Chapter 172
Chapter 172
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Yushin Abolition (1)
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The person most shocked by the retreat from Korean-style democracy was Thailand's dictator, Plaek Phibunsongkhram.
In fact, Phibunsongkhram was the man who had been ousted from power after picking the wrong side during World War II.
The driving force behind his return to power had been "Korean-style democracy."
Phibunsongkhram had gathered supporters of Korean-style democracy and staged a coup, smoothly seizing the throne.
With a background like that for his comeback, Phibunsongkhram paid close attention to Pyongyang.
"Yi Seong-jun does it, so I'll do it too."
Yi Seong-jun was Phibunsongkhram's catchphrase.
"How does Yi Seong-jun always come up with exactly what suits my taste?"
Phibunsongkhram applauded ideas like the Yushin Revolution Council, where the military held a quarter of the seats.
But a quarter was still too small.
"It has to be at least a third."
Phibunsongkhram thoroughly benchmarked Korea's Yushin system, preaching that only Korean-style democracy could turn Thailand into a great power like Korea.
"You want to be like Korea? Then follow me. I'll inherit Yi Seong-jun's policies exactly. I'm Thailand's Yi Seong-jun!"
Phibunsongkhram pounded his chest and shouted to his supporters.
He had shamelessly ridden Yi Seong-jun's coattails to the hilt, only for the bastard to abolish "Yushin."
No, he had betrayed Korean-style democracy.
The guy was a traitor to Yushin.
"That bastard Yi Seong-jun—what the hell is he doing all of a sudden? He was doing so well!"
Until yesterday, Yi Seong-jun had been Phibunsongkhram's idol.
But now, Yi Seong-jun wasn't an idol—he was a son of a bitch.
Because of that fucking bastard, Phibunsongkhram found himself in a very awkward position.
"Your Excellency, voices are rising in downtown Bangkok asking if we're abolishing Yushin too."
It was a tricky situation even for Phibunsongkhram.
Phibunsongkhram couldn't hide his bewilderment.
"For now, halt all propaganda related to Korea."
He had to backtrack first on the talk of following Yi Seong-jun.
If he brazenly held on with a straight face, maybe a solution would come.
But the ripple effects didn't stop at the citizens' demands.
The problem was the hardcore Korean-style democrats who had been the driving force behind Phibunsongkhram's rise to power.
"Even His Excellency Yi Seong-jun of the Republic says Yushin is out, so what the hell is Phibunsongkhram pushing it for?"
There was already plenty of resentment against Phibunsongkhram in Thailand.
Radical Korean-style democrats in the army joined hands with navy officers.
"Let's drag that bastard out."
On December 15, 1951, a military coup erupted in Thailand.
In his prime, Phibunsongkhram could have easily crushed the coup, but this time his luck wasn't that good.
"H-Hey, I'll step down. Let me go to Hawaii—just spare my life."
Phibunsongkhram surrendered before the gun aimed at his head.
"Now let's try real Korean-style democracy."
The new Thai military regime, true to its radical Korean-style democrat roots, immediately abolished Yushin.
The coup in Thailand—a Korean-style democracy nation—was just the beginning.
The shockwaves from Yushin abolition threw other countries' Korean-style democracy regimes into chaos.
"So, dictatorships are out, but 'legal dictatorships' are fine? This is a headache."
"That's a bit of a hassle. Do we really have to?"
The dictators pursuing Korean-style democracy had three options.
First, ignore it and cover it up.
This was possible for regimes that could completely control the media and silence the public.
Spain was the frontrunner for this approach.
"What does Yi Seong-jun abolishing Yushin have to do with us? You want to end up missing too?"
Franco shook the corpses of republicans to scare the public.
Second, spin the situation.
This was the choice for regimes with weaker media control and less confidence in managing the masses.
Nanjing's Chen Gongbo regime was a prime example.
"His Excellency Yi Seong-jun's Yushin abolition is only possible because Korea is in a 'stable state.' But is our China stable? We're in a civil war. We mustn't forget that. China has its own 'unique characteristics.'"
Third, accept Yushin abolition.
This was the reluctant path for regimes unable to control the media or the public.
Japan's fiefdoms were typical cases.
