Chapter 273
Chapter 273
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Barrier
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While countless nations writhed from the scorching heat of the 67 Revolution, I began erecting a barrier against PC and feminism.
As the one who had spread PC and feminism, no one knew their power better than I did.
"Permitting video content through a licensing system? Why?"
"It's His Excellency's order. From now on, remember that you need an import license to screen foreign films or dramas."
The main conduit for ideological imports was, after all, audiovisual media.
I introduced a censorship system against Hollywood and Disney, establishing the first barrier.
On the surface, it was explained as legislation to promote Korean culture.
"Foreign books dealing with PC and feminism will be reviewed by the Cultural Censorship Committee."
"Is there a problem with those claims?"
"His Excellency has deemed them harmful to the nation."
When I made that judgment, the assembly nodded in unison.
Thus, the first barrier was swiftly erected.
The second barrier was control over domestic media.
"I have one guideline for drama, film, novel, and comic production."
The guideline was simple.
Do not include content that promotes declining birth rates, feminism, or political correctness.
There were no penalties for noncompliance.
Daehan guaranteed creative freedom.
Just.
Government subsidies would vanish, or you'd fail to place in contests.
Broadcast stations were also required to establish monitoring systems for internal promotions.
"If people with distorted views are promoted to scriptwriters or PDs, they could broadcast extreme claims to viewers. Allow immediate dismissal for anyone pushing PC or feminist narratives, without warning."
Of course, this alone couldn't counter PC and feminism.
That led to the third barrier.
The core of the third barrier was inoculating Korea with a preventive shot.
"Political correctness isn't just about censoring words. It's about watching every word and action!"
I skipped the moderate steps and directly unleashed claims from PC radicals and extreme feminists that would still be seen as radical in the 21st century.
Those spouting these claims were all carefully selected agents from the Agency for National Security who had undergone training.
" Mix in statements that would provoke public disgust."
This was PC and feminism.
My goal was to implant that perception deep in people's minds.
When they spewed wrinkle-inducing nonsense, the media outlets eagerly amplified it.
"Korea lacks 'gender sensitivity.'"
"What on earth does that mean?"
"The very fact that it needs explaining proves a lack of gender sensitivity."
They always preached to the masses in their own insular jargon, laying out claims that were hard to empathize with.
"It's weird for women living off men's earnings to criticize them? That's feminism—enduring that contradiction."
They also picked language and actions primed to draw abuse.
"Wow, is that even human speech?"
It took less than a month to drag public perception of PC and feminism into the dirt.
'Just defending ourselves is pointless.'
I advised the EA governments—practically extensions of myself—to respond the same way as Korea.
"Is that ideology really that dangerous?"
"You'll see watching America. Once PC and feminism spread, it's too late. Counter it now."
EA leaders figured they had nothing to lose and followed Korea's measures.
They'd never lost by heeding Korea so far.
As EA raised its barriers, America's Black civil rights movement gained momentum.
The American political world couldn't ignore the fearsome black storm rising.
"Your Excellency, American politicians are starting to react to the Black civil rights movement."
"They're seeing votes, that's why."
Once politicians reacted, it was only a matter of time before the Black civil rights movement became America's central issue.
In other words, PC and feminism had seized their chance to go mainstream.
I dispatched trained agents to the U.S. civil rights scene.
I blocked other media from sending correspondents, forcing them to just copy our feeds.
"Here, copy this carefully."
We didn't relay a single word of the mild(?) PC and feminist rhetoric from civil rights groups.
Instead, we spiced up their occasional radical outbursts and passed them to the press.
"Studying political correctness to avoid offending others? What nonsense."
Koreans shuddered at the spicy version of PC and feminism crossing the ocean.
Of course, this wasn't enough.
I also drilled the dangers of feminism and PC into my cabinet ministers.
"Remember this well. Feminism and political correctness are Daehan's greatest enemies."
"Pardon? Not America, but mere ideologies as our top foes?"
