The Olympics, Part 1
The world had undeniably changed. One only had to look at the Far East to see it. Granted, the Central Plains of China were a complete and utter mess as always, but...
Saito Makoto: 191 votes
Mutaguchi Renya: 183 votes
Former Governor-General Saito Makoto is hereby declared the first Administrative Governor of the Joseon Special Administrative Region.
Regrettably, only those of Japanese descent were permitted to run for the position of Joseon's Administrative Governor. However, even this restriction on eligibility was slated to be completely abolished after a twenty-year grace period. For the Joseon people who had fought so long for self-governance, this was nothing short of a monumental leap forward.
Although it was an indirect election that lacked true democratic representation, the vast majority of the electors themselves were Joseon people. This, too, was an immense stride.
"I heard Mutaguchi Renya is actually a decent fellow."
"They say when the Japs were massacring Joseon people, he drew his sword and fought them off all by himself."
"Still, wouldn't someone like Mutaguchi Renya be better than that Japanese bastard Saito Makoto...?"
"Renya will have to wait for his next chance. It wouldn't look right to elect a mere major as the Administrative Governor."
The heart of Gyeongseong was abuzz with talk of the election wherever one went. True to their reputation as a people who loved nothing more than discussing politics, the topic was inescapable. In any case, behind the scenes of history and politics, Joseon's standing had risen significantly as factions squabbled over rice prices and investments. For the average commoner, however, not much had visibly changed overnight. The title of Governor-General of Joseon had simply been rebranded to Administrative Governor. The regions hit hardest by the shockwaves of this massive transformation were, without a doubt, Hamgyong and Pyongan provinces.
"President Kim Kyu-sik of the Manchuria Development Cooperative is arriving. If any of you bastards mutter a single word about 'Chosenjin' or whatever, I'll cut you down myself. Understood?!"
"Yes, sir!"
"We must execute the protocol without a single error. We absolutely must secure a partnership with the Cooperative!"
The Japanese were scurrying about in a frenzy to welcome Kim Kyu-sik, who was scheduled to visit Pyongyang. Having received a massive transfusion of capital and resources from Austria, the Manchuria Development Cooperative had rapidly evolved into an enterprise boasting the finest technological prowess in the East. For all intents and purposes, it could be considered the Far East branch of the SFW Chemical Company founded by Shtal.
Even giants like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, widely regarded as the pinnacle of Japanese industry, scrambled to catch whatever crumbs fell from the Manchuria Development Cooperative's table. And it wasn't just heavy industry. Trading firms like Mitsui & Co. and financial institutions like Sumitomo Bank were also moving with frantic speed.
"Joseon failed to join the Prague Treaty Organization, but I hear the Manchuria Development Cooperative is joining as a corporate entity?"
"If we want to open trade with the Treaty Organization, we must secure President Kim Kyu-sik's cooperation."
"Ah, and prepare a gift for the King of Joseon as well! That will surely move President Kim's heart!"
In the end, Joseon's bid to join the Prague Treaty Organization fell through. Not only Britain but even the United States had strongly opposed it, making it too politically burdensome for Shtal to push through by sheer force of will. Still, there were plenty of other ways.
The German state itself was formed through a coalition of various Armed Cooperative Alliances across the country. In other words, Germany was a federation of these cooperatives. If a federation of corporate cooperatives could join the Prague Treaty Organization, then what was to stop a single cooperative from doing the same?
Thus, instead of Joseon—an entity with ambiguous legal status and sovereignty—Shtal slipped the Manchuria Development Cooperative into the Treaty Organization as a member. Naturally, the trading and financial sectors scrambled to align themselves with the organization.
And so, Kim Kyu-sik arrived in Pyongyang...
Kim Kyu-sik stared at the banners unfurled before him, utterly dumbfounded. Seeing the banner that read "Long Live Joseon Independence" in particular made him seriously question his own sanity.
"Excuse me... who hung that banner celebrating Joseon's independence? Is... is it really alright for something like that to be displayed?"
"It was ordered directly by Administrative Governor Saito Makoto, so you have absolutely nothing to worry about!"
"The former Governor-General himself... ordered a banner saying 'Long Live Joseon Independence' to be hung?"
"Yes! In truth, the Administrative Governor is highly dissatisfied with the Joseon Basic Law. No matter how important democracy is, the authority granted to the Administrative Governor is far too weak. Isn't it painfully obvious that the home government is using democracy as a mere excuse to restrict Joseon's autonomy?"
"..."