"Korea must be on the right path. No need to go against it."
Korean-style democracy nations each chose the option fitting their environment.
And they reaped the full backlash.
Right away, Korean-style democracy regimes spreading in the Arab world faced an identity crisis from the shockwave.
"Wait, wasn't the Korean model a nation led by a well-organized military?"
But they couldn't mimic Korea's Yushin abolition without the military giving up power.
In the end, the Arabs had no choice but to abandon the Korean-style democracy label entirely and champion true "Arab-style democracy."
"Arabs have our own unique characteristics different from Korea!"
In this way, Korean-style democracy as an ideology began fracturing.
Each claimed their own country's version of "Korean-style democracy" based on their situations.
Pyongyang, which had created this mess, quietly welcomed the weakening of the Korean-style democracy faction.
"Those guys were all acting like they followed us anyway, which just drew unnecessary suspicion. Better to stick with our real minions this time."
The U.S. and Soviet Union, closely watching Korea's rise, also welcomed the situation.
Moscow and Washington, worried that Korean-style democracy might unite into a third bloc amid their rivalry, breathed sighs of relief at the faction's weakening.
"This means no third force for the foreseeable future."
The two superpowers competing for world hegemony had no choice but to cheer the decline of a new rival.
But they were misjudging one thing.
Korea, even without its followers' strength, had become a fearsome competitor in its own right.
By the end of 1951, the Korean economy had surpassed 25% of U.S. economic power and exceeded 60% of the Soviet Union's.
Unlike the stumbling, plummeting former No. 3 Britain, Korea was a powerful No. 3 fiercely chasing the U.S.
"Keep the machines running! We need 140% capacity! Ask permission even to take a piss."
While others ramped up military spending for war, Korea cut military expenditures and fully enjoyed the peace dividend.
Weapon exports hit record highs, and exports of various products were on an upward trajectory.
While the U.S. and European nations poured massive costs into war, Korea invested in product development and R&D—so naturally, it gained market share.
"Go with the best in home appliances, Eunseong. We love you, Eunseong."
"Seongseong insists on only the best. We won't sell anything we can't proudly show you. The company of faith and trust, Seongseong."
When the Italian War broke out, Western society had dismissed the influx of Korean companies' products.
But now, they were starting to feel wary of the destructive power of Korean goods invading their home turf.
"Huh? Why are these guys' products flooding in so much?"
"I thought they just made knockoffs, but they're pretty good—kinda scary."
"And way cheaper than ours. Even with shipping and tariffs?"
"They're using cheap labor from China and Japan."
The furious advance of Korean companies continued into the Soviet Union too.
"So this is the cola made by those Korean bastards."
"It's called Seongjun Cola."
The taste was far inferior to Coca-Cola.
But the key was that it wasn't an enemy American product.
"Import it."
The variety of goods exported from Korea to the Soviet Union multiplied several times heading into 1952.
Starting with snacks like choco pies and lunchboxes, plus cheap consumer goods like toilet paper, now high-end items like radios and TVs were entering too.
"Korean stuff is on a different level from ours. Haven't you seen party cadres using Korean products?"
Now the world was beginning to feel Korea's presence vividly in everyday life.
Korea was demonstrating the power of a No. 3 great power through economic might, not some half-baked Korean-style democracy.
Ironically, even after Korea ditched Yushin, many Korean-style democracy regimes still followed Pyongyang.
Dictators saw Yi Seong-jun's legal dictatorship as a "derivative" of Yushin.
Or at least, they tried to.
Because they needed the world's No. 3 great power as their idol.
"Yi Seong-jun just wanted to look good to America by wrapping it in democracy. The essence is still the same as ours."
That's how the dictators explained Korea.
That way, they could use it as a successful blueprint for their rule.
As a result, Korea faced no disruptions in policy advisory teams or weapons exports.
Even the Junkers in Germany who formed a Yushin Council used Yi Seong-jun's Yushin abolition to expand their influence.
"See? Korean-style democracy is real democracy. Who would point fingers at legal dictatorship? In Germany with Allied interference, that's the perfect method."
With the world turning like this, Korean-style democracy persisted resiliently despite Yushin abolition.
The situation inside Korea wasn't much different.