Free Web NovelThe West Sea bordering Nampo had a large tidal range, with wide mudflats and waters that were not particularly deep.
That was why a port was built at Nampo—a small harbor located about seventeen kilometers upriver from the mouth of the Taedong River.
From the era of the Korean Empire, through Japanese colonial rule, and even after the peninsula was divided and the fratricidal war was fought, Nampo Port had always been an important harbor.
It was also a unique region where heavy industry, light industry, and agriculture were all developed in one place.
But setting all that aside, logistics was the true core of Nampo.
With an annual cargo-handling capacity exceeding ten million tons, Nampo Port possessed the longest pier in North Korea. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
‘But now, it’s fallen behind the times.’
Because it hadn’t engaged in proper trade for a long time, criticism that it was worse off than before was widespread.
Despite having top-tier geographical conditions, it had become obsolete.
“There isn’t a single ship coming or going.”
It took about an hour just to walk around the entire pier.
When I pointed out the notable things I’d observed, Ri Jeongu replied.
“Until recently, this port saw quite a lot of merchant ships. But everything stopped after the UN economic sanctions.”
I hadn’t expected much to begin with, but given the port’s reputation, the disappointment was still considerable.
“There doesn’t seem to be a dedicated container terminal either. That would make it hard to grow into an international port.”
“......The general piers were sufficient to handle things.”
“Up until now, perhaps. But not anymore.”
With facilities like these, it could never win in competition.
By the 2020s, with one exception, all of the world’s top ten port cities would be in the Asia-Pacific region.
I intended to turn Nampo City into one of the world’s foremost logistics hubs.
Of course, even if reform and opening began, there wouldn’t be much cargo imported into or exported from North Korea.
But what about transshipment cargo?
Transshipment—moving cargo from third countries onto different vessels due to scheduling or other circumstances—was a business with quite high added value.
If you first expanded scale through transshipment cargo, money would naturally follow. The sheer volume of ship traffic would be on a different level.
“In the future, Nampo City must become the center of North Korea’s port logistics. It needs to hold a position so unique that nothing else can replace it—within North Korea and across the entire world. But with facilities at this level, it can’t win in competition. I think I’ll need to have a fairly long conversation with the Vice Chairman.”
As I looked around once more, I began forming plans in my head.
‘We’ll have to completely overhaul Nampo Port into a transshipment-centered harbor. If we offer low-cost services to the entire world, there’s no way it won’t be competitive.’
Having finished my thoughts, I turned around.
“Let’s go somewhere else.”
Along with Nampo Port, we headed to the industrial complex located in the port district.
The complex, lined with small factories like flour mills, furniture factories, and ceramic workshops, felt like a ghost town. Every factory was closed.
With outdated facilities and old plants, it didn’t seem like a place where light industry needed to exist at all.
“We can scrap this area and build lodging and various convenience facilities for sailors coming in and out of Nampo Port......”
After that, I went around various areas, steadily organizing how they could be developed.
Once the broad framework was in place, the details came easily.
“Let’s eat first.”
After wandering around for quite some time, Ri Jeongu led me into a residential area.
“If we go just a bit farther, that’s my parents’ house. I prepared a meal today to host you, President.”
“We could just go to a nearby restaurant.”
“I wanted to treat you to proper Nampo food......”
Ri Jeongu trailed off, glancing at me.
He seemed to think I might be uncomfortable with being taken to a private home instead of a restaurant.
Smiling, I cleared up the misunderstanding.
“Proper Nampo food, huh. I was curious about that anyway—should I look forward to it?”
Ri Jeongu’s face brightened instantly. He nodded vigorously as he replied.
“She may be my mother, but her cooking is an art. It’ll be as good as you expect.”
Walking with practiced familiarity, Ri Jeongu stopped in front of a house. It seemed to be his home.
It was an area of neat, clustered houses, but Ri Jeongu’s house looked far better than the surrounding ones.
