Chapter 306
Chapter 306
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: On a Winning Streak
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Korea's unstoppable rise in the economic war filled Koreans with considerable national pride.
The Korean economy dominating newspapers and broadcasts wasn't just winning against the West.
It was overwhelming the entire world.
Just look at the fact that Korea claimed 35 of the world's top 50 companies.
"Korean conglomerates' market caps rival the total stock values of entire countries—who'd even compete with Daehan's corporations?"
Even the largest, the Sesung Group, matched West Germany's total stock value, so it wasn't hyperbole.
The overwhelming competitiveness of Korean companies was easy to see in department store and supermarket aisles.
"Why carry foreign brands?"
In Korean retail, foreign goods were limited to food items.
Consumer goods accessible to ordinary people were almost all Korean-made.
Exceptions like EA or Third World products often had labels from those countries, but over half were actually produced by Korean companies.
"Even if it's pricier, picking quality Korean goods is just common sense."
Korean products no longer carried the image of mere "value for money."
They'd become premium items worth the high price.
Meanwhile, the old value-for-money rep shifted to Nanjing and Japan.
"For bang for your buck, go Japanese or Chinese."
Korean firms leveraged this luxury image for massive profit margins.
They weren't strong in traditional luxury sectors yet, but they could buy up established brands to compensate.
And they had the cash reserves to do it.
Korea's economy brimmed with vitality overall.
As the saying goes, a full pantry warms the heart— the booming economy fueled a culture of philanthropy among the wealthy.
Korea's rich engaged in social activities befitting their fortunes.
Of course, you couldn't say Prime Minister Lee Seong-jun had no influence.
"If His Excellency goes to the slums to volunteer, sitting back and watching feels off."
Even the middle class took note of the elites' noblesse oblige and started paying attention to donations.
"Let's all eat well and live well. Might be tough, but no one in Daehan should starve or go uneducated."
The Korean government encouraged this private giving with various tax incentives.
"Isn't that deduction too generous?"
"Think of it as cutting welfare costs—it's a bargain."
This sparked a Western-style foundation boom in Korea under Lee Seong-jun's rule, unprecedented before.
Unlike the West, these weren't tax dodges or eccentric inheritances—they were genuine charitable outfits.
The Lee Seong-jun Memorial Foundation was a prime example.
"We'll build the world for children His Excellency always talks about."
He'd never said any such thing, but the foundation claimed otherwise.
It mainly funded surgeries and rehab for kids with intractable diseases.
These foundations' work didn't stop at Korea's borders.
"EA and the Third World are fellow Asians too."
Korean foundations went abroad for charity.
But their operations came with strict provisos.
"Remember: proselytizing during charity work means dissolution and hefty fines."
That's why Korean foundations rarely stirred trouble overseas.
This activity further bolstered Korea's Asianism.
"Korea's the big brother of the Third World, after all."
If corporate and civilian confidence gave Asianism momentum, the government and military gave it teeth.
Lee Seong-jun frequently showcased Korea's military might—now second in the world, especially its navy—at home and abroad.
The international fleet review was a highlight.
EA nations joined Third World countries at Korea's review.
Forty-eight warships participated.
Including Daehan's pride: the new nuclear-powered carrier and nuclear sub.
Koreans sat on the carrier deck, marveling at the Korean Pacific Fleet ruling the seas.
"Your Excellency, that's our boasted new nuclear sub—Jang Bogo."
"Jang Bogo—the name of the envoy from Cheonghaejin."
Korea had a tradition of naming naval vessels after sea-linked historical figures.
Carriers drew from Joseon era, subs from Silla.
The fleet's majestic display stunned attending ambassadors.
"This carrier displaces 70,000 tons fully loaded?"
"Oh, don't be impressed yet—the new ones under construction are 100,000-tonners."
Korea was shifting from three carriers to six, ordering 100,000-ton behemoths.
The reason? America, naturally.
"If the US builds 100,000-tonners, we need them too."
These supercarriers were born of Pyongyang's rivalry with Washington.
But you couldn't call it overreach.
"Look at the ocean areas Korea covers."
Korea's operational reach spanned much of the globe.
Even six carriers felt short for such demands.
Ambassadors were awed by the fleet's scale.
Beyond carriers, the destroyers topping 6,000 tons highlighted the Korean navy's edge over others.
"Destroyers that huge?"
Compared to Korea, even Britain—still clinging to great power status—looked adorably quaint.
Korea then demoed missiles striking land targets for dignitaries.
"With that volume, they'd missile-barrage before landing."
Koreans showed amphibious assaults too.
But with a twist.
"No landing craft from the amphibs?"
Instead, massed heliborne troops lifted off from the lined-up landing ships.
"Launching landing craft slow across the sea? That's for the Americans. Daehan does it different."
The spectacle left jaws on the floor.
"That's over-the-horizon assault."
The Korean Marines deployed over 100 helicopters, dropping massive forces ashore in one go.
"Landing like that works?"
By unveiling this new doctrine, Korea chilled spines.
'Any coastline, any terrain—Korea can land.'
'And insanely fast too.'
The review doubled as a navy power flex to the world.
"Scale aside, our quality matches America's."
Through events like these, Korea proved to the world it could shield all its allies.
It echoed the Soviets' periodic military exercises.
If Korean might reassured Third World allies, the government preached Asianism via propaganda.
"What's driven white Christian civilization's world domination? Their unique solidarity: when outsiders threaten, they drop infighting and unite."
Korea cited pan-European coalitions against Mongols and Ottoman Turks.
Of course, they skipped inconvenient bits—like Venice's sabotage during the Mongols or France allying with the Ottomans—for time.
"Asians can do it too. Blacks too. Why? Whites discriminate, forging 'kinship' among diverse peoples with nothing else in common."
"A world without discrimination" was Korea's Asianism slogan.
In practice, Korea steadily curbed racial and ethnic bias.
"Racial crap's all downside, no upside."
But immigration? Ironclad strict.
"We took Jews and Germans for science brain gain, but no excuse now—why dilute national cohesion?"
Not all foreigners were barred.
Korea selectively opened to STEM talent.
Mostly Indians and overseas Chinese came this way.
"No Europeans?"
Europeans too, but Korea's ideal STEM minds mostly chose North America, so numbers were tiny.
Korea didn't lag in talent quality.
India and Chinese diaspora supplied so many that Korea matched America in innovation and creativity.
Often surpassed it.
America offered immigrants one carrot: "chance at success."
Korea added ideology: Pan-Asianism.
"Succeed in Korea, your homeland succeeds too."
This potent weapon sharpened with time.
"Whether Korea's hypocritical or not, their good influence is real."
Many Asians rooted for Korea's success, its rise to superpower.
Some felt special affinity.
"Hearing Korea's anthem or military march gives me chills. Why can't our national anthem be that epic?"
"Long live Daehan, guardian of freedom and democracy."
With Asians organically cheering Pyongyang's hegemony, Korea wouldn't fall.
So Daehan charged ahead on its winning streak today too.