The Chaebol Returns To The Presidency 1967 [EN]: Chapter 55

55. Two World Maps

“Get out of the way!”

I went outside to find Senator Kennedy crouching behind a pillar, surrounded by a bodyguard holding a transparent shield.

His supporters were either running away in shock or lying on the ground in fear.

“There he is!”

One of the bodyguards pointed to a mustached Arab holding a pistol.

The Arab aimed his pistol at Kennedy and fired again.

Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bang! Bang!

The gunshots from the bodyguard and the assassin overlapped, and both the Arab and the bodyguard fell simultaneously.

The chief of security hurriedly asked Kennedy,

“Senator, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. The bulletproof glass stopped everything.”

Under the dim lighting, the assassin didn’t realize it was a transparent glass shield and fired, but all the bullets were blocked.

Kennedy tried to reassure the agitated citizens with a composed demeanor.

“Rest assured! The assassins have all been subdued! I will protect you all.”

Newspaper reporters captured the scene of him clenching his fist and shaking it, snapping their shutters.

Flash!
Click!

The photo made it look as if Kennedy was bravely commanding the scene, confronting the assassins.

Kennedy, protected by his bodyguards’ bulletproof shields in preparation for any remaining assassins, got into his car and calmly left the scene.

The next day, American newspapers and foreign press headlines were plastered with photos of Kennedy, who had survived the assassination attempt.

* * *

The Blue House [the executive office and official residence of the President of South Korea].

The President smiled upon hearing this news.

“Oh, he lived! He lived! He didn’t take my words lightly!”

Ring~ Ring~

– Your Excellency, Senator Kennedy is on the phone from the United States.

“Put him through.”

– Ah, Your Excellency! This is Senator Kennedy. Thank you so much. I owe my life to you, Your Excellency.

“Haha, I’m truly relieved. The main election is still far off, and you have to compete with the opposition party, so you must be fully prepared for security in the future.”

– I will keep that in mind, Your Excellency!

It was the first day that world history was being rewritten.

Kennedy was deeply indebted to the President of Korea.

The President intended to make a significant request of him in return.

* * *

The Blue House reception room.

Robert F. Kennedy’s aide was meeting with the President.

“Your Excellency, Senator Kennedy would like some advice that would be helpful for his Asia policy pledges, including Vietnam and North and South Korea.”

It was proof that he had gained Kennedy’s trust.

He had even dispatched an aide to seek the President’s wise counsel on the Vietnam War and America’s security pledges.

The President replied.

“The United States is fighting against the communist forces. However, simple military support alone can lead to a quagmire like Vietnam. You must first understand what the people of the country want and carry out projects that politically satisfy those desires. It is fortunate that democratization efforts are now underway in Vietnam, albeit belatedly.”

“American voters are resisting the idea that the United States should step in to resolve all conflicts around the world. How should we accommodate anti-war sentiment?”

“In the current situation, anti-war sentiment is justified, but as an ultimate strategy, it is problematic.”

“Could you explain what you mean, Your Excellency?”

“Peace between nations is merely the period during which the balance of power is maintained. If the United States, without the strongest military power, calls for anti-war sentiment and freedom, can it truly protect freedom and the United States?”

“…….”

“I agree that the United States does not need to intervene in everything and should let the people of each country decide their own destiny. But the world is intricately intertwined.”

“…….”

“Don’t American aircraft carriers advance into the Middle Eastern straits where oil-producing countries are concentrated? It depends on how much vested interest the United States has. Will the U.S. withdraw troops from Europe or the Middle East as well?”

“No.”

“It’s about national interest; there is no such thing as ‘absolute peace’.”

“What strategic value do you think the Korean Peninsula has for the United States?”

“If the Korean Peninsula becomes communist, the communization of Japan is only a matter of time. What can Japan do with its Self-Defense Forces, which are only capable of reserve forces? The United States is protecting them. Without Korea, the United States would have to defend the entire vast Pacific Ocean. Look at this map.”

“…….”

The President spread two world maps on the table.

The aide widened his eyes and focused, wondering if he was taking out some important strategic map.

But it was a very ordinary world map.

He couldn’t hide his disappointment.

The President explained.

“It’s not a special map. It’s an ordinary map that hangs in every American and Korean school. When I visited the United States, I noticed that they all had this Atlantic-centered map.”

“…….”

A map with the Atlantic Ocean in the center, the Americas on the west, and Europe and Asia on the east.

“As you can see, there is no Pacific Ocean there. This is our world map.”

This map had the Pacific Ocean in the center, with Asia and Europe to the west and the Americas to the east.

The aide still didn’t understand what he meant.

The President explained.

“The Pacific-centered map doesn’t have the Atlantic Ocean.”

“…….”

“If communist countries occupy the western Pacific, enemy submarines, aircraft carriers, and destroyers can travel through the Pacific like their own backyard and land on the American continent in a matter of days. It means they can aim nuclear warheads from the coast.”

“…….”

“There is a Korean proverb, ‘Soonmangchihan’ [唇亡齒寒, if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold, meaning interdependent]. It means that if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold.”

“Soonmangchihan!”

“Instead of spending a huge amount of money to defend the entire Pacific Ocean, the United States can defend itself with far less military spending by maintaining Korea, Taiwan, and Japan as allies to block Russia, North Korea, and China.”

The aide’s eyes lit up.

“Your Excellency, I now fully understand what you mean. So, reducing U.S. troops in South Korea is an unfair measure?”

“You must clearly understand that they are stationed there not for Korea, but for the United States. It is a rebuttal to the claim that the United States is meddling too much.”

“Wow, that would be great campaign and discussion material.”

The aide wrote diligently in his notebook.

The President said.

“Geopolitical factors are fundamental to security. But the United States is using an Atlantic-centered 19th-century Age of Exploration world map. The 21st century is the Pacific era. You have to look at a geopolitical map that fits it.”

“Ah! It’s very shocking to me that the American way of thinking has been so pre-modern.”

The map was a fresh shock to the aide.

“What do you think of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, Your Excellency?”

“I think it’s a good policy to encourage China’s opening up rather than confrontation. However, China is not trying to become capitalist or Westernized, but is trying to overcome the limitations of the communist system and transfuse blood to overcome the poverty of its 1 billion people.”

“Does that mean that the opening of the Bamboo Curtain [a metaphor for the political and economic isolation of Communist China] is not a peaceful, gradual transition of the system?”

“Absolutely not. You must never forget that it is an opening to solidify its own system. It is never a transition or abandonment of the system.”

“Ah, I see.”

The President’s insight into international affairs was accurate beyond that of any research institute in the United States because it was the result of experiencing 50 years of the future.

“The United States can maintain its hegemony only if it always has alternatives to control China’s reins and engages in opening up.”

“I am very surprised that Your Excellency presents a clearer blueprint than any expert.”

“Thank you. But why are there no questions about Japan?”

“Ah, Japan is very obedient to the United States, so there are no particularly contentious diplomatic issues.”

“Haha, that’s America’s miscalculation.”

“Is that so? In what sense?”

“The most recent country the United States fought a war with after Vietnam was Japan. Don’t you think that Japan is biding its time, waiting to get back at the United States for bringing them to their knees someday?”

“I understand those historical sentiments, but isn’t it realistically impossible? Japan is still disarmed.”

“There are several factors that make it realistically possible. I think Japan is a country that will turn its back on us as soon as it meets just one of the following conditions: a return to militarism through the revision of the Peace Constitution, or economic hegemony. They will probably join hands with China.”

“Japan with China? Korea’s historical feelings toward Japan are so intense that they are often irrational.”

“Is that so? That kind of thing will happen because of the enormous resources. That’s when the United States will see clearly who the real friend is.”

“…….”

“Even to prevent Japan’s betrayal, you must maintain your influence in Okinawa.”

“Okinawa!”

After World War II (1945), when the United States won, Okinawa was placed under U.S. military rule. In 1952, it became civil administration with the enactment of the Treaty of Peace, but as soon as Nixon was elected, he signed a repatriation agreement in 1969, and in 1972, it was returned to Japan and revived as a prefecture of Japan.

The President was thinking of stopping this.

The President was already secretly sending people to the UN and international maritime organizations to collect information on the 7th continental shelf zone.

On the other hand, he attempted to establish close diplomatic relations with Okinawa.

* * *

United States.

Kennedy, the Democratic presidential candidate, and Nixon, the Republican presidential candidate, faced off in a TV debate.

Nixon was inwardly lamenting.

‘What bad blood do I have with the Kennedy family!’

In 1960, Nixon, then the incumbent Vice President, ran against John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy’s brother, but suffered a bitter defeat by a mere 100,000 to 400,000 votes (0.2 to 0.6%).

To face his younger brother again after eight years, the nightmare of that time crept up on him.

Because Kennedy’s poll support was 20% higher than his.

Nixon was in a desperate situation where he had to seek a turnaround with a TV debate.

Finally, the debate began.

The 41-year-old’s vigor clashed with the 55-year-old’s experience.

The biggest issue was foreign policy and security.

The moderator asked.

“What do you think about the Vietnam War and the direction of American foreign policy? Please discuss.”

Because anti-war sentiment was high due to the Vietnam War started by the ruling party, it was a theme that Nixon was most confident in.

Nixon sharpened his words.

“Why should the United States get involved in all the conflicts around the world and have our young people shed blood? If I become president, I will withdraw from Vietnam immediately. A country’s security is its own responsibility. We will gradually withdraw and reduce our soldiers stationed in Asia, including Korea and Japan. I will completely repeal the warmongering policies of the existing ruling party.”

This was the gist of the famous ‘Nixon Doctrine’.

Kennedy looked at Nixon and retorted.

“If a country’s security is its own responsibility, then why doesn’t the United States withdraw from Europe and the Middle East? Is withdrawal from Europe and the Middle East part of your platform?”

“Withdrawal? Of course not. Europe and the Middle East are closely related to the United States’ interests. Don’t you know that Europe is a traditional ally against communism and the Middle East is because of oil?”

“Candidate Nixon himself admits that he is not a proponent of national security. He reversed the principle of self-determination that he just declared in a matter of seconds.”

Slightly embarrassed, Nixon launched a counterattack.