Racism? Or Ethnic Discrimination?
“Wait, you’re making a movie about the Pearl Harbor attack?”
The Samwoo family, with the exception of Choi Cheol-ho, generally boasted high levels of education. It was only natural, as Choi Ki-hyun had never had the opportunity to study, and Choi Cheol-ho had been thrown into the commercial front lines alongside his father from a young age. However, the rest of the family had received full support, and their academic backgrounds were excellent. Choi Cheol-jun was no exception. Having attended university meant he had plenty of knowledge tucked away, so he knew exactly what the Pearl Harbor attack was.
“Yes.”
“Why? Why go that far?”
It was a reasonable question. The Pearl Harbor attack was a story between Japan and the United States; it didn’t have much to do with Korea.
“I want to show the current American public what kind of country Japan really is.”
In the modern United States, surprisingly few people hate Japan. Why? It’s simple: the U.S. was the victor. At the time of the Pearl Harbor attack, countless Americans had to die because of Japan. Consequently, American public opinion toward Japan at the time was beyond “those bastards should be torn to pieces.”
However, after the U.S. won the war, an attitude of “victor’s grace” emerged. With the mindset of “Well, we won, didn’t we?” the hatred toward Japan faded away. Of course, anti-Japanese sentiment flared up once more in the 80s, but that was strictly due to the manufacturing industry, not war crimes. By the 2000s, Japan even began aggressively marketing itself to the West, heavily seasoned with ninjas and samurai, which led to a massive influx of “Westerners obsessed with Japan.” They were known as “Weeaboos.”
But it was currently 1988. There was still time before the mass production of Weeaboos.
“Hmm… but do you think you can make it entertaining?”
“Isn’t it enough if we just make it entertaining?”
Yoon-gi was confident. After all, he had watched several war movies that easily mobilized millions of viewers back when he was a laborer. And, of course, that included movies related to Pearl Harbor.
Admiral Yi Sun-sin was an absolute, earth-shattering hit. If Japan’s Winds of the Empire was a hit within Japan, Admiral Yi Sun-sin was a global phenomenon. Was it because of the story? No. There were only two reasons why Admiral Yi Sun-sin was a hit.
One was the character of “Yi Sun-sin.” Son Min-gwan had crafted the character so that the audience could thoroughly immerse themselves in him. The image of Yi Sun-sin struggling to protect the land of his birth while constantly being doubted by his superiors—that was what made so many people fall in love with him. Added to this was the performance of an actor whom Choi Cheol-jae had cast purely based on acting ability, creating an incredible synergy. He was the actor who would later play the role of Heo Jun’s teacher in the drama Heo Jun. He wasn’t an unknown actor, but he wasn’t a top-tier star either; Choi Cheol-jae had chosen him because he judged him to be top-class based solely on pure acting talent.
When it was first announced that this actor would play Yi Sun-sin, Yoon-gi thought of only two words.
[JACKPOT]
Thanks to the fact that his acting ability was a guaranteed seal of quality, the character of “Admiral Yi Sun-sin” became a hot topic in every country. It reached the point where the actor’s asking price skyrocketed to the heavens in an instant.
The second reason for the success of Admiral Yi Sun-sin was none other than the thrilling naval battles. An astronomical amount of money was poured into the production, so much so that most of the budget went into the naval battle scenes. If they had had more time, it could have been done much cheaper, but they only had two months. However, it was worth every penny. What critics praised most was none other than the Battle of Myeongnyang. Yoon-gi had intervened once there. It was the scene where the flagship alone charged toward 133 enemy ships. Son Min-gwan had planned for a suicide squad of 12 ships, but Yoon-gi suggested, “How about having only the flagship carrying Admiral Yi Sun-sin charge first?” This created an unprecedented scene.
It was so impactful that executives from toy and game companies, captivated by the scene, approached them wanting to create products based on Admiral Yi Sun-sin.
“Congratulations.”
Kang Seok-ho had finally returned to Korea for a rare visit and bowed his head toward Yoon-gi in the study.
“How is the Korean soil after such a long time?”
“I gulped down a bowl of hangover soup the moment I arrived. Ah, it’s good to be back in Korea.”
“You should have had a bottle of soju, too.”
Hearing this, Kang Seok-ho gave a bitter smile.
“Honestly, the thought was tempting, but how could I do that when I had to meet the Chairman? I plan to drink soju this evening.”
Even if drinking on the job was a way to distinguish success, it would be insane to drink while meeting one’s superior. Of course, Yoon-gi had said it jokingly.
“How are the earnings in the Soviet Union?”
“They are very sweet. I am currently experiencing the prime of my life.”
Ten percent of the net profit from the Soviet Union belonged entirely to Kang Seok-ho. Of course, the revenue from the pharmaceutical company was foreign income and shouldn’t have been included, but Yoon-gi had recognized a significant portion of that revenue as Kang Seok-ho’s as well. That was why Kang Seok-ho’s face looked so bright.
“That’s a relief. How is the PMC situation?”
Currently, the PMC Yoon-gi operated had agents dispatched to various countries, focusing on “VIP protection.” Expanding into Africa was premