Chapter 186
Chapter 186
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Strengthening Foundations
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While Miso was wasting time and money pointlessly in Indochina, we established the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and accelerated rocket development.
This was a declaration of our intent to pour national budget into rocket development from now on.
“We need to complete an ICBM by 1960 if possible.”
“That’s not as easy as it sounds.”
“If we can’t, we’ll invest more money. I don’t want to hear excuses.”
I drove the point home firmly to the German engineers.
In truth, despite their complaints, the German engineers weren’t failing to produce results.
The short-range missiles they had already developed were entering combat testing.
Medium-range and intermediate-range missile development was also taking shape.
So, demanding an ICBM by 1960 wasn’t an unreasonable ask.
Of course, our aim with the ICBM wasn’t just mutual assured destruction.
If we could build an ICBM, we could also aim for artificial satellites.
‘We could recreate the Sputnik shock ourselves.’
The problem was that doing so might provoke suspicion and jealousy from the United States.
The position I was aiming for was third or fourth, right behind the Soviet Union and the United States.
Not too far ahead, not lagging too far behind.
That said, I had no intention of just yielding to Miso.
Handing over first place in fields that brought in money rather than mere honor was out of the question; I was fully committed to claiming them for ourselves.
Fields like semiconductors, which would feed us in the future, were prime examples.
We poured national resources into transistor production.
Once we cranked out the volume, crushing the competition would just be a matter of time.
“Mass production know-how is technology too.”
Of course, we backed this production with massive facility investments funded by national subsidies.
Cheating, you say?
This is an era when even the Chinese Communists can legally hand out subsidies.
As long as we’re not breaking the rules of the game, what does it matter?
“No, how can you sell transistors that cheap?”
“If you’re jealous, sell cheaper yourselves. We’re selling at a profit.”
Subsidies to crush competitors weren’t limited to semiconductors.
We slipped subsidies, even if modest amounts, into fields like chemicals, electronics, machinery, and shipbuilding—key future revenue streams for the empire.
“Eunsung, Geundae, and Seongseong are Daehan’s flagship companies. With the government’s backing, they must never fall behind.”
“Of course not, Your Excellency. We’ll repay you by dominating the world market.”
Government support didn’t stop at subsidies.
“Government agencies need to back exports too. With policies and support in place, our champions can fight even better, right?”
Bureaucrats who had long believed the state stood above business were perplexed by these directives.
“B-but, Your Excellency. Does the nation really need to take responsibility for merchants’ dealings?”
“What nonsense is that! Economic warfare is still war. Do you think war is only about bullets flying? Remember this: losing an economic war can destroy a country.”
“I-I’m sorry, Your Excellency.”
While we were at it, we established the Daehan Trade Investment Corporation to promote corporate investments.
We threw the full might of the nation into trade, practically.
If we still lost trade competitions after that, it would be on the companies.
That said, we did keep an eye on the trade balance to avoid excessive surpluses.
“For imports, prioritize American and European products if prices are similar.”
If we got too blatant about ripping off our rivals, they wouldn’t just sit idly by.
This way, like a seesaw game, I balanced things while steadily increasing the empire’s market share.
Revving up the economic growth engine on one side,
and boosting our prestige by playing international arbiter on the other.
If only the threat of nuclear war weren’t hanging over us, the Cold War would have been a pure blessing.
“And so, the Azumanga Brigade rises! I shall become the Great Manga King!”
“Wow.”
My daughter Se-eun clapped her hands, eyes wide open.
Thinking about it, investing in cultural content like this would’ve been nice, but life was too busy for such luxuries.
‘Maybe it’s time to nurture some K-content?’
Ostentatious hard power draws more scrutiny the bigger it gets, but soft power is free from such checks.
Soft power.
Thinking of 21st-century Korea made me crave a boost there.
Compared to its national weight class, the current Daehan was sorely lacking in soft power, so investing here wouldn’t hurt.
‘What should we start with?’
Adult magazines, alongside beer rags, were already pounding at the doors of the American market.
But comics, novels, and music still lagged far behind the West.
Laws stifling creativity were holding them back.
