Chapter 259
Chapter 259
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Decision Victory
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To bolster Brezhnev, the stagnation theorist, it had been a move to check the post-Cold War landscape.
But was I going to settle for that?
No way in hell would Lee Isung-jun just sit back.
I immediately kicked off the Third World initiative in earnest.
With the U.S. Democrats sharpening their knives, there was no reason to hide our weight class.
I hosted the "Indo-Pacific Economic Forum" in Nanjing, China.
The event was billed as promoting economic cooperation among Indo-Pacific nations, but that was just a front. The real goal was entirely different.
"A Shanghai Cooperation Organization equivalent."
Just as the original dominated China, this would build an economic alliance centered on Korea.
That was the true reason behind launching the Indo-Pacific Economic Forum.
"Won't the Americans openly scrutinize our moves?"
"I've already laid the groundwork. We need to make them think that if they check us, we'll activate our options."
I brushed aside the bureaucrats' concerns.
Now wasn't the time to show weakness.
Twenty nations had gathered for our event.
'The Second World combined barely tops ten countries, right?'
Even this alone put Daehan on par with—or above—the Soviet Union in stature.
And we weren't even showing our full hand.
African countries were lining up to join our economic alliance too.
After flexing like this, I waited for the U.S. response.
America stayed quiet at first.
But their silence didn't last.
Democratic Party think tanks started floating slightly shifted opinions.
"To check Korea, we need to dismantle their economic alliance first."
Just as I'd expected.
In fact, I'd deliberately showcased the Third World alliance framework to provoke exactly this.
But could America topple a Third World alliance with brute force?
In a trade war arena, Daehan wouldn't have it easy.
But on the Third World stage, we held every advantage.
Politics first.
The power holders or militaries gripping these nations' regimes were leashed to Geumsusan Health Information.
Korean policy advisory teams wielded massive influence in their governance too.
Next, economics.
Korea provided these countries with massive development aid and soft loans through economic cooperation.
America could throw money around, sure, but ours came with the weight of time.
A board they couldn't easily flip.
And security.
Third World nations were tightly bound to Korea on defense.
Ditch our weapons and military advisors, and they'd be naked overnight.
How many would risk that?
Ideologically, many followed Korea's model—Korean-style democracy factions.
"Make this the second Korea!"
Plenty of Third World leaders had modeled coups after me, seized power shouting for a "second Korea," and claimed legitimacy that way.
Not all, but those types wouldn't cut Korea loose easily.
Finally, intelligence.
We compiled intel—legal and illegal—from these countries, grasping their governments' inner thoughts.
We tailored deals to their tastes and minds, wielding that finesse.
America couldn't catch up to our edge anytime soon.
And I had no intention of just playing defense.
My first pressure move against the U.S. reached out to Chile.
Chile was one of the countries supplying Korea with massive copper and foundational resources.
Through our ambassador in Chile, I made this proposal.
"We want to participate in resource development in Chile. Of course, we'll return half the profits from mining to Chile."
Even with that giveaway, Korea wouldn't lose out, but by this era's standards—where you hogged every penny—it sounded like a sucker deal.
The Chileans were stunned, repeatedly confirming if it was real.
"Of course. Resources are the assets of the nation, aren't they?"
There was method to this apparent generosity.
"The ones who already own most of Chile's resources are the Anglo-Americans anyway."
Seeing us spread the wealth would stoke resentment toward their massive profits.
With that calculus, we kept tossing friendly offers Chile's way.
"Next time, let's develop lithium together."
"Sounds good."
This wasn't limited to Chile.
It rolled out quietly in Central and South America, Africa too.
Of course, we didn't dump huge sums at once.
Compared to the Anglo-Americans, we sprinkled just 1/20th or less.
From the start, our seed money was bait to foment anti-Anglo-American sentiment.
While we pressed the attack, America didn't sit idle.
Their first strike hit Indonesia.
"What? Anti-dumping sanctions on Indonesia?"
"They're claiming the timber's sold too cheap."
"And Europe?"
"The EEC's signaling cooperation with the U.S. sanctions."
Can't hit us directly? Beat up our allies first.
"You want to side with Korea and fall behind?"
America's intent to isolate us was blatant.
