Free Web NovelThe four-day, three-night visit to Pyongyang came to an end.
After returning to South Korea, I rested for a day, then immediately summoned Chairman Song Chanwoo of Daehyeon Group, Chairman Kim Byungwoo of Joongwoo Group, and Chairman Lee Sanggeun of Joongwoo Construction to Pyeongchang-dong.
While waiting for them, I contacted the United States.
“Secretary of State, this is Kim Muhyuk.”
— Charlie! I’ve been waiting to hear from you. I heard you returned yesterday. So, were you able to sound out Jang Songthaek?
Secretary of State Colin Powell got straight to the point the moment he confirmed it was me, as if his feet were on fire.
I replied with a faint smile on my face.
“What’s got you in such a hurry?”
— The election has begun. The President doesn’t have much time left to focus on his duties.
Both party candidates for the U.S. presidential election had already been decided.
Just like in my previous life, the Republicans confirmed Bush as their presidential candidate and Dick Cheney as the vice-presidential nominee. The Democrats chose John Kerry and John Edwards as their presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
The full-scale race had begun. As Powell said, it meant this was a period when the incumbent President Bush couldn’t devote himself entirely to state affairs.
“Jang Songthaek will be visiting Seoul in person soon. I think it would be best if you came to Korea then and conducted the negotiations.”
— ······ Are you saying the inter-Korean summit will be held in Seoul?
“That’s correct. Jang Songthaek’s determination to reform is firm. If sufficient compensation is provided, he’s willing to completely abandon nuclear weapons.”
— Did you say complete abandonment of nuclear weapons?
“Yes. He’s shown willingness to dismantle all nuclear processing facilities as the United States desires, and to rejoin the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.”
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or NPT, was a rather unreasonable treaty that simultaneously prohibited non-nuclear states from developing nuclear weapons or receiving them.
South Korea joined in 1975, and North Korea was forced to join in 1985 under Soviet pressure. But they unilaterally declared their withdrawal from the NPT in 1993.
They returned through the 1994 Geneva Agreement with the United States, only to withdraw again later.
‘An unfair treaty that fundamentally blocks non-nuclear states from possessing nukes.’
It was one-sided and irrational, benefiting only the great powers, but the NPT was essentially a foundational consensus of the current international order.
Every nation acknowledged the danger of nuclear weapons. What the international community feared most was terrorist groups running rampant, or countries in the midst of civil war possessing nuclear arms.
Even so, international agreements had their limits. Some countries joined the NPT and secretly developed nuclear weapons behind the scenes, while others delayed joining altogether and held out until development was complete.
By tolerating India’s nuclear development, the United States ended up giving Pakistan justification to possess nuclear weapons as well.
— Rejoining the NPT is not a negotiation condition.
“He also said he would accept IAEA inspections of all nuclear facilities within North Korea. The basic framework is to resume the Geneva talks, through which he seems to want various forms of economic assistance.”
After a moment of silence, Powell asked in a heavy voice.
— Is his intention to abandon nuclear development certain?
“He seems intent on following China’s model of reform and opening.”
Once I gave that assurance, relief could be felt in the reply.
— Chinese-style reform and opening, huh. Jang Songthaek has made a major decision.
“It would be best if the United States prepares various support measures before entering negotiations. Depending on the level of U.S. support, China and Russia may also move differently. Given how arduous the process was to even draw out this decision, firm support will be necessary. If mishandled, this opportunity could be lost. That wouldn’t be acceptable, would it?”
— I understand what you’re saying. We’ll proceed with direct negotiations with North Korea. Charlie, thank you very much. Thanks to you, we were able to grasp Jang Songthaek’s intentions precisely.
“I hope there will be good results. Korea will do its part, and I’ll do mine, to see these negotiations through.”
— We’ll do our best. Then, Charlie, I’ll see you in Korea.
I stared at the disconnected phone, lost in thought.
The United States would never let this opportunity slip. Iran and North Korea’s nuclear development were America’s Achilles’ heel.
Nuclear weapons were the ultimate existing weapon, exerting immense power simply by their existence—by merely beginning development.
Of course, among nuclear-armed states, almost none actually intended to use them.
But Iran and North Korea were countries that truly could.
If North Korea completely abandoned nuclear weapons and declared its return to the international community, that alone would become the Bush administration’s greatest achievement.
‘Once they taste the power of capital, North Korea won’t be able to turn back.’
Once a country opens up and its economy starts to grow, it can’t return to being a closed state.
No matter how much a dictator tries to force it, a populace that has experienced a market economy will reject it.
There was a reason Kim Jongil had shouted about self-reliance while strictly controlling and managing all foreign trade.
But the times had changed into a form where, no matter how much a government blocked information, it could never stop everything.
As I was deep in thought, I heard a knock on the study door.
“Boss, Chairman Song Chanwoo of Daehyeon Group has arrived.”
“Let him in.”
The door opened, and with Manager Ma stepping aside while holding the doorknob, Song Chanwoo entered.
I walked forward first and extended my hand.
“Chairman Song Chanwoo. It’s been a while.”
“It’s been a long time.”
I guided him to a seat, noticing his slightly tense expression.
“I’ve also invited Chairman Kim of Joongwoo Group and Chairman Lee of Joongwoo Construction. We have a lot to discuss today.”