‘Should we loosen the regulations?’
I called in government bureaucrats to discuss a “popular culture liberalization policy.”
In essence, I ordered them to identify potential problems if we implemented it.
“Your Excellency, do we really have to do this?”
“We’ll have to eventually, even if not now. Why?”
“Liberalizing popular culture will likely lead to a surge in political satire. That could spark unfortunate incidents.”
My own criticism, was that it?
But I could endure that much.
My rock-solid approval ratings were the source of my confidence.
‘I’m not the type to waver over a few finger-pointing jabs.’
With vast rural areas as my stronghold, a bit of flak wouldn’t shake my power.
“We’ll have to put up with it. Politicians can’t live on praise alone. Gotta take some heat too.”
We decided to liberalize popular culture with a few preconditions.
“The Broadcasting and Communications Committee will need to do good work.”
“Of course, Your Excellency.”
I created the Broadcasting Committee to handle unified censorship of publications and audiovisual materials.
Cry foul on the liberalization all you want, but even 21st-century Korea policed personal sex lives.
By those standards, this was freedom.
Soon after, the popular culture liberalization bill passed the assembly.
“So we can draw, sing, and write whatever?”
“As long as it passes censorship, yes.”
Broadcasting began allowing some satire and humor that had previously been taboo.
‘Better to let them flip me off than bottle up their gripes by banning even curses.’
It fit with our pledge to abolish the Yushin system.
Right after liberalization, the national mood lightened overall.
“This is Lee Young-jun’s promise: Let’s build a future where everyone can piss freely!”
Black humor riffing on my words even cropped up in public.
Of course, the culprits had some guts swelling up.
Even without Yushin, my power exceeded Korea’s imperial presidents.
If anything, it rivaled a Fifth Republic president.
Caricaturing the top leader like that?
It was absurd, but I let it slide, figuring they were just ‘gutsy fellows.’
“Your Excellency, forgive us. We’ll round up those who made this insolent booklet and give them a taste of hell right now.”
“What era do you think this is, talking like that?”
If the times change, so must mindsets.
How long would we cling to the stuffy Daehan Empire days?
The ‘republic’ the empire and I would build was a different world altogether.
For the empire’s future, we had to gradually indulge the public’s cultural cravings.
Soon, liberalization’s effects rippled through broadcasting first.
Stories featuring widows as leads or centering on affairs—once taboo—boldly appeared on terrestrial TV.
“Damn, it’s the end times. How can a broadcaster air such vulgar trash so brazenly?”
Yet people flocked to that vulgar trash.
The power of spicy seasoning couldn’t be ignored.
Even newspaper serials felt less stifling than before.
Sentences once twisted into pretzels for euphemism now flowed cleanly, opening up the airways.
Expectations grew that it would only get better with time.
Magazines especially shone.
They started running photos at levels once unthinkable.
Even beer mags featured near-nude models.
From Europeans to East Asians, beauties of all races struck daring, thrilling poses.
“This is excellent.”
Photos that could pitch a tent just from looking.
But liberalization didn’t mean carte blanche.
“Sibling love?”
Occasionally, works crossed lines conservative Daehan society wouldn’t tolerate.
Not in movies or dramas under heavy Broadcasting Committee scrutiny, but novels and comics where it cropped up more.
Calls to reconsider the liberalization policy would then pour in.
“When will the government scrap this obscene liberalization that lets such filth loose?”
Opposition parties echoed these in assembly grillings.
But no matter the winds, my resolve didn’t budge.
The empire might get rowdy, but this was a necessary pain.
“How did the empire sink into such decadence?”
“I-it’s those Western playboy customs seeping in.”
They didn’t dare blame me for pushing liberalization.
Lee Sung-jun could do anything in the empire—an untouchable existence.
When I, Lee Sung-jun, said do it, it got done.
“So you were reading porn mags in the bathroom? That explains your recent slacking.”
Of course, not at home.
I bowed my head before my wife’s scolding gaze.
N-not like I was wasting energy on that.
Just a natural reaction.
I swiftly folded my proudly erect pride.