The Desperate Counterattack of the Rising Sun
For the past few months, Japan had been scrambling in every way possible to sabotage South Korea. Their first attempt was sending Himura to win over the Korean intelligentsia, hoping to spread the colonial view of history throughout the country. However, this was thwarted by the strategy involving MEV, and Himura, along with those who had been swayed, were punished as the prosecution purged its own high-ranking officials.
The second attempt was declaring a boycott to disrupt the Olympics. But the world didn't even bat an eye. The Japanese, believing they were a beloved nation, expected the entire world to chime in, saying, "Japan! If you don't participate, we won't either!" but that never happened. Thanks to this, an anti-government protest almost broke out within Japan. The reason it didn't actually happen? [Are you planning to cooperate with the Koreans who are acting so insolently toward Japan right now? You are unpatriotic traitors!] With the mainstream public opinion in such a state, sports officials had no choice but to support the government, biting the bullet. If they criticized the government, they would be labeled as traitors and suffer collective ijime (bullying).
Finally, just before the Olympics, Japan tried to lure away overseas athletic teams that were planning to hold their pre-Olympic training camps in Korea. The method was to win over foreign media outlets through astronomical amounts of lobbying. Of course, the lobbying itself was successful. They were able to get the articles published. But did Korea suffer a significant blow because of it? Not at all. In fact, the actual losses were far greater for Japan. Why? Because the amount spent on lobbying was truly astronomical. Of course, since it was funded by the hard-earned tax money of the Japanese people, the Prime Minister and his ministers didn't feel a shred of regret. It wasn't their own money, after all.
However, these obstructions were not the end. The fourth attempt at sabotage was none other than interfering with the filming of Admiral Yi Sun-sin.
Gulp.
There were dozens of people deployed for this mission. One of them, Nakada, swallowed hard as he stared at the main gate of the MEV studio. Naturally, those who could speak Korean were selected for such tasks. Nakada recalled the orders he had received.
The Prime Minister and his ministers were horrified by the fact that a movie dealing with the Imjin War—a war where they were defeated—was going to be released for "free" during the Olympics. It goes without saying that the Imjin War was heavily downplayed in Japanese textbooks. Not only was it described as a war personally instigated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi rather than an invasion of Joseon, but the illustrations used were not of Japanese invasions. Most were just illustrations of Japanese troops defending castles they had occupied at the time. Naturally, war crimes were not depicted, nor was there any mention that the war lacked any justification. If Admiral Yi Sun-sin were to be broadcast to foreigners in such a situation? It would undoubtedly be a painful blunder for Japan, which was pushing the narrative of being a "nation that does not harm others."
'Surely, the mission I've been assigned is a very important one. But...'
The reason Nakada could only stare at the studio entrance from afar without being able to enter was very simple. It was the short-sleeved T-shirt worn by the person standing next to the MEV studio entrance.
[I am definitely NOT an ANSP agent]
This exact sentence was written on the white T-shirt. It was a fashion disaster, but a T-shirt that conveyed information to the viewer with absolute certainty. That was why Nakada could not approach the MEV studio.
'He can't really be an ANSP agent, right? No, but looking at the current situation in Korea, he might actually be a real agent...'
Naturally, Nakada knew very well what had happened to Himura. 50 years in prison. Even when the Japanese government demanded his repatriation, the Korean side refused and threw him straight into a Korean prison. Furthermore, rumors had it that he was receiving a "very warm welcome" from other inmates in the detention center. Thinking of that made Nakada's knees shake, and he couldn't bring himself to take another step.
'If that person is an ANSP agent, and they have enough manpower stationed next to the studio like that, surely everyone else is being watched too...?'
Nakada imagined the situation where he would be caught by the Korean government while trying to force his mission. "Eek!" It was a terrifying future just to imagine. He didn't even want to think about the future of receiving a 50-year sentence and getting the "full-course treatment" in a Korean prison.
'Ah, this won't do. I'm giving up on this mission!'
Of course, Nakada had no intention of reporting "failure" to his superiors. Because he had a very good excuse to use on them.
Japan's "Operation Sabotage Admiral Yi Sun-sin" was quickly confirmed as a failure. Because now, two weeks later, not a single agent had reported any meaningful progress. Moreover, since the agents all spoke with one voice about "valid reasons," the Prime Minister and his ministers couldn't reprimand them too harshly. Because they, too, were convinced. Thus, they gathered once again to denounce Korea.
"Chikusho! Those damn Joseon-jins. Using busy government agents for their own private matters!"
At the Prime Minister's words, the Minister of Finance nodded.
"That is correct. Joseon is truly an uncivilized country, then and now. To think they would use national manpower for such private affairs."
The Minister of Defense chimed in. "I agree. It is truly unbelievable that such an uncivilized country exists in our vicinity."
After a while spent disparaging Korea, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology spoke up. "Everyone, we have tried to show Korea the true potential of Japan until now. However, it hasn't gone well. I have thought about the reason for that."
Since others might try to pick a fight, the Minister quickly continued. "It is because we did not exert our full 'potential.' In soccer terms, it's like we faced them with our second-string team instead of our first-string."
