Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: High-Stakes Diplomacy
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The next day, a banquet for Korean and American business leaders was held at our hotel.
There were nearly two hundred attendees.
A few of them were figures who occasionally appeared on Korean television.
[Oh! Chairman Lee Yong-moon. It’s been too long.]
Chairman Lee Yong-moon was incredibly popular.
The Samjung brand was already building a reputation in the United States.
Moreover, as his company was the first in the world to apply a 90-nanometer process to semiconductor manufacturing, people from related industries swarmed around him like bees to honey.
[Champagne?]
The banquet hall had the atmosphere of a typical American party.
Classical music and food I’d only heard of through movies.
Servers moved about, carrying trays laden with glasses of alcohol.
If it weren't for what was to come, I would have desperately wanted to immerse myself in that atmosphere today.
“Senior Managing Director Jin.”
As I was taking a moment to fill my empty stomach, I heard someone call my name.
The person weaving through the crowd was none other than the Director of the NIS.
The brief sense of ease I had felt vanished in an instant.
“Let’s go. The location for our meeting with the Secretary of State has been set.”
He was hurrying things along, which was unlike him.
Thanks to him, I was forced to leave the party without enjoying this rare moment of leisure. We were immediately escorted into a vehicle sent by the U.S. State Department.
“Where are we going?”
The car headed straight for the street where the Supreme Court was located.
After driving for about ten minutes, it pulled up in front of a large building before heading directly into an underground parking garage.
[Welcome.]
The man who opened the door was enormous.
He was so large that Secretary Yang, who was quite big himself, looked like a child in comparison.
Judging by the receiver in his ear, he seemed to be an agent from a U.S. government agency. But when our eyes met, he flashed a bashful smile that didn't suit his massive frame.
*What’s with this guy?*
Sorry, but I’m not into that.
[Please take the elevator to the 12th floor.]
Shaking off the goosebumps, I stepped into the elevator.
No one spoke first.
Feeling stifled, I broke the silence.
“Where exactly are we?”
“This is an office of a subordinate agency of the State Department. The Secretary of State should be waiting for us inside.”
The Director of the NIS looked extremely tense.
Then again, we weren't just a diplomatic delegation on a visit; we were a negotiating team here to discuss matters of significant national interest.
To be honest, my own throat had been feeling quite dry for a while now.
[Welcome.]
The Secretary of State greeted us with a very bright expression.
Even if it was just a polite smile, it had a way of easing one’s burden.
However, I had to remember that this woman was leading a colossal nation like the United States, and she was not an opponent to be underestimated.
[It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Jin Hyun-seung of Jaewoo Thales.]
[So you’re the one who gave Chief of Naval Operations Jeffrey such a hard time. You’re younger than I expected.]
For a while, she guided the conversation with light topics.
No, they weren't light topics at all.
The Yeonpyeong Island shelling incident could hardly be called light.
In any case, after about twenty minutes of discussing the armed conflict that had occurred in South Korea, she glanced at her watch and got to the point.
[I’m sure I don’t need to explain why we are all here together, do I?]
*Gulp!*
I heard someone swallow dryly.
I glanced over and saw Deputy Director Im force an awkward smile.
[To be honest, I thought a military official would be more suited for this meeting than myself. But since I am the one ultimately responsible for the outcome of our dialogue, I had no choice.]
She was beating around the bush.
Just as I was beginning to think she was waiting for me to speak first, her gaze suddenly sharpened.
[The White House is awaiting the results of our negotiations, so I’ll be direct. The United States of America formally requests the technology transfer of the gyro and HVP systems developed by the Republic of Korea.]
[…]
For a moment, I couldn't believe my ears.
The gyro, I could understand, but why the HVP?
We had already reached an agreement with the U.S. Navy to build the system for them.
*Tsk…*
Then, what Jeffrey had told me the day before flashed through my mind.
That the U.S. Army was desperate to acquire the HVP.
That it wouldn't be easy to dissuade them.
So, this was it.
They had to address the Army's request, but our production capacity couldn't keep up.
In the end, their solution was to get the technology and build it themselves.
The problem was that the Secretary of State herself was raising the issue, and it didn't seem like something that would be resolved easily.
[I’m sorry, but I don’t understand why the HVP issue is suddenly being brought up here.]
[I admit this was not on the original agenda. However, I’ve been told that Jaewoo Thales’s system construction capacity can’t even meet the U.S. Navy’s demands. Meanwhile, our Army is adamant about acquiring it. So, as for me… no, as for the government, we must find a solution, mustn’t we?]
Her tone carried a strong sense of determination.
It almost felt as if she were implying that no one would be leaving this room until the matter was resolved.
I had anticipated that the U.S. had summoned me for reasons beyond just the gyro, but facing the reality of it left a bitter taste in my mouth.
This was less a negotiation and more of a threat.
[Then what do I get out of this?]
[…]
The Secretary of State’s expression didn't change.
It was as if she had expected this reaction.
Soon, she began to apply another layer of pressure.
[Right now, at the White House, the presidents of our two nations are discussing the revision of the U.S.-Korea Missile Guidelines. Depending on the outcome of our conversation, the result could be satisfactory for the Republic of Korea, or it might not be.]
*Twitch!*
My brow furrowed involuntarily.
I glanced at the Director of the NIS, who also wore a displeased expression.
