Chapter 389
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: National Security Law
Of course, tacit approval didn't mean they would sit idly by and watch every action.
Korea and the Soviet Union issued strong warnings that any attempt by the United States to change the regime would lead to "catastrophic consequences."
"Only by speaking out like this can we avoid hearing nonsense later about sharing the refugee burden."
The Korean government, foreseeing even the outcome of the war, watched the Libyan conflict with composure.
But the sentiments of the civilians were somewhat different.
The live TV broadcasts of America's "overwhelming power" were more than enough to stir anxiety among Koreans.
"Libya isn't some weak country, but their air force and air defenses got wiped out in a single day."
Koreans viewed this fact with fear.
"Isn't that powerhouse our rival? Shouldn't we ramp up our military spending?"
Public opinion began demanding a focus on military buildup.
"Military buildup, huh."
Bae Seong-jun was not pleased with the calls for increased military spending.
There were already countless places money needed to go, so what was the point of pouring more into unnecessary armaments?
In reality, Korea's military spending was at 300 billion won, equivalent to about 50% of the United States' 300 billion dollars.
If the goal was to surpass American military power, spending more than that would make sense, but Korea had no reason to do so.
'Our military expenditures are already excessively high as it is.'
Korea also had the Soviet Union as a partner.
To ease public anxiety, Pyongyang held joint military exercises with Soviet forces.
Korea broadcast all the military training conducted in Siberia on TV.
"We have strategic bombers too, and aircraft carriers, and everything."
With the government's triple show of strength, the public opinion demanding military buildup quieted down.
While all eyes were focused on the war and military matters, Pyongyang introduced the "National Security Law."
"National Security Law?"
"It's a provision allowing inspection of personal communications if necessary for national security."
"Why bring up something like that now? We've been fine without it."
In fact, Korean intelligence agencies had been surveilling individuals and prying into private lives without such a law.
But the world had changed.
"The times have changed, so we're making it legal in advance."
That way, when issues surfaced, people would be less likely to rebel.
The rationale for the security law put forward by Bae Seong-jun was simple.
It was a preemptive measure to prevent simultaneous multi-site terrorist attacks like those in the Middle East.
"Agree to this measure for national security, please?"
"Why would we agree to such nonsense?"
The opposition refused to support the security law.
They hung banners in the streets, decrying its injustice.
"This is a means to strengthen the dictatorship of the intelligence agencies. We must not fall for this ploy to legally gag the public!"
Of course, not the entire opposition was fiercely opposing it.
Those under the influence of the Agency's covert hand merely pretended to join protests without raising their voices actively.
The forces leading the opposition were only a faction within the opposition.
As soon as Bae Seong-jun returned to his office, he lit a cigarette.
"Who's the most vocal opponent from the New Democratic Party?"
"Assemblywoman Lee Se-eun."
At those words, Bae Seong-jun tapped his cigarette ash into the ashtray.
Lee Se-eun.
She was a politician who constantly opposed the Agency and government policies to make her presence known.
Even those who didn't know the New Democratic Party knew Lee Se-eun's name.
"As expected, it's her."
Bae Seong-jun thought she had a good grasp on the issue.
If Lee Se-eun clung to this to the end, the Agency would inevitably face considerable fatigue.
'Might be best to let this one slide.'
Bae Seong-jun weighed the pros and cons for a moment.
'But not right now.'
People needed to know that the Agency could legally monitor conversations and PC communications at any time—that would make them self-censor.
Only with such an invisible gag could the intelligence agency keep the nation under control even in the age of information and communications.
"Suppress any talk related to Assemblywoman Lee Se-eun."
If she persisted in opposition, they could erase her presence from the media.
Bae Seong-jun tried to bury the security law issue this way, but things didn't unfold so simply.
"Director, information about the security law is spreading rapidly, centered on PC communications."
If this continued, the security law risked drawing national attention.
The Agency racked its brains over the issue.
"Director, how about demanding censorship from PC communication service companies?"
That was absolutely out of the question.
Showing overt censorship could provoke even greater backlash.