Even so, it was poor beyond comparison with houses in South Korea—or even with those in Pyongyang.
As he opened the gate, Ri Jeongu raised his voice loudly.
“Mother!”
At his call, a middle-aged woman came outside.
“Jeongu, you’re here?”
“Mother! I missed you.” fгeewebnovёl.com
Ri Jeongu, who was usually stiff and formal, approached her with a smile spreading across his face.
When he embraced the woman, she patted his back.
“President Kim Muhyuk, this is my mother.”
After a brief exchange, Ri Jeongu introduced her to me.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Kim Muhyuk.”
“Welcome. I heard you’re a businessman from the South. Please take good care of our Jeongu.”
After the greetings, Ri Jeongu led us inside.
A large table was already set in the living room, with dishes neatly arranged on top.
Ri Jeongu sat with his mother, while Manager Ma and I sat facing them.
“Jeongu said you were an important guest and asked me to prepare Nampo food, so I did...... but I don’t know if it’ll suit your taste.”
The dishes looked more modest than what I’d eaten in Pyongyang.
But the care put into them seemed all the richer.
Ri Jeongu’s mother served rice in front of us.
“It smells great. What kind of rice is this?”
I asked her, but the answer came from Ri Jeongu.
“It’s oyster rice. It’s something you can make from late autumn to early spring. It’s so good you can make a full meal out of just the oyster rice, even without side dishes. Please try it, President Kim Muhyuk.”
I nodded and picked up my chopsticks.
“Then, thank you for the meal.”
After greeting his mother, I took a spoonful of the oyster rice.
The distinct aroma of oysters filled my mouth.
I understood why Ri Jeongu said it was enough for a meal on its own. You could open a restaurant with this.
“It’s delicious. There’s hardly any difference compared to the food I had in Pyongyang.”
At my praise, Ri Jeongu’s mother smiled and gestured toward the side dishes.
“You flatter me. Please try the side dishes too.”
True to what I’d heard, her cooking was excellent—every dish paired perfectly with the oyster rice.
I quickly finished the heaping bowl of rice she’d served. When I set my utensils down with a satisfied expression, she let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank you for the meal. I wondered why Ri Jeongu insisted on bringing me here—it must have been to show off your cooking.”
I wasn’t just saying it out of courtesy. I was genuinely satisfied.
Manager Ma also finished his entire bowl of rice, apparently enjoying it.
At my lighthearted comment, Ri Jeongu’s mother smiled shyly.
After the satisfying meal, we cleansed our palates with sikhye and stood up.
“Please talk with your mother for a bit. We’ll go for a short walk.”
Ri Jeongu sprang up from his seat, waving his hands.
“No, I’ll guide you.”
“We’ll just look around nearby, so come out slowly. You treated us too well—I need to walk it off a bit. About thirty minutes should do. Come out around then.”
I stopped Ri Jeongu from following and Manager Ma and I put on our shoes.
“Manager, give me your wallet.”
Manager Ma took out his wallet and handed it to me.
We’d been treated to a good lunch—of course we had to pay for it.
After taking the wallet, I grabbed a handful of hundred-dollar bills and placed them on top of the shoe cabinet before stepping out the door.
“P-President!”
Ri Jeongu and his mother, who had been watching from afar, hurried after us.
“You don’t need to do this. We only wanted to offer you a meal.”
Looking at the flustered mother and son, I smiled gently.
“You prepared such a delicious meal. Of course I should pay. Please don’t feel burdened—just accept it.”
He looked like he wanted to say something, but I opened the gate and stepped outside.
We began strolling slowly around the neighborhood. Manager Ma followed silently behind me.
The residents glanced at us—two men in suits—but didn’t approach.
“It looks like a rural village not much different from South Korea, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, Boss. You’d believe it was South Korea.”
But compared to South Korea, it was clearly harsher.
You could especially tell from the residents’ clothing and expressions.
After about thirty minutes of walking around, we returned to Ri Jeongu’s house.
Ri Jeongu was standing restlessly beside the car.
Spotting me from afar, he ran over and handed me something with both hands.
It was the bundle of hundred-dollar bills I’d left behind.
“President Kim Muhyuk, this is too much money. It’s excessive.”
“Hm......”
I let out a low hum and studied Ri Jeongu’s face. He looked deeply conflicted.
Since I’d grabbed the bills at random, I didn’t know the exact amount. Roughly three thousand dollars, perhaps.
To me, it was money I could have or not have—it didn’t matter.
“Mr. Ri Jeongu.”
“Yes, President.”
“That money is my sincerity. Think of it as a token of gratitude to your mother for making me such a delicious meal.”
“Even so, it’s far too much.”
What could I say so he’d accept it without feeling burdened?
After a moment of thought, I spoke.
“I don’t know whether you’ve heard from the Vice Chairman what kind of person I am. But the money in your hands right now is truly nothing to me. If you feel burdened by it, that’s actually more insulting.”
“.......”
“My creed is to repay goodwill with goodwill, and malice with malice. So take it back to your mother. That money isn’t for you—it’s for her.”
Even so, Ri Jeongu hesitated. Was he just simple-minded, or was he overly cautious?
I spoke to him firmly.
“Do I need to call Vice Chairman Jang Songthaek for you to listen?”
“N-No. I’ll give it to my mother. Thank you, President.”
As expected, Jang Songthaek’s name worked better on Ri Jeongu than mine ever could.
Ri Jeongu bowed and quickly went back through the gate.
Soon he returned, and as I got into the car, I said,
“We’ve taken too much time. We still need to look around the remaining areas, so let’s move.”
“Yes. Understood.”
We toured all the remaining areas except those we’d already seen in the morning.
But the more we went around, the more appalling it became.
My head started to ache just thinking about where to begin fixing things.
“Lastly, I’ll take you to the West Sea Barrage.”
Before long, we arrived at the West Sea Barrage.
I got out of the car and took in the sight. Ri Jeongu stood beside me, boasting proudly.
“Well? What do you think?”
“About what?”
“Isn’t it magnificent? The Leader personally ordered and built this massive barrage. Thanks to it, traffic capacity between Nampo Port and the Taedong River was expanded, and water could be supplied to the agricultural regions along the west coast.”
To Ri Jeongu, it was a barrage grand enough to inspire pride—but to me, the drawbacks stood out more than the merits.
“There’s a railway and a road on top of the barrage.”
“Yes. It also serves as a bridge connecting Nampo and South Hwanghae Province.”
“There’s already the limitation of being a lock gate...... and now it also has an overland transport function. That must have drastically reduced the time windows for ships entering Nampo Port to pass through.”
This was something I never would have known if I’d only looked at Nampo Port itself.
The Nampo I saw this time wasn’t the Nampo I’d known. Its very structure needed to be dismantled and rebuilt.
“Let’s head back. I need to meet Vice Chairman Jang Songthaek.”
On the way back to Pyongyang, I completely rewrote my plans.
When I arrived at Jang Songthaek’s office, I sat facing him.
“How was Nampo City, after seeing it for yourself, President Kim?”
At Jang Songthaek’s question, tinged with subtle anticipation, I shook my head.
“There’s no worst quite like this worst.”
Jang Songthaek’s face hardened.
“It’s a region that was built wrong from the very beginning. No—back then, it may have been the best they could do...... but now it’s outdated. It’s an awkward place that’s neither this nor that.”
“.......”
When I spoke so bluntly, Jang Songthaek could only move his lips, unable to say anything.
I pushed aside the cognac in front of me and picked up the vodka.
After downing a full glass in one go, I spoke again.
“We need to scrap the plan entirely. Everything I thought of in Seoul needs to be thrown out, and we need to draw up a completely ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ new plan.”
