Empire's Tomb #6
I was the first to bring insecticide to India. Hygiene in this era was inherently like that. But I didn't use the conventional stuff brewed from pyrethrum flowers. That was too expensive—a prized cash cow for the Korean Empire—and far too precious to spray across an entire continent. Instead, I brought DDT.
The West knew DDT was effective against insects but held it back, fearing it might accelerate their colonization of Africa. With the world at war now, I figured it was fine to unleash it. 'Sure, it messes with human hormones, but honestly, that's not the real issue.' More precisely, I saw chronic filth as the bigger problem. I didn't feel a pang of conscience even when dumping poison into the Ganges. Those folks were doomed to waterborne diseases anyway—speeding them along a bit wouldn't prick my soul. After centuries of no improvement, if that poison hastened India's independence and cleaned up its hygiene, it'd be nothing short of a miracle from God. Like the Christian God unleashing plagues on Egypt—it was all driven by necessity.
The real hesitation in using DDT all this time? The Western bastards, of course. I couldn't remove the biggest obstacle to their African colonization. The moment I proved DDT useful, they'd weaponize it just as effectively. That's why I hadn't touched it before. In Panama, I'd handed out cigarettes, booze, and old-school insecticides instead—for good reason. If the West caught on to DDT's pest-killing power too early, would that serve the Korean Empire's interests? They'd shrug off the side effects and blanket Africa with it.
'Just like we're doing now, they'd have carpeted Africa for colonization and "civilization" without a second thought.'
Spraying DDT over India served the Korean Empire's interests right now. The West doing the same in Africa? Not so much—it'd turbocharge their colonization. All that would just arm them against us later. So I let Africans suffer malaria and yellow fever without unearthing DDT. They'd been dying of it forever and would keep dying; why fuss? The Empire's calculus was always: when, where, and how to deploy DDT. The answer: right here, right now, in India.
Hygiene in this era was inherently like that. People knew enough to clean themselves but recognized bugs as filthy. Get bitten once, and you'd hate the damn things. Insecticide? Hugely important. Folks who ignored "wash till you drop" pleas would eagerly spray for bugs. Then, post-spray, just make them bathe with the line, "Insecticide's bad for your skin." DDT lingers long in water? Perfect—extended duration. Blanket India once, and hygiene improves overnight. Next: fix sewers, educate the masses, enforce cleanliness, feed them properly.
Obviously, the Empire couldn't foot the whole bill alone—it cost a fortune. But some spending paid dividends. Korean apartments under construction in Sudan, Indonesia, the Middle East, and now India—prefabs loaded with AC and bathrooms. Fresh off the assembly line, they piled onto cargo ships swelling with Empire freighters, stacking up in ports before trucking to sites.
'Labor's dirt cheap, so on-site construction would be way cheaper in those spots—but honestly, impossible.'
Local builds meant setting up cement factories, rebar plants, and constant oversight to avoid tofu-dreg disasters. None of that came free. It wasn't just investment; it was endless side costs. Bribe everyone from the get-go. Why do you think construction mafias thrive there? 21st-century China and 20th-century Korea agreed on one thing: 'Build local? Use all Chinese or Korean workers.'
Hiring locals didn't create jobs—it just piled up high-interest debt and left. That's why even the 21st century vilified them. But I never thought China's 1.3 billion overlords were idiots. They were scary smart. Anyone who's dealt with Southeast Asia would get my vibe. Centuries of colonial sloth made them sloppy at anything needing skill, trust, reliability, and zero corruption—like construction. Don't do it unless you must. Leave it as their colonial-era gig. Savages need savage rules.
Farming? Fine. Share long-term profits, and they work hard—especially if we import food. But construction? Fails every criterion. That's why modern Korea shipped fully built apartments by sea—not because they were morons. Imperial powers forcing colonies to farm? Not idiocy. Same for 21st-century China and 20th-century Korea. 'Construction? Avoid at all costs.'
In the 21st century, they'd skim every corner on-site, then blame "Chinese construction" for collapses. Tragically high odds of the same bullshit for 20th-century Korea. So I scrapped local builds. Risked becoming the U.S. in South Vietnam—can't cut losses on investment, pour in troops, lose a hand. 'Go ahead, bitch all you want. No local jobs? Tough shit—plow with tractors instead.'
Whatever future schmucks said about Korea, I chose factory prefabs shipped and planted on-site. Better than locals treating them like tofu-dreg or dragging us into forced investments across Southeast Asia or India.
I pitied the colonized, not the construction parasites preying on them.
But 'India's chronic filth? Solved with apartments and planned cities.' At minimum, toilets and management offices appear. That's why I picked modernized apartments to fix India's overpopulation nightmare. Apartment-bunkers were the front line against barbarism.
'Japan, why not build a single construction firm in India?' Let them build in Japan all they want.
Indochina states untouched by British or French rule. Shrunken now, but once hegemony holders. Bangkok's prosperity still dazzled. While the Supreme Leader tangled with Australia, India, China, Africa, Japan zeroed in on Thailand.
Thailand was sovereign, right? Sure, packed with British and French officials, but sovereign—and ripe for Japanese investment. A British or French colony? Korea's approval—no, opposition—would block it first.
Thailand, seeking distance from Anglo-French breath, meshed with investment-hungry Japan. Korea? Didn't care about Thailand. Too busy with world war.
People dying now? Even off the battlefield, war zones kill casually. To cut that, go beyond supplies—create livable conditions. The Supreme Leader, on "vacation," thrashed to ram a slice of the Suez-to-France line into Ukraine. Western Front deaths? Sure, but Eastern Front needed supplies too.
Cargo ships would've been ideal, but straits gripped by Greece—no, Britain and France. No Anglo-French okay for passage? Britain whined, "Doesn't Korea have rails?" But ships beat rails, and "saving" meant saving would-be dead.
Thailand stayed off Korea's radar. But Japan, at France and Korea's prior request embedding troops in Indochina, thought differently. 'Grab Thailand as our sphere while we can?' Korea seemed indifferent. Britain and France? Tangled with Germany and now us. Japan swoops in?
Regrettably, Japan was boxed outside Korea. Needed an exit strategy, future vision: Thailand. Linking with military-ruled Philippines underway—complete that Philippines-Thailand line for a profit zone. Korea ignored sea power. Short-term tough, long-term: Japan goes maritime like Portugal to Spain, Korea dominates continent. Looked solid to Japan. And they had a way: southern French Indochina Cambodia, old Khmer Kingdom turf, already theirs.