The countermeasure Bae Seong-jun proposed was straightforward.
"No choice. We'll have to deploy the comment shills."
"Pardon?"
In the original timeline, China had mobilized countless sockpuppets to manipulate Korean public opinion.
Later, they even used bots to flood comments.
There was no reason the current Korea couldn't do the same.
Bae Seong-jun ordered the deployment of comment shills, a novel concept for this era.
"Select only those loyal to Korean-style democracy."
Following the directive from above, the Agency surveyed and selected people ideologically aligned with authoritarianism, then mobilized them en masse as comment shills.
Agency staff were also thrown into the comment operations.
"Your daily quota is 100 posts or 1,500 comments. Remember that."
With the onslaught of the comment shills, the PC communication bulletin boards turned into chaos in an instant.
"The security law isn't that problematic, apparently."
"Right. Police exercise judicial investigation rights to catch criminals. Similarly, intelligence agencies need the right to sift through data for investigations. They can't expect the police to dig through servers."
The comment shills bombarded security law info posts with overwhelming volume.
Of course, netizens didn't just sit back and take it.
"What nonsense! What does national security have to do with the government snooping into our home lives?"
"These guys aren't commenting from Kumsusan, are they?"
They desperately fought back against the deluge from the comment shills.
But netizens couldn't match the Agency.
The Agency wasn't some brute-force mob sticking to one pattern.
The Agency were experts at wedge-driving psyops on a world-class level.
"Look at these idiots defending intelligence agency dictatorship. It's because of those National Equality and Peace morons that pigs are rampant in our country."
Some comment shills pretended to side with netizens, using aggressive language to deliberately provoke backlash.
"Look at that superior chosen-people mentality. Dictatorship or whatever, as long as they make us live well, who cares."
That would draw contrarian types to defend the pro-dictatorship side.
Too obvious a tactic, you say?
Comparing the internet savvy of the 21st century to the late 20th was unfair.
People of this era weren't battle-hardened web veterans.
The Agency also shifted topics intermittently.
"Heard there's a serial killer in Dongnae."
They sprinkled intriguing content to divert attention and introduced foreign examples of similar laws being passed.
"It's not just us."
Sometimes they referenced past terror incidents(?) in Korea to emphasize it wasn't a terror-free zone.
"True. How many horrifying events like the white powder terror have happened?"
To add credibility, the Agency even staged a false flag.
"Explosives found on the Daedong River Bridge!"
Before the Agency's dazzling dribbling, the netizens eventually crumbled.
"Security law posts have pretty much dried up now."
No matter how much info posts were written, they got buried under the flood of posts and sensational info, losing attention, so people backed off from the security law bait.
Finally, the security law talk that dominated the bulletin boards sank to fringe status.
But Bae Seong-jun didn't let his guard down.
"Maintain emergency response posture for the time being."
Maintaining emergency response meant continuing the comment manipulation.
"Understood."
With media blackout and defeat in the PC communication opinion war,
The opposition lost all their main cards in the security law fight.
Yet, they didn't yield easily.
Instead of mass protests, Lee Se-eun stood in front of Kumsusan with a picket sign for a one-person demonstration.
She ignored the stares of passersby.
Bae Seong-jun nodded at Lee Se-eun's tenacity.
'As a politician, that's how it should be. Fleeing an issue just because the board is unfavorable? No big-league player does that.'
Bae Seong-jun watched her growth fondly, but he had no intention of letting her win.
"Prepare an event related to Lee Seong-jun."
Create an event she absolutely had to attend.
If she attended?
The one-person protest loses meaning.
If she didn't?
Damage to her title as Lee Seong-jun's daughter.
From afar, Bae Seong-jun imparted a lesson to his daughter holding a picket alone at the main gate of Kumsusan.
"That's how politics is done, my dear. Not with amateur moves like that."
Pressuring the opponent to demand negotiation was amateurish.
True political maneuvering forced the opponent to choose the unfavorable option themselves.
So what was masterful politics?
Eliminating the opponent without them even realizing what hit them.
Bae Seong-jun gazed at his distant daughter for a moment before drawing the curtains.