Chapter 144
Chapter 144
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 144
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Offer
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[This morning, U.S. Under Secretary of State Dawson Maddox visited our country.]
January 2006.
Three full months after the semiconductor export ban to Japan began, the U.S. Under Secretary of State finally came to Korea.
During Japan's economic sanctions before my regression, they wouldn't budge an inch despite our requests for mediation.
Japan must have been throwing money around behind the scenes. The power of money is truly something else.
Heh.
I scoffed at the Under Secretary's nonchalant demeanor on the TV screen.
Perhaps feeling the same way, CEO Kim Young-gi, who was watching with me, shook his head.
“I heard Abe flew to the U.S. He must have given them a hefty allowance.”
“I'm sure he did. Otherwise, why would they have bothered to move their heavy asses?”
“So, what now? The U.S. will likely pressure us, claiming they're also being affected.”
“I'm not sure.”
Honestly, I had no idea how the President planned to resolve this issue.
When I had told him we needed to anticipate this situation and prepare countermeasures, he had merely nodded.
Just then, the phone in my pocket vibrated loudly.
“Yes, this is Jin Hyun-seung.”
-This is the Director of the NIS. I was calling to see if you'd heard the news.
“What news is that?”
-The U.S. has finally stepped in to mediate.
I had already anticipated that, so it wasn't particularly surprising.
The important thing was how the issue we raised—Japan's support for North Korea—would be resolved.
I subtly brought it up, and the NIS Director continued.
-They're suggesting we end it by sanctioning the related organizations.
“Looks like they got something out of it again.”
I replied nonchalantly.
I heard a dry chuckle from the other end of the line.
-As expected, Chairman Jin, your intuition is extraordinary. That's right. According to our intelligence, Japan has agreed to purchase about 80 of Boeing's F-15s.
“They're buying 80 F-15s?”
I felt a strange sense of irony.
I thought the F-15's fate was sealed after we canceled our procurement.
So the Eagle becomes a phoenix after all.
Well, it's true the aircraft is too good to just fade away, but there's no reason for us to be nervous.
No matter how much it's upgraded, you can't change its fundamental design.
It's simply no match for our KFX—no, what's now called the KF-02.
“Anyway, what does our government plan to do? We're not just going to end this without an apology, are we?”
-Would the President ever do that? As it is, he's adamant about getting an apology.
“That won't be easy. They still think of us as some colony.”
-I was worried about that too, but the situation has taken a funny turn. Judging by the mood of the meeting, it's highly likely the U.S. will pressure Japan.
“……What do you mean by that?”
Surprised, I asked for clarification.
The NIS Director lowered his voice, as if wary of being overheard, and spoke again.
-Actually, we recently gained some leverage. Leverage that forces the U.S. to pressure Japan.
“Leverage?”
-Two days ago, Mossad gave our NIS evidence that the Japanese government was directly involved in a far-right group's support for North Korea a few years ago.
“……Why Mossad? And setting that aside, how did Mossad obtain information that even the U.S. didn't have?”
-I don't know the answer to that. And we can't be sure if the U.S. knew about it or not. In any case, the President pressured Maddox by saying that if Japan refuses to apologize, he will release the evidence to the international community.
If things went that way, we definitely had a chance of winning.
If the Japanese government's direct involvement were revealed, the U.S. would no longer be able to cover for them.
In fact, forget covering for them; they would have to impose sanctions. The U.S. wouldn't let things escalate that far.
To put it bluntly, if this incident came to light, they could lose their obedient poodle, Japan.
“So, what's their move?”
-What else can they do? Their position is to fly to Japan as early as tomorrow and urge them to apologize to our country. Frankly, the U.S. has nothing to gain from Japan's support for North Korea being exposed. By the way, do you happen to know someone named Chairman Liam Erico?
Liam Erico was the name of the Sion Company's chairman.
Why was his name coming up now?
Puzzled, I asked, and the NIS Director continued.
-Maddox just shared some news. Apparently, there's been talk in the U.S. recently about upgrading South Korea to a Tier 1 ally. And the person who proposed it is this Liam fellow.
“A Tier 1 ally? You mean they'd put us on the same level as countries like Australia and the UK?”
The statement was so unexpected that my question about why Liam's name had come up vanished in an instant.
Frankly, the first thing to consider was whether being upgraded to a Tier 1 ally would be a benefit or a liability for us.
Things like future obligations, or the possibility of being dragged into unwanted conflicts.
But that was a proposition without an easy answer.
