Chapter 205
Chapter 205
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Grooming Successors
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Although the international situation was chaotic due to conflicts with the US,
the regional situation within East Asia was quite stable.
Even the troublemaking Chinese Communists had shifted to a defensive stance after Mao Zedong's disappearance, and Chiang Kai-shek of the Republic of China was too preoccupied with the flood of counterfeit currency to think straight.
As far as our backyard in East Asia was concerned, the risk factors were well under control.
The biggest potential threat was Chen Gongbo's Nanjing regime, but we were taking measures there too.
"Think about those barbarians in Chongqing and the Communist bandits. If we unify with that rabble of beggars, who do you think will have to feed and clothe them?"
"The Communists and the Republic of China folks claim that once China unites, the wealth from Jiangnan will flow in and make everyone rich."
We provided covert support to Nanjing's intellectuals in exchange for them spreading these arguments.
Why should Jiangnan prosper alone when they had to shoulder the burden?
Such claims were bound to resonate in any society, any era.
Even in our own Italian region, the Northern League had gained traction with calls for the prosperous north to secede and form its own nation called Padania.
"You're right. Why should we have to feed those beggars?"
"Life's tough enough as it is just scraping by."
Chinese nationalism was undoubtedly a powerful ideology.
Opposing the grand call to unite as one was no easy task.
But what if it involved living standards?
What if it meant adding one more burden to the struggle of making ends meet?
Then the story changed.
Even in 21st-century Korea, the panic over unification stemmed from the massive costs involved.
The people of Jiangnan were no different.
"Still, we can't let our guard down."
"Understood."
The divisive operations had to proceed steadily and continuously.
After a generation passed, division would become accepted as the natural order.
By then, even if Nanjing gained the economic power to encompass all of China, the people of Jiangnan would reject unification themselves.
China could never become our rival that way.
A fractured China could never surpass the world's third great power, Daehan.
That said, there were still sources of unease.
The timing of handing over power to a successor.
A strong ruler replaced by one who seemed weak.
It was impossible to say China's and Japan's leaders wouldn't entertain new ideas upon witnessing that.
'To prevent that, I need to debut a successor sooner rather than later.'
The problem was there was no successor candidate who truly met my standards.
No one could please me completely, but the heir to Daehan's leadership needed to be as flawless as possible.
Only then could they preserve the achievements I, Lee Seong-jun, had built.
After much deliberation, I decided to summon the successor candidates to Anka.
Of course, I kept it secret to avoid any unnecessary rumors.
The meeting took place at a quiet residence on the outskirts of Pyongyang.
Most of the candidates were tall and stately.
Even the shortest looked at least 175 cm.
"S-Sir?"
The candidates froze upon seeing me, unable to utter a word.
One managed to stammer something about it being an honor.
"Pleased to meet you all. Make yourselves comfortable over there."
I ordered food to my taste.
A privilege of the high and mighty.
I personally poured drinks for the candidates while closely observing their behavior.
"Thank you, sir."
But nothing noteworthy stood out.
Unlike their initial awkwardness, the candidates comported themselves with proper decorum.
Still, the successor training hadn't been entirely wasted.
I questioned them on various topics.
Of course, I was careful to let them believe they were here as high official candidates.
First, I casually asked their views on democracy.
"I see it as a means to legitimize the supreme leader's power."
"A means?"
"Yes. I believe Your Excellency's shift from Yushin to democracy was a way to reduce public resistance to long-term rule."
That was one way to interpret it.
If they were reading my intentions, they deserved high marks.
But it wasn't the answer I wanted.
"Nothing else?"
"I see democracy as responsibility."
"Responsibility?"
"As the Weimar Republic shows, democracy doesn't guarantee the best outcomes. We've seen that it can lead to someone like Hitler emerging at its end."
"True enough."
"When such a dictator ruins society, monarchies or military dictatorships can shift the blame elsewhere. But if the person I voted for wrecks the nation, the public can't ignore their responsibility."
"It's advantageous for learning lessons."
Of course, I didn't agree with that view.
Even pre-68 Revolution Germany hadn't properly reflected on the Nazi issue.
Contrary to this fellow's thinking, the public was adept at self-deception.
"Yes."
"Any other opinions?"
"I believe democracy is the most stable system, with stability as its greatest strength."
"If stability is the metric, wouldn't a dictatorship with long-term rule be better? In terms of policy consistency, I mean."
"The ability to oust a failing leader is a unique advantage no other system has."
"Stability through failure management?"
"Yes."
The candidates each had their own thoughts on democracy.
They had views on economics and military matters too.
"Military spending should be kept to a minimum."
"Because of my precedent?"
"Of course. Your Excellency demonstrated the benefits of peace dividends, allowing us to recognize the harms of high military budgets."
Of course, peace dividends weren't my original idea.
I'd learned from Germany with its broom-handle machine guns and peaceful Japan spending just 1% on defense.
"Keeping military spending minimal might provoke backlash from the military. What are your thoughts on that?"
"Even if the military complains, we should handle them firmly."
The young pups' foresight was predictably limited.
The military wasn't just a simple armed force; it was a powerful political entity that could seize power.
Only someone with my level of authority could treat such a force like a group under their thumb.
'Come to think of it, these guys have only seen how I handle the military.'
That explained why they underestimated it.
At this point, I decided to impart some wisdom to the rookies.
"The military isn't that simple a group. Even in our Daehan, how many times has it seized power?"
I myself was one such case.
"Does Your Excellency mean that civilian control in Daehan isn't solid?"
"Exactly."
Daehan's civilian control was maintained largely by my personal charisma, Lee Seong-jun.
Unlike Anglo-American nations that had built civilian control on customs and traditions, Daehan differed vastly in this regard.
"Since the topic came up, let me ask one more. How do you think leaders should solidify civilian control?"
The candidates pondered my question.
Then one spoke up.
"In my view, we need to clarify personnel authority."
"Clarify personnel authority?"
"The military shouldn't exercise independent personnel power; that strengthens government control. Even practical recommendation rights should be made difficult for the military to wield."
It wasn't wrong, but too much for a young successor.
"What about introducing Soviet-style political officers? I hear the Soviets have zero coup attempts."
That was going too far.
Someone like me, who knew the drawbacks of political officers, wouldn't readily agree.
After conversing at length with the candidates, I sent them on their way.
Jeong Gil asked cautiously.
"Did any catch your eye?"
"They were all about average."
"I see."
"The one who talked about democracy's stability seems worth cultivating."
I didn't think democracy was the best system.
Yet I pushed it because, unlike its rivals—totalitarianism or authoritarianism—it had smaller swings between peaks and troughs.
Democracy doesn't fail catastrophically even when it fails.
Totalitarian or authoritarian regimes, however, can soar to heights and then botch everything, ruining the country entirely.
Vladimir Putin, rebuilding Russia only to drag it back to the grave, was a prime example.
"I'll keep an eye on him separately."
"Evaluations can change anytime, so leave it be for now."
From a long-term perspective, it wasn't time to decide on a successor yet.
"Yes."
I planned to watch these candidates for a few more years before choosing.
Better ones might emerge beyond this group.
For the successor grooming issue, I decided to exercise a bit more patience.