“So this is why they’re holding negotiations with us concurrently with the second summit. But there’s no need to be too intimidated. His Excellency has already entrusted this matter to me and Senior Managing Director Jin.”
I nodded at the Director's quietly spoken words.
Perhaps curious about our conversation, the Secretary of State tilted her head slightly. I immediately stated my case.
[Are you saying you’re demanding two strategic technologies using the revision of the missile guidelines as a pretext? And these were developed by a private company, not a government agency?]
[…]
She looked as if she’d been caught off guard by my last remark.
It wasn't an incorrect statement, after all.
While she seemed momentarily flustered, I pressed on.
[Frankly, I have no problem handing over the technology. But as I said before, both technologies were developed by Jaewoo, not our government. If you want to acquire them, you must offer us fair compensation.]
[Hmm…]
The Secretary of State frowned.
After staring at me intently, she spoke in a low voice.
[Wouldn’t Jaewoo also receive fair compensation if the range guidelines are revised?]
[…]
[After all, it’s Jaewoo, not a government agency, that controls the Republic of Korea's ballistic missile development program. Jaewoo will be the one developing new missiles with the extended range, will it not?]
She wasn't wrong.
Fine, let’s concede that point.
But there was still one more problem.
[That sounds like sophistry, but I’ll acknowledge that point for now. What is the other compensation? I am clearly putting two cards on the table, while the U.S. has only offered one.]
The Secretary of State let out a dry laugh.
Her eyes darted from side to side before she spoke through her thinly lined lips.
[What do you want?]
[Pratt & Whitney’s F119 engine turbine blade manufacturing technology. To be precise, I want the single-crystal casting and superalloy technologies.]
I said it without hesitation.
Was this something she hadn't anticipated? She stared at me with wide eyes.
[…Do you have any idea what you’re asking for right now?]
Of course, I did.
I was asking for the technology that the United States was most reluctant to let leak.
But an opportunity like this was rare for me. So, as Jeffrey said, shouldn't I at least make the bet?
[I’m sorry, but the F-22’s engine technology is not up for discussion.]
[Who said I want the entire engine technology? I believe I specifically proposed only the turbine blade, did I not?]
[…]
She gulped down the water in front of her as if her throat were parched.
I could understand why.
Even if it was just a single component, it was essentially the crown jewel of the F119 engine.
The single-crystal casting technology for the turbine could drastically reduce the engine’s weight and the number of parts, while the superalloy technology could raise the turbine inlet temperature to a staggering 1,600 degrees Celsius. It was the very core of the core technology.
If I were to obtain it, we would essentially have mastered complete fighter jet engine technology.
*Please, just nod your head!*
My stomach churned as I watched her tightly sealed lips.
The superalloy technology was what had made me realize the truth that some things are impossible no matter how hard you try. Now, I just wanted to be free of that frustrating burden.
Tungsten and titanium. And tantalum and rhenium. The extreme casting technique of melting metals that, like oil and water, would never mix into a single crystal had been an insurmountable mountain for me even in the past.
[Even so, Whitney’s superalloy technology is out of the question.]
The Secretary of State finally expressed her refusal.
Just as a sigh of despair was about to escape me, she revealed a sliver of an opening.
[Even if we were to approve it, it’s highly likely that Whitney would not accept.]
[What if they do? If we give them both the gyro and HVP technologies, the possibility is certainly there, isn't it?]
[…]
[It’s not an entirely implausible story, is it? The U.S. government doesn't intend to own the technologies it receives from me; they will eventually be passed on to a defense contractor. In that case, why not just give them all to Whitney?]
If that happened, there was a chance.
Their business portfolio was solely focused on engine manufacturing, which limited their expansion. That was their reality.
But what if they could enter the missile development business through the gyro and secure a new business area in air defense network construction?
Tens of billions. No, considering the scale of the U.S. military, they would have no reason to refuse an opportunity to reap profits that could easily exceed a hundred billion dollars.
[Hmm…]
The Secretary of State wore a troubled expression.
*Knock, knock!*
Just then, someone opened the door, approached the Secretary, and whispered something in her ear. She nodded and turned to us.
[I apologize, but let’s postpone that matter for a moment and discuss the revision of the range guidelines first. It seems both presidents wish to resolve that issue first. With that said, we propose a trade-off system.]
[…]
[Since an 800-kilometer class missile has already been built, we will limit the range to that level. In return, the range can be extended in proportion to a reduction in warhead weight.]
That was far from what I was hoping for.
Especially the trade-off system.
Reducing the warhead weight would significantly decrease its destructive power. Even if the range were extended, it could no longer be called a strategic missile.
[How long are you going to keep up this charade?]
[…]
The Secretary of State looked flustered by my words.
Now that I’d said it, what was there to hesitate about?
I planned to vent decades of pent-up frustration right here and now.
[What I mean is, isn’t it time to abolish the range guidelines that don’t even apply to Japan, a country the U.S. actually fought a war against?]
[You seem to have misunderstood something. Even without range guidelines, Japan is unable to develop offensive weapons due to its constitution. Furthermore, we have sufficient control over Japan.]
The Secretary of State’s expression hardened as she retorted.
It was as if she disliked the very fact that she had to make such an excuse in front of me.
But now was the right time to bring it up.
Only then could I gain the upper hand in the negotiation.
[Then what about the solid-fuel-based space launch vehicle that Japan is developing? It could become an ICBM just by changing the warhead. Are you going to tell me that’s not an offensive weapon?]
[…]