For my part, I just focused on one fact.
The discrimination we'd faced when procuring U.S. weapons and in international cooperation would now be completely resolved.
"I don't understand. Why make such a proposal out of the blue?"
-He said it was a form of compensation.
“……”
-In a nutshell, it's this: if the export restrictions from both countries drag on, it'll only deal a massive blow to the global economy, so we should compromise at this point. In return, they'll compensate for our government's grievances by upgrading our ally status.
He had a point. Nothing good would come from us stubbornly holding out.
We might have the moral high ground now, but that wouldn't last forever.
If other countries started to feel the damage, they would turn on us.
So, as unpleasant as it was, the reality was that if Japan apologized first, we'd have to accept it. And the U.S. was offering to pay that price with an upgrade in our alliance status.
"But is that really enough compensation?"
-I know. That's why Maddox threw in another piece of candy. He said they'll look into transferring wartime operational control in about two years.
"Transferring wartime OPCON?"
The transfer of wartime OPCON was more than enough compensation.
My voice rose in surprise, but then a critical thought occurred to me.
“Why would the U.S. go that far? Shouldn't Japan be the one providing compensation?”
-In principle, yes, but America's true intentions are obvious, aren't they? They'll get back as much as they gave us—no, more than that—from Japan.
In other words, even in the midst of this, they were calculating their profits and losses.
They give us an intangible benefit while taking the tangible profits for themselves.
Just what you'd expect from the United States.
But it didn't matter.
From our perspective, it was actually a better deal than money.
“Whatever their ulterior motive is, if the U.S. is willing to go that far, we should accept it. Regardless of the size of the candy, if they decide to come at us seriously, our losses would be significant.”
-Yes, the government is aware of that. If Japan offers a sincere apology and a firm promise to prevent any recurrence, we plan to end this incident. As you said, if we push this to the very end, the criticism from all other nations could easily turn against us. But there is something I find strange.
“What now….”
-It's about this Liam person Maddox mentioned. I just can't understand who he is to be able to make such a proposal to the U.S. government. No matter how much I pressed him, Maddox just said I would know if I asked you, Chairman Jin.
“……”
I hesitated, unable to respond.
Perhaps taking my silence as a denial, the NIS Director sighed and spoke again.
-Do you really not know?
“I've met him once, but other than the fact that he leads a consortium of Jews, I don't know much else. Rumor has it that he has considerable influence in American politics.
-A Jewish group?
“Yes, I hear it's a group with a long history.
-I knew Jews had significant influence within the U.S., but I'm surprised to hear a figure of that stature exists.
To be honest, I felt the same way.
To think he had enough influence to sway the alliance rankings of a behemoth like the United States.
Setting that aside, I also couldn't understand his motive for taking such a stance.
‘Could it be a sense of kinship?’
The thought crossed my mind out of sheer frustration.
That as a descendant of a people who once suffered at the hands of Germany, he might not have favorable feelings toward Japan, which had also championed imperialism.
Heh.
But that was a ridiculous fantasy.
In international relations, it was unthinkable for anyone, especially a Jew, to get involved in something without any benefit.
Then what on earth was the reason?
In the end, I shook my head, unable to find a clear answer.
-Anyway, Under Secretary Maddox has accepted the President's demand to secure an apology and is scheduled to visit Japan tomorrow.
At his words, I briefly imagined the chaos that would erupt in the Japanese cabinet.
The U.S., having lost more than it gained, would surely unleash a torrent of fury.
And the Japanese Prime Minister and his cabinet would have to bear the brunt of it and pay another price.
I almost felt sorry for them... not a chance. It felt like getting a rotten tooth pulled.
Honestly, a part of me wanted to see Japan collapse further, but that would be opening the door to our own self-destruction.
In any case, the reality was that if the U.S. offered us a handsome gift for mediating, we had to be satisfied with it.
‘The important thing is that this won't be the end of our conflict with Japan. Next time, the situation will be different, probably.’
-Oh, I almost forgot since we've been talking for a while, but could you come to the Blue House tomorrow?
“Me?”
My voice unintentionally rose an octave.
Honestly, just hearing the words "Blue House" now made my heart sink.
As if understanding my feelings, the NIS Director let out a chuckle and spoke carefully.
-It seems the issue of acquiring maritime operations helicopters is about to be discussed in earnest. The military officially raised the requirement today, and there's a meeting tomorrow with key military commanders to discuss the details. The President would like to hear your opinion, Chairman Jin.
“They've raised a requirement for maritime operations helicopters?”
