Ok Jin-seo's Diplomatic Bargaining
Ok Jin-seo’s diplomatic negotiations
The British minister arrived to find Ok Jin-seo inspecting the weapons seized from the Japanese army, his face flushed red like a perfectly ripe strawberry. He glared at her as though he meant to kill her on the spot.
“You dare break your word? Are you not afraid of the British Empire? Do you truly believe our empire, which spans the five oceans, cannot deal with a mere Korean peninsula?”
“If you wish to come, then come.”
What kind of woman was this? Did she truly have no fear of the British Empire? To so brazenly tell him to come if he dared… She had slaughtered hundreds of thousands of unarmed Japanese soldiers. Even if their emperor was dead, this could easily spark an international incident.
“You grow bold from massacring unarmed Japanese troops. If our British Empire marches into this peninsula—”
“The twenty million subjects of the Korean Empire will resist any invasion. Especially if the invader had a hand in assassinating His Imperial Majesty.”
Minister Jordan’s brow furrowed. The woman before him was mad in every sense of the word. Her eyes were unlike any he had seen in a human being. They were not the anxious, despairing eyes of Koreans who lived in constant fear of their nation’s collapse, nor the eyes of those too broken to even dream of reform or resistance. They were eyes closest to death itself—empty, soulless.
A reaper? It felt as though a grim reaper had descended upon this land wearing the body of a Korean woman.
Jordan quickly collected himself. Ito Hirobumi had once said something similar—that whenever Korea faced danger, a single extraordinary individual would appear to save the nation. Still, if she bared her fangs at the British Empire, she would be crushed without mercy. Especially when they intended to pin fabricated charges on her.
“We did not assist in the assassination of your emperor! Your country has become one that massacres unarmed soldiers. How can you—”
Two hundred and fifty thousand troops. Even with overwhelming firepower, a handful might have survived, but likely very few. Yet Ok Jin-seo merely smirked.
“That negotiation was originally between Russia and Japan.”
“What did you say?”
“Regrettably, the Sapodae forces that carried out this operation belong to the Fengtian warlord Ok Jin-seo. They are not soldiers of the Korean Empire.”
The Korean Empire had merely been a sideshow. Ok Jin-seo spoke with perfect ease.
“Do you truly believe such wordplay will work?”
“The emperor has been assassinated, and the cabinet that should handle affairs of state has long since collapsed. There is no government left to accept Britain’s decisions. Moreover, you yourself have treated me as separate from the Korean Empire. Now you suddenly claim selective diplomatic subjectivity?”
Wasn’t that the very implication when they came to negotiate in the first place? No matter how generously one looked at it, she was a woman barely in her early twenties. The fact that Britain had even attempted to negotiate with such a person was already a mistake.
“Hah. So you’re threatening to drag Russia into this?”
“I’m afraid the Tsar stands behind me. If I ask him, he can manufacture any number of convenient pretexts.”
The debt owed for saving Alexei’s life could hardly be settled with mere interests in Gando or Manchuria. This was the moment to collect. Ok Jin-seo continued to needle Jordan with her words. If the Japanese army was annihilated, Russia would surely be pleased—it proved that Japan could launch surprise attacks on Russian forces at any time.
“Ha! You’ve grown quite confident.”
“I should be the one asking. Why are you so desperate to save those bastards?”
Japan had already lost both its army and navy. They could no longer serve as Britain’s policemen in the Far East. There was no reason to protect them to the bitter end. Would it not be better to pull Korea out of Russia’s grasp and turn it into a British protectorate instead?
At Ok Jin-seo’s retort, Jordan pressed his lips together before forcing himself to speak.
“That is because—”
“It’s obvious. Having a useful dog around is always convenient for Britain. You plan to leash Japan completely this time, then use them again to check Russia. But listen here.”
Ok Jin-seo lowered her head and looked Jordan straight in the eye. Those black eyes, devoid of any soul or emotion, swept over his entire body. A chill ran down his spine, yet at the same time he found himself strangely captivated by her cold, almost unreal beauty that transcended East and West.
Whether from shock or something else, Jordan remained frozen. Ok Jin-seo merely shrugged and settled back comfortably into her seat.
“Would it not be better for Britain to pay more attention to us Koreans—who at least understand words—rather than uncivilized nations that cannot even distinguish friend from foe?”
Regardless of Jordan’s reaction, Ok Jin-seo smiled faintly, clearly enjoying the situation. In moments like these, passivity was never the answer. Aggression was required.
“……”
“Since the signing of the Anglo-Japanese-Korean alliance, we have constantly demonstrated to the British Empire our commitment to civilization and enlightenment. Yet I cannot understand why you continue to shield Japan alone.”
Of course he knew the reason. It was all to maintain balance. Britain wanted both Korea and Japan dependent on them—neither fully independent nor aligned with Russia—so that both would have no choice but to rely on Britain. The plan was to safely withdraw the Japanese troops, grant Korea nominal independence under British influence, and turn Japan into Britain’s perfect puppet. That had been the instructions from London, and it had already been discussed with Ambassador Macdonald in Tokyo. But saying it aloud would be admitting defeat, so Jordan kept his mouth firmly shut.
“Let us return to the original point. Those Japanese dogs are still running around with their tails wagging. Can you be certain they will not one day reach for Britain’s interests in Asia as well?”
“Does the British Empire look like something that can be toyed with by the likes of Japan?”
“For example, if a war breaks out in Europe and Britain cannot spare attention for Asia even briefly, the possibility becomes quite real. Russia may have won, but their losses were considerable. Boiling Japan down at this point wouldn’t be such a bad idea, would it?”