A Japanese... Governor-General... fighting for Joseon's autonomy and openly shouting for Joseon's independence?
Of course, since the Kanto Great Earthquake, Kim Kyu-sik had been deeply involved in Joseon's affairs. He had heard many rumors that Saito Makoto was trying to turn Joseon into his own personal fiefdom... and that he was even ignoring the Emperor's imperial decrees to play king of Joseon.
Even so, watching stiff, straight-laced Japanese bureaucrats take the lead in vigorously shouting, "Chosen Dokuritsu Banzai!" was a sight that defied all adaptation.
Shortly after, Kim Kyu-sik held a meeting with the head of the Mitsubishi zaibatsu at a luxurious hotel in Pyongyang.
"Lord Kim Kyu-sik. How do you do? I am Iwasaki of Mitsubishi."
"Your Joseon is remarkably fluent."
"But of course! Our Mitsubishi enterprise fully supports the independence of Chosen! Ah, and here... we have also prepared a birthday gift for His Majesty, the King of the Joseon Kingdom!"
"...Pardon?"
"Mitsubishi is fully prepared to hire only Chosenjin for all executive and staff positions within the Manchuria Development Cooperative!"
Iwasaki, the head of Mitsubishi, had presented a royal dragon robe embroidered with the Taegukgi as a birthday gift for the King of Joseon. With their factories in Kanto utterly pulverized by naval bombardment, they had to stake their very survival on Joseon. From Mitsubishi's perspective, they had to sell their very souls to Joseon if they wanted their company to survive.
After concluding his meeting with the head of Mitsubishi, Kim Kyu-sik sat in his hotel room, sipping rice wine. They said even rivers and mountains change in ten years, but this was simply too much to digest.
"For the past twenty years, the villains disrupting the peace of the Far East were undeniably the Japanese. And it was a foregone conclusion that they would continue to commit all sorts of atrocities for the next twenty years. But... what on earth is this?"
Kim Kyu-sik pondered the unrecognizable landscape of Joseon and soon arrived at an answer. Japan's rampage had been inevitable. However, the giants of the Meiji Restoration who had driven that madness had all perished in the Kanto Great Earthquake and the subsequent coup. Even if any had survived, they were now far too weak to sustain their atrocities.
Joseon was no longer a mere victim of Japanese aggression. Though Joseon remained weak and insignificant, it had at least become a sort of deterrent, a shackle preventing Japan from running wild.
"And yet... how hollow it all feels."
Kim Kyu-sik had carried on the independence movement while starving, unable to secure even three decent meals a day. He had believed that such suffering was nothing compared to the plight of his oppressed compatriots. But now... a profound sense of futility washed over him, making him wonder if he had been fighting the wrong way all along.
"Yes, hahahaha! It was money all along. Sovereignty, nationhood, all that bullshit meant absolutely nothing. The Japanese and the Joseon people are the exact same. When money is on the line, everyone is equally willing to sell out their own country!"
Look at those Mitsubishi bastards. With their livelihoods on the line, rather than cooperating with Japan's war effort, they were practicing broken Joseon just to kiss his ass. Ethnicity and sovereignty meant nothing. What truly mattered were commodities and currency. Perhaps the Marxists were right after all!
"...Once this schedule is over, I must visit Vienna again. I need to learn the ways of business from Representative Shtal. Ah, right... there was that."
Kim Kyu-sik flipped through his notebook as if remembering something. In August 1924, the Olympics were to be held in Vienna. In the original timeline, Paris had been the host of the 1924 Olympics. However, France, now a defeated nation, had absolutely no resources to spare for such an event.
A prominent orator named Charles de Gaulle had emerged, preaching daily that France must reclaim its colonies. In France's current state, political rallies routinely devolved into street brawls, with mobs of a hundred against a hundred clashing with wooden clubs.
Consequently, the venue for the Olympics was moved to Vienna. And although they did not represent a sovereign nation, Kim Kyu-sik and the executives of the Manchuria Development Cooperative had been invited, at the very least, as honored guests.
"I'll be busy to death with investments in Joseon for a while, but... I must make time to visit Vienna, even if I have to squeeze it in."
In 1922, two years ago. Members of the Olympic Committee had paid me an urgent visit.
"There is simply... no way we can host the Olympics in Paris. Not only the athletes, but the heads of state attending the games would likely be shot dead!"
"And?"
"That is why we have come to you, Representative Shtal. We beg of you."
The original host city had been Paris, but the plans had ultimately collapsed. And with the remaining time left to prepare...