It was sudden, so I was surprised, but it wasn't exactly strange.
In fact, it was arguably overdue.
Considering the destroyers that were lined up to be commissioned.
Still, I thought it would take a few more years due to budget issues, but it seems the military and the government have reached their limit.
-According to the military, developing one in-house is unfeasible due to the time constraints.
“That's right. Reliability is crucial for maritime operations helicopters. To develop one from scratch and ensure its reliability would take at least eight years. It's a shame, but we'll have to consider acquiring one from abroad.”
-That seems to be the military's conclusion as well. So, they will be discussing the specifics at the Blue House tomorrow, and the President requests your attendance, Chairman Jin.
“Me?”
-After all, you're the most knowledgeable person in that field, Chairman Jin. Well, even if that weren't the case, there's another reason you need to come. You'll see when you get here.
“……”
******
Screech!
The next day, the Chief of Staff was waiting for me when I arrived at the Blue House.
He informed me that a meeting was already underway in the main building with the key military commanders who had arrived before me.
It seemed the meeting had started earlier than scheduled.
“This way, please.”
I was led to the annex.
The President and the military commanders, already deep in discussion, brightened upon seeing me. I exchanged brief nods with them and took a seat.
“We were eager to get started, so we began the meeting a little early.”
The President, unlike usual, had his tie loosened.
The key military commanders sitting in a row also had their top buttons undone.
It looked like a heated debate had taken place, and the scene felt somewhat unfamiliar to me.
How should I put it? It felt less like I was in South Korea and more like I was observing a debate in the U.S. government.
“Has something happened?”
I asked casually, lifting my teacup.
It had just been brewed, and a pleasant aroma wafted from the steaming cup.
“Not a problem. We have good news.”
The reply came from the President.
I looked at him silently, and he broke into a wide grin.
“Yesterday, Under Secretary Maddox promised to cooperate on one of our long-cherished projects.”
“What….”
“I'm talking about Link K, which we developed in-house and applied to the KF-02 and the Sejong the Great-class destroyers. The U.S. has agreed to integrate it with their Link 16.”
For a moment, I almost shot up from my seat.
If that was resolved, then virtually all the major hurdles were gone.
But why the sudden change of heart?
Puzzled, I immediately looked at the President.
“Since they're planning to upgrade us to a Tier 1 ally, it would be problematic if there were issues in joint operations, wouldn't it? They probably agreed reluctantly.”
“Ah!”
I immediately understood the situation and nodded.
If we had no alternative, it would be one thing, but we had now developed a complete system comparable to, or even surpassing, Link 16.
So, with the goal of increasing operational efficiency, what choice did they have?
If they had refused integration to the end, the U.S. would have been just as inconvenienced in joint operations. So, even if it left a bitter taste, they had no other option.
‘Hmm….’
Thinking about it now, memories from before my regression came to mind.
The KF-16s, which couldn't be equipped with Link 16 until as late as 2020.
Because of that, only the F-15Ks could participate in joint operations with the U.S. military.
An upgrade project was pushed through later, but it became a point of contention again due to the astronomical costs demanded by the U.S. In the end, the project to install Link 16 on the KF-16s was only confirmed after 2020.
‘But now, that's no longer necessary. We can upgrade whenever we want without spending a fortune.’
“By the way, the U.S. has made another proposal.”
As I was lost in thought, the President spoke again.
The moment our eyes met, he delivered another piece of astonishing news.
“The U.S. is preparing for mass production of the MH-60R soon, and they've said they'll approve the sale if we're interested in acquiring it. The price would be about 30% lower than the original. I was thinking, how about we procure it for our maritime operations helicopter requirement?”
“The MH-60R?”
The MH-60R was an aircraft that even the U.S. military was just beginning to performance-test.
Full-scale deployment would probably be around 2009.
From experience, its performance was flawless. If we could get it at a 30% discount, only a fool would refuse.
“What about the tactical datalink issue? To integrate with the Aegis destroyers, it also needs to have Link K installed, which requires modification rights. Of course, since it will be integrated with Link 16, it's not impossible to operate, but we can't be getting encryption codes every time we need to link up with Link 16.”
That was the problem.
The MH-60R wasn't something we had built.
Therefore, installing Link K would require modifications.
Just then, the President grinned.
“The condition is that they will agree to us installing our Link K terminals on the MH-60R, as well as integrating it with Link 16. So, I was thinking we could procure about 20 units for the first batch.”
“They're giving us modification rights? The U.S.?”