It was a statement that didn't scratch their pride. Thus, the Prime Minister and the ministers all nodded with satisfied expressions.
"That is correct. How could our Great Japan have done its best against such an uncivilized Joseon? Isn't that right, everyone?"
At the Minister of Justice's words, the others nodded in agreement.
"Yes, the Minister of Justice is right. That is why I am saying this: I believe we need to exert our full power this time."
"How should we exert our full power?" the Minister of Finance asked. In truth, they knew better than anyone that they had been exerting their full power all along. But they were just saying this because they didn't want to admit it.
"Looking at the situation so far, it is difficult to send Japanese personnel to Korea to plot something. Isn't that so?"
At the Minister of Education's words, everyone nodded again.
"That is why I suggest, why don't we make a movie ourselves?"
"A movie?" When the Prime Minister asked back, the Minister of Education beamed as if he were excited. "Yes! Isn't Korea's goal to spread distorted history to the whole world through the movie Admiral Yi Sun-sin? So, we should make a movie too. A movie far better than some Admiral Yi Sun-sin."
The ministers began to react positively.
"Then what kind of movie would be good?" the Minister of Foreign Affairs asked.
"Yes. Joseon is so stupid that they chose the Imjin War as their subject for such a good opportunity. We must use a better subject."
"You've already decided on that subject?"
The Minister of Education nodded. "Of course. I believe we should make a movie about how much benefit Joseon received while under Japanese colonial rule."
Once again, Japan's fifth act of sabotage began with unanimous consent.
"Yoon-gi, we're in big trouble!" As soon as Yoon-gi opened the door to the MEV president's office, Choi Cheol-jun jumped up and made a fuss.
"Cook!"
For a moment, Yoon-gi burst into laughter without realizing it. Jojang (a gang leader) was a word that meant the head of the Yakuza. In short, Choi Deok-bae had described Choi Cheol-jun as having the look of a Yakuza boss.
"Hmm?" Choi Cheol-jun looked at Yoon-gi with a puzzled expression as he suddenly burst into laughter. Yoon-gi desperately scrambled for an excuse.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I just watched a movie earlier, and a funny scene came to mind."
"Ah, that can happen." Fortunately, Choi Cheol-jun was fooled, and Yoon-gi managed to overcome the crisis safely.
"By the way, what do you mean by 'big trouble'?"
"The Japanese are making a movie to counter ours. And it's state-led!"
"What? The Japanese are making a movie?"
"Yes!"
"State-led?"
"Yes! And they say they're going to release it before us!"
"Pwahahahaha!!" Yoon-gi burst into genuine laughter.
"Y-Yoon-gi?"
"Pfft, Pwahahahahahahahaha!!" Yoon-gi's laughter continued for a while. Only after quite some time had passed did Yoon-gi stop laughing, and only then could Choi Cheol-jun continue the conversation.
"Yoon-gi, why are you laughing?"
"No, logically speaking, there's no way the Japanese can make a movie faster than us. Especially when it's state-led."
"Huh? What do you mean by that..."
"Ah, Uncle, you think Japan has that kind of potential, right? The potential to release a movie before us?"
"I-Isn't that obviously the case?"
In reality, it was natural for the general public to think this way. The 1980s. Even before the Japanese bubble burst, there was something that world-renowned scholars commonly agreed upon. It was the "superiority of the Japanese bureaucracy." Before the Japanese bubble was exposed, Japan's economy was described as nothing less than "dazzling development." Because they didn't know it was a bubble, people judged everything as "realistic achievements." Thus, scholars looked for Japan's unique characteristics that differed from other countries. That was the bureaucracy. Countless scholars around the world praised it, saying, "Japan's development is thanks to its bureaucracy!" and many countries wanted to adopt the Japanese bureaucratic system. However, after the Japanese bubble burst, these claims virtually vanished. Once it was revealed that Japan's economy was a bubble, it was also proven that the bureaucracy had nothing to do with Japan's economic development. Furthermore, it only became known that the bureaucracy actually invited corruption among officials. However, since it was naturally difficult for people to know this truth right now, Yoon-gi could understand Choi Cheol-jun's reaction.
"Uncle."
"Y-Yes?"
Yoon-gi smiled broadly at the somewhat flustered Choi Cheol-jun.
"You don't have to worry about a thing. I guarantee it."
A movie about World War II, funded by the Japanese national treasury. Therefore, an astronomical—no, a sum that would be an understatement even if you used the word astronomical twice—was poured into the movie. With the situation requiring the movie to be released before mid-September. With less than two months left, Japanese bureaucrats began to move for the production of the movie. And the long-awaited first document approval. However, the mid-level bureaucrat who received the document glared at his subordinate bureaucrat.
"What are you thinking, writing a document like this!"
There was absolutely no problem with the content. Therefore, the low-level bureaucrat couldn't help but fall into extreme panic.
'W-What did I do wrong?'
It was a perfectly normal panic. Because the part the mid-level bureaucrat was taking issue with was something an ordinary person could never even imagine.