"America can't destroy Daehan, but they can."
Just dropping the birth rate could naturally extinguish the nation.
That was feminism's power.
Then why release such a dangerous enemy so early?
To topple America, obviously. What else?
There are two ways to surpass a rival in competition.
One is honest sweat to overtake them.
The other is tripping them up.
No way could we honestly surpass America, so what choice was there?
Break their legs.
Without such tactics, we couldn't close the population gap between Korea and America.
While guarding against the backlash of the ideology I'd spread, I watched PC and feminism spread like wildfire.
"We must ally with sexual minorities too!"
Soon, the Black civil rights movement pulled in a new underclass after women: LGBT (note: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) as allies.
"Perfect."
I seasoned the LGBT movement too before introducing it domestically.
"Wh-what? LGBT? What the hell is that repulsive sexual orientation?"
"Sodom and Gomorrah have nothing on this drivel."
Koreans' reactions were pure shock.
In Korea, dominated by conservative Confucian culture, LGBT was utterly unacceptable.
These types allying with PC, feminism, and Black civil rights?
"They're beneath Daehan's notice."
You couldn't associate with scum like that, so their ideology was naturally rejected too.
Japan and China nearby reacted similarly.
"Disgusting! Block such filthy Western trash from entering Zhonghua!"
From Nanjing to the warlords and even Chiang Kai-shek, they all denounced PC, feminism, and LGBT in unison.
Japan echoed the same.
Though.
"Gays are fine, right?"
Male-male love was part of Japan's traditional culture.
In the Japanese commonwealth, elites still secretly enjoyed pretty boys.
So they were tolerant on gays.
Anyway, with China, Korea, and Japan united in rejecting PC and feminism, backlash voices emerged.
"Feminism isn't that kind of movement."
Korea's native new women leading the women's rights drive rebelled against the media's one-sided attacks.
"Media pouring only scorn on feminism—self-reflect!"
I didn't yield to these women's voices.
'Not wrong, but 'ah' and 'eo' make all the difference.'
Yielding here would give feminism a foothold.
I shook the new women's rights movement from the roots.
"Embezzlement of public funds?"
I mobilized the National Security Agency to comb through every receipt from their groups.
And if even a speck of dust turned up, I crushed them with a barrage of denunciations.
"Th-that was a mistake. One receipt slip-up happens."
"Yeah, embezzlement. Tell it to the judge."
Disruption didn't stop there.
Whenever someone made a minor slip, we'd splash it across front pages with concentrated fire.
"Women's rights group exec assaults pedestrian on street."
Each such headline dragged women's rights perceptions into the mud.
"This is too much! How can a street scuffle get turned into news?"
"Speaking truth to power! We just reported the facts."
Their protests were futile.
"Talk a hundred words. Will the major media cover it?"
I ensured not a single word of their rebuttals made major outlets.
Harsh, but necessary.
To counter PC and feminism, no variables could be tolerated.
While running this operation, I began improving domestic women's rights—the very goal of the women's rights movement.
I fronted my adopted daughters (unwed mothers) for this.
"We'll change Daehan's view of women, starting now."
Using my nominal daughters(?) made the effect immediate.
Why start women's rights reforms they'd ignored till now?
To eliminate the women's rights movement's raison d'être, obviously.
"True women's movement, with Lee Seong-jun's daughters."
If things improved without them doing anything, why join a vilified women's rights group?
Better to watch Lee Seong-jun's daughters lead the women's movement.
Through these maneuvers, I aimed to sow doubt about the women's rights movement's purpose.
Once the new women grew disillusioned, crushing them would be easy.
Succeed here, and we'd uproot feminism's last shoots.
Even if sprouts reemerged somewhere, expanding influence would be near impossible.
I'd ruined public perception and sealed media propagation.
For feminism to challenge the mainstream, it'd take at least a generation, fastest case.
With Korea's firewall up, all that remained was watching competitors' houses burn.