”

“So, the problem is the swimming pools, where the infection spreads through the water.”

“I apologize for not paying enough attention to this, Your Excellency!”

In the 1970s, with limited entertainment options, sledding in winter and swimming pools in summer were popular national pastimes.

In the sweltering summer, unlike the countryside with its valleys and mountains, Seoul lacked places to escape the heat, so swimming pools were literally overflowing with people.

It was hard to tell if people were going to swim or simply bathe in a public bathhouse, that’s how crowded it was.

Consequently, pool-goers, whether students or adults, often ended up with bloodshot eyes, and ophthalmology clinics were packed with patients suffering from Apollo conjunctivitis [a highly contagious form of pinkeye] during the summer.

Back then, catching Apollo conjunctivitis at least once was as common as catching a cold.

The Chief of Security said,

“It will be completely cured in a few days, so don’t worry too much, Your Excellency. Everyone gets conjunctivitis at least once in the summer.”

The President was deeply concerned by the Chief of Security’s words.

“Chief of Security, Apollo conjunctivitis is definitely an infectious disease, even if it’s not fatal. If hygiene conditions are so poor that infection spreads so easily, we’ll be overwhelmed when a deadly virus strikes.”

“I… I’m sorry. I was short-sighted, Your Excellency!”

“It’s not just the Chief of Security; the public’s awareness of infectious disease prevention is about the same.”

“…….”

“We need to raise awareness.”

The President called the Minister of Health and Welfare and asked,

“How are legally mandated infectious diseases like typhoid fever, cholera, measles, and hepatitis being managed currently?”

“Measles has fewer than 10 cases per year due to vaccine distribution. There are zero cases of cholera this year, Your Excellency. We’re running a ‘Don’t Share Drinks’ campaign for hepatitis.”

Measles, which once swept through entire schools, was brought under control after vaccines were introduced in Korea in 1962 and smallpox vaccinations were given, to the point where only the saying ‘more frightening than smallpox’ remained.

“The prevention of measles and cholera is very successful. You’re doing a good job. The culture of offering your drink is still prevalent, so post warning notices in every bar.”

“Understood, Your Excellency!”

“This year’s goal is to eradicate typhoid fever. What’s the biggest cause of this typhoid fever epidemic?”

“Well, most typhoid fever outbreaks occur in mountainous, island, and suburban areas without proper water and sewage systems. People are drinking contaminated groundwater, causing mass outbreaks. It fundamentally depends on the water and sewage supply rate. We will accelerate the supply rate.”

“Well, the water and sewage supply rate can’t be 100%, but even if it is, springs and wells are still vulnerable.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

“Increasing the water supply rate is one thing, but vulnerable areas must be managed separately. Have each public health center regularly inspect the drinking groundwater throughout the country and post the suitability on-site. Microorganisms are invisible, so people can’t know if the water is safe. We need to visualize it to raise awareness.”

“Ah, we can make it visible whether the water is drinkable or not! I never thought of that, Your Excellency!”

“Let’s nip it in the bud.”

“Yes, Your Excellency!”

During Chairman Wang’s time, when you visited a spring, you could see the results of the public health center’s inspection, indicating whether the water was safe to drink, which was reassuring.

He was trying to implement this decades earlier.

The President said,

“Oh, and let’s eradicate Apollo conjunctivitis, a waterborne infectious disease, this time. Apollo conjunctivitis isn’t a legally mandated infectious disease, is it?”

“That’s right. It’s a mild inflammation of the conjunctiva, so it wasn’t designated.”

“I told the Chief of Security, but if a deadly new virus spreads through the same route, won’t the entire nation be wiped out? That means the situation is incredibly unsanitary.”

“Th-that’s right.”

“Designate Apollo conjunctivitis as a legally mandated infectious disease.”

“Yes!”

“Then, based on that law, revise and implement the hygiene regulations for bathhouses and swimming pools. Swimming pools are as crowded as hot tubs. So, even if only one person is infected, everyone is swimming in a mass of germs. Review the hygiene regulations in detail, such as the number of people allowed, water quality testing, and water quality disinfection, and let’s eradicate waterborne infectious diseases this time.”

“Understood, Your Excellency!”

“And we need to conduct large-scale research on viral diseases and develop vaccines and treatments.”

“That’s a good point, but virus research is primarily being done in the United States and the United Kingdom. Pharmaceuticals are more advanced in countries with strong biochemistry. I’m sorry, but we’re still a wasteland due to a lack of basic science, Your Excellency.”

“That’s why I’m going to change the paradigm. Now, we’ll expand the focus of economic development from heavy and chemical industries to medical, health services, culture, and entertainment. We’ll drive it forward even if we have to create a supplementary budget, so prepare a blueprint in advance.”

“Understood, Your Excellency!”

“In particular, focus on influenza virus research.”

“Influenza?”

“We were hit by the Asian flu [a pandemic that occurred in 1957-1958] before. Strengthen the quarantine management manual for flights and passenger ships coming from China this time.”

“Understood, Your Excellency!”

“And the WHO Director-General is changing this time, right?”

“Yes, the term is expiring.”

“Let’s run for it.”

“Ah, us!”

“Are there any regulations for running?”

“It’s Asia’s turn this time, and China is eyeing it. With their large population, they’re trying to establish epidemic standards centered on their own country.”

“That’s why China is absolutely not allowed! It’s a closed society, so they only try to cover up and hide things. Diseases must be disclosed to quickly prevent infection and develop treatments.”