It was a reasonable argument. As a British minister, he could not openly agree with a woman from an uncivilized nation, but one phrase stuck in his mind: a situation where Britain could not spare attention.
“Hmm. A war breaking out in Europe?”
“A world where colonies and concessions are fought over like scraps. A cold, treacherous international society where everyone eyes each other’s colonies with greed. How long do you think this can last? If war erupts over colonies, it will be a massive conflict.”
“……”
“If we cook Japan thoroughly this time, we could even lease Okinawa to keep Russia in check. Of course, Britain has nothing to fear from twenty million Koreans. But there is no longer any reason to side with a Japan that can barely pull its own weight, is there?”
It was a compelling point. Even if Japan rebuilt its navy, it would only bring further humiliation to Britain. After all the support they had received, Japan would now be drowning in debt. If the dog could no longer hunt, it was only natural to carve off a piece for oneself. The Great Game in the Far East had effectively ended in Japan’s defeat. Therefore, the only remaining option was to torment Japan further.
Then there was the matter of the nation this woman was trying to protect—Korea.
“May I ask a few questions?”
“Please do.”
“What are your intentions for leading this quasi-nation called Korea?”
“It would be enough if it were a country capable of protecting at least my own body.”
Protecting her own body. For a woman who had annihilated unarmed Japanese troops, her ambition seemed remarkably modest. From Britain’s perspective, it was acceptable as long as Korea did not become a Russian pawn causing trouble in the Far East.
“What if the British Empire demands that Korea become pro-British?”
“I cannot say for certain. We share a border with Russia. However, if this country can exist as an independent nation and proudly declare itself civilized in the international community, then we will not yield even an inch of Korean territory to Russia.”
She spoke without a trace of pretense, declaring it impossible while clearly looking out for her own interests. Her diplomacy was not particularly refined, yet her strange, unwavering confidence was oddly compelling. Her appearance was attractive enough to be noticed even in the West, but more than that, she possessed a maturity beyond her years. One thing was clear: she was effectively declaring Korea’s intention to become a neutral buffer zone in the Far East.
“So you intend to act as a buffer state, a neutral zone between the British Empire and Russia in the Far East?”
“If both nations agree to such an arrangement, what would be impossible about it?”
“Your capital is currently under the control of Japan’s First Army. If you wish to establish the nation you speak of, would it not require overthrowing your own imperial family?”
Ok Jin-seo shook her head at Jordan’s question.
“Unfortunately, the imperial family is still necessary for now. As you know, the justification for annihilating the Japanese army was the assassination of His Imperial Majesty. However, we could reduce imperial authority and transition to a constitutional monarchy.”
So they were back to square one. With Japan rendered impotent, Britain might be forced to watch Russia advance southward in the Far East. In that case, it might be worthwhile to make use of Korea after all.
“Nevertheless, the British Empire cannot stand by and watch Japan fall into Russian hands. We must conclude a peace treaty. As you mentioned earlier, the Administrator of Shenyang enjoys the Tsar’s favor. Please persuade the Tsar. In return, we will accommodate the Administrator of Shenyang’s wishes to the fullest extent possible.”
“In that case, I would at least like to see a landing on Japanese soil. When Japan is gasping for breath, if Britain and the United States step in to mediate, then I will persuade the Tsar as well.”
Persuading the Tsar was merely a bluff, but she delivered it with absolute confidence. Of course, if Jordan knew about her ability to traverse parallel worlds, things would be different.
“If we end the war, what does your country desire? Recognition of independence and reparations are naturally expected.”
“Nullification of all unequal treaties signed with Japan and a complete severance of relations. Also, we were swindled by Japan regarding warships. We would like to acquire Japan’s remaining warships. Ah, and if you could suitably cover up the matter of drowning hundreds of thousands of Japanese soldiers, I would be grateful. After all, it was Britain that disarmed them, was it not?”
She claimed she would be neither pro-Russian nor pro-British, yet her demands were excessive. Independence, treaty nullification, and reparations were expected, but now she wanted warships as well. Given the circumstances with Japan, it was understandable as a means of self-defense, and even the request to have Britain cover up the massacre—while infuriating—was not impossible.
“Will the Russian Tsar accept Korea acquiring those warships?”
“I will persuade the Tsar on that matter as well.”
Her words could not be fully trusted. She was merely saying what sounded good. For the sake of national interest, she might still align with Russia. But for now, Britain had no other options. If Korea could at least stand on its own, it would not cling to Russia. At the same time, Jordan found himself curious about how this reaper—this Joan of Arc of Korea—would transform the weak nation of Korea. No matter how much Korea struggled and built its strength, it would never pose a threat to either Britain or Russia. In that case, perhaps it would not hurt to lend this woman a little support.
“Very well. I will trust the words of the Administrator of Shenyang.”
“I am grateful for the minister’s goodwill.”
Meanwhile, Russia had also changed its thinking following the annihilation of Japan’s Manchurian army.
“We control the seas, and as Countess Ok predicted, their main force in Manchuria has been destroyed. The Japanese home islands are defenseless. This is the perfect opportunity to land!”
Their fleet was shattered and they had lost command of the sea. Their army was gone as well. Now was the time. Bloody Sunday had occurred, but that was that, and this was this. With internal unrest, Russia needed a perfect victory more than ever.
“Then will you not accept Britain’s mediation proposal?”
“I will not accept it! Before those bastards can intervene militarily, land immediately and capture that so-called Emperor of Nippon!”
Nicholas II had also changed his mind. If not now, when would they ever capture them? Even if Britain interfered, they had to weaken Japan first.