Playing it like that, huh?
"Tell Indonesia we'll buy up all their shipments."
As the big brother of the bloc, sometimes you eat your siblings' losses.
Otherwise, you couldn't secure alliance loyalty.
But we couldn't just take the hit lying down.
Time to grab our own pretext.
"Ban imports of Cuban sugar and cigars. They're pricing to crush our Taiwanese tobacco and sugar."
If they sanction our allies, we sanction theirs.
"Go ahead. We'll mirror every move."
Washington's attack was a light jab.
They held back full Third World alliance sanctions, gauging our reaction.
Instead, they shifted tactics to shake our bloc.
America's real checkmate prep was cash.
"A bright new Indo-Pacific. America will sponsor your economic growth."
They swung open the wallet, seducing our allies.
Billions in ports, roads, power plants, rails—plus heaps of aid and soft loans.
Sweet enough to make your mouth water.
Of course, hardly any of our allies wavered.
'With all the leashes we've fitted, you think a few bucks will flip them?'
Still, a few did bite.
Ceylon was the poster child.
Ceylon's Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike rushed to Washington, pledging de facto loyalty.
"Ceylon wants to join America's vision."
Washington gleefully welcomed the flip.
They propped Ceylon up as a billboard to rattle the Third World.
America announced ten billion in grants and loans for Ceylon investments.
"See? This is what we're pouring into Ceylon. You think honey drips from Korea? What do you even get?"
Even we had to admit it sounded tempting.
But no way were we letting Ceylon thrive under America's wing.
How could we let light shine on their Third World billboard?
We yanked our investment plans for Ceylon and doubled EA tariffs.
"Repay all past soft loans immediately."
But crushing Ceylon wasn't as easy as planned.
"America's agreed to buy even the cars we tariffed."
"They're dead set on using Ceylon as their billboard."
Even accounting for distance, the cost-benefit sucked. Impressive, though.
It just proved how bad they wanted to kneecap us—pissing me off more.
"Any way to topple that fearless woman, Sirimavo Bandaranaike?"
Frustrated, I tossed the question out. ANCB chief Kang Su-cheol replied:
"If so, Your Excellency, how about backing a military coup?"
We had connections in Ceylon's military.
A coup?
We could pull it off if we tried.
But coups were double-edged swords.
Short-term fun, long-term pain—that was sponsoring one.
America's original-world exploits in Central America proved it.
They'd bought eternal hatred from the Americas.
Would we buy South Asia's hate too?
The answer was obvious on a moment's thought.
'Can't take the easy road for a quick fix in our era.'
That's how I saw it.
"Ah."
Thinking coups sparked an idea.
'Why stage a grand spectacle like a coup? Just boot her from the PM seat.'
Ceylon was a parliamentary system.
In other words, sway enough MPs, and you could oust the PM.
I unleashed refined opinion-mongering on Ceylon.
First, I raised allegations of the female PM embezzling national funds.
I backed it with plausibly faked evidence.
Push back? I'd drop fresh accusations.
"Remember: the public doesn't waste time on politicians' excuses."
We turned the female PM into a scandal-soaked criminal overnight.
If her base was ironclad, she'd muzzle the press—but her "female PM" and "post-coup survivor" labels showed a shaky throne. Polls sucked too.
We even hit her gender.
"Think about it. A woman as PM? How embarrassing. Ceylon's the only one worldwide. Are our Ceylon men so worthless they hide under skirts?"
We fanned Ceylon's male chauvinism.
After a month's pounding, the already low-polling PM became her party's deadweight.
"That woman's on the chopping block this year anyway. Time to axe her."
Ceylon's MPs easily voted her out.
"Finally pulled that aching tooth."
Of course, Sirimavo Bandaranaike's resignation didn't collapse the pro-U.S. regime.
We swiftly approached the next in line.
"Parliamentarian. As you've seen, America doesn't protect PMs who pledge loyalty."
"And Korea's different?"
"Of course. We're fellow Asians, aren't we?"
Lip service bullshit, but racism worked here.
Asians discriminate "less" than whites, right?
Ceylon's new government soon declared return to the Korea-led Indo-Pacific Economic Forum.
That marked Korea's decision victory in the first U.S. showdown.