I poured tea into the cup on the table and slid it toward Chairman Song.
“This tea was brewed from leaves I received as a gift. Give it a try.”
Chairman Song ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) took a sip and nodded.
“These seem like fine tea leaves.”
“I hear they’re more expensive than gold by weight. Fortunately, they taste better than gold.”
When I joked, a smile finally appeared on Chairman Song’s tense face.
“I’m sorry for calling you in when you’re busy. I contacted you because of a project related to North Korea.”
Chairman Song froze with the teacup in his hand.
So much for lightening the mood.
“As you probably know, the government recently dispatched a special envoy.”
“Yes, I’ve heard.”
“Through the media, they said it was for negotiations on family reunions. But there was a more important issue than that. I also went unofficially.”
Chairman Song’s expression turned serious, and he set the teacup down completely.
“A more important issue?”
“There are plans to hold an inter-Korean summit in Seoul.”
“What? Is that true? Then does that mean negotiations for the summit have already taken place?”
I nodded and lifted my own teacup.
“Yes. The agreement concluded smoothly. You know that Kim Jongil has been ousted and Jang Songthaek has taken power, correct?”
“Who in South Korea wouldn’t know that?”
Even now, broadcasters and news outlets were running special reports daily about the sudden upheaval in North Korea.
Apparently, a documentary PD from one station was even caught trying to defect from China into North Korea.
For South Korea, North Korea was a country that couldn’t be separated no matter how much one tried.
Jang Songthaek was known as a moderate and a reformist, but he was still part of North Korea’s elite.
Even if it hadn’t been Jang Songthaek, it would have been similar. News about North Korea always brought worry and anxiety rather than joy to our people.
“I thought that if it were the Jang Songthaek I know, he would attempt reform, but he’s moving faster than expected.”
“There are important political events in both Korea and the United States, aren’t there? It means he intends to extract everything he can at a time like this.”
Relations with North Korea were always one of the key issues during South Korean elections. There was no shortage of North Korea-related news that could shake the political landscape.
There were even cases where people paid money to ask North Korea to provoke tensions.
“So how did the negotiations go? Did Jang Songthaek firmly agree to visit Seoul?”
“What I’m about to say must never be shared with anyone else. If this leaks, I will never work with you again, Chairman Song. Do you understand?”
At my icy gaze, Song Chanwoo flinched and nodded.
“It’s certain he’ll visit Seoul before the National Assembly elections. After the summit with President Yoon Changho, a trilateral meeting will be held with the participation of the U.S. Secretary of State. That meeting will decide the future of the Korean Peninsula.”
Shock spread across Song Chanwoo’s face.
“Behind-the-scenes negotiations are already underway in various countries.”
At that moment, there was another knock, followed by Manager Ma’s voice. freeweɓnøvel.com
“Chairman Kim Byungwoo and Chairman Lee Sanggeun have arrived.”
“Let them in.”
Song Chanwoo quickly stood up with me.
“Welcome, Chairman Kim.”
While I shook hands with Chairman Kim Byungwoo, Lee Sanggeun waited beside him with an unreadable expression.
I smiled and greeted him.
“It’s been a while, Chairman Lee.”
“Yes, President. Have you been well?”
Chairman Lee Sanggeun had clearly softened.
Even after stepping into the light, he used to carry a certain chill, but now there was a sense of ease in his expression.
Song Chanwoo followed my lead and exchanged handshakes with them.
“I heard Daehyeon Construction and Joongwoo Construction formed a consortium to carry out reconstruction projects in Afghanistan. And that you’re personally leading it on the ground, Chairman Lee. Chairman Han of Daehyeon Construction praises you endlessly.”
“I’m just grateful you think so highly of me.”
Lee Sanggeun gave an embarrassed smile.
“Chairman Han Dongseok of Daehyeon Construction is someone who’s spent his life on construction sites. He built Daehyeon Construction together with the Group Chairman. I’ve never seen him praise someone so persistently before.”
Lee Sanggeun was a decent man.
I summarized what I had told Song Chanwoo for the other two as well.
Up until the greetings, the atmosphere had been fairly cordial, but given the nature of the issue, everyone wore heavy expressions.
“It’s surprising that things have progressed so suddenly. With Jang Songthaek seizing power, even North Korea is changing.”
Their reactions were no different from Song Chanwoo’s.
Now it was time to explain why I had gathered them here.
“Sanctions on North Korea will be lifted, and economic cooperation with South Korea will resume. I called you here to prepare in advance.”
Economic cooperation with North Korea was a massive undertaking.
One reason Korean conglomerates built new factories in China was to secure new markets, but a bigger factor was labor costs ten times cheaper than Korea’s, along with various tax benefits.
But what if factories could be built in North Korea, where the same language and script were used? Labor costs there were even cheaper than in China.
It was hard for corporations not to be tempted.
The biggest reason conglomerates hesitated to join economic cooperation with North Korea was their lack of trust in the North Korean government.
China wasn’t exactly a trustworthy country either, but unlike North Korea, it couldn’t completely ignore the eyes of the international community.
“Daehyeon Group will have a lot on its plate, starting with the construction of the Kaesong Industrial Complex and the road connecting South Korea and Kaesong. Joongwoo Group will be involved as well, but it can’t handle all the work alone.”
“Don’t worry.”
The discussion continued for quite some time after that.