“That’s right. But the intention is good, but the WHO operation costs a lot of money, so you have to work hard to get the support of member countries.”

“You mean money?”

“That’s right.”

“Make a pledge to provide free measles and mumps vaccinations to third-world countries.”

“Free vaccines?”

“Yes.”

“The budget will be enormous.”

“I have a plan. Let’s pick out domestic personnel and prepare for the candidacy.”

“Understood, Your Excellency.”

The Minister answered, but in his heart, he thought the President was overreacting to typhoid fever.

However, the President thought that the global epidemic that should have broken out in the late 1960s was still quiet, and he was preparing for it, thinking that it was on the verge of breaking out.

*

The rooftop of the President’s office.

President Jung asked the President again.

“An American pharmaceutical company?”

“Yes. There’s a company called Pfizer.”

“Pfizer! I know it well. Isn’t that the company that made a good profit from penicillin?”

Pfizer first introduced fermentation technology to penicillin in 1941 and succeeded in producing it independently the following year. It developed streptomycin in 1946, terramycin in 1950, and vibramycin in 1967, growing into an international antibiotic specialist manufacturer.

Recently, it has been acquiring pharmaceutical companies such as MacIlrathison, expanding into a huge company covering all kinds of pharmaceutical businesses, including general medicines and pesticides.

“Whether you buy the company or invest in shares, try to develop flu vaccines and treatments.”

“Flu vaccine? Ah, are you preparing for the Hong Kong flu [a pandemic that occurred in 1968-1969]?”

“Hahaha, you’re different as a returnee [someone who has lived abroad]. Yes, that’s exactly why I’m doing it because of the Hong Kong flu. We must turn the pandemic crisis into an opportunity.”

“I understand what you mean, Your Excellency. I’m suddenly motivated.”

“Let’s conquer the world with virus treatments and vaccines!”

“Of course.”

*

Pfizer headquarters.

President Jung was negotiating with Pfizer’s CEO.

“If you can’t sell the company, spin off Pfizer’s vaccine research institute and hand it over to me. I will pay 20% of Pfizer’s total stock price as payment.”

Chairman Nielsen was startled.

“20%?”

“That’s right.”

Nielsen kindly told him what to watch out for.

“You don’t know which epidemic will break out in the future, and even if it does, the epidemic may pass during the vaccine development period, making it useless, so it’s difficult to profit from vaccine development compared to the investment. We made an Asian flu vaccine before, but we were pushed back by the UK, which mass-produced it first, and only recorded huge losses. If you acknowledge that situation, I have no objection to the spin-off sale.”

Nielsen had no reason to refuse, as the Korean tycoon was buying the vaccine business at a high price when he was about to discontinue it.

President Jung held out his hand.

“Good. It’s done.”

“Welcome!”

He signed a contract to acquire all of Pfizer Vaccine Research Institute’s research personnel, data, information, and patents.

He changed the name to Korea Pfizer and had researchers from both countries work alternately, with the US research institute working on flu vaccines and the Korean research institute working on flu treatments.

On the other hand, it established a mass production system for measles and mumps vaccines and entered mass production.

*

Geneva, Switzerland (WHO Headquarters).

The newly appointed Korean Director-General of the WHO, Kim Won-young, held his first meeting.

China claimed it was their turn in the Director-General election, but with the President’s support, he was elected by gaining the support of third countries with a pledge to sequentially administer free measles and mumps vaccines for four years.

Director-General Kim presented the framework of his policy within his term at the first meeting.

“I have seriously reviewed the purpose of the WHO’s establishment. Each country’s government is putting its heart and soul into managing diseases. However, the global village has not only gaps in wealth and medical technology but also large gaps in human rights and morality.”

“…….”

Other words were well known, but human rights and moral values were the first words he had heard at the WHO meeting.

“The WHO’s unique mission compared to other medical institutions is international cooperation in the field of health and hygiene. This is also the goal of the WHO’s establishment. We will institutionalize this obvious duty and responsibility.”

“…….”

It was such an obvious statement that it seemed unnecessary to bring it up again.

However, the audience was agitated by the following specific measures.

“The Spanish flu [a pandemic that occurred in 1918-1920], which first occurred in 1918 and claimed the lives of 25 to 50 million people worldwide in two years, was the greatest infectious disease disaster in human history, with far more deaths than when the medieval plague swept across Europe. At that time, medicine was less developed, and it was a novel virus, so there was nothing we could do. However, the Asian flu that occurred in Guizhou, China in 1957 was able to minimize the sacrifice. This is not a natural disaster but a man-made disaster.”

Director Huo Guo, a Chinese national, glared.

“Director-General, a man-made disaster? Are you slandering China now? Defining a global epidemic as the responsibility of one country is no different from blaming the wind on one country.”

The Director-General resolutely wielded the sword of logic.

“Is an epidemic the wind? If you conduct an epidemiological investigation of a virus, the origin and cause will all come out. What wind are you talking about? Don’t play with words and judge scientifically, Director Huo Guo!”

The Director-General didn’t blink an eye and threw a counter punch without a jab, causing the director to falter.

The Director-General accelerated.

“You can’t eradicate mutant viruses with such complacent thinking while being in charge of the diseases of 1 billion people! From now on, if a patient suspected of having a new disease occurs, the country of first onset must notify the WHO and take joint research and joint measures with the WHO to minimize the spread of the epidemic across borders by establishing it as a mandatory clause in international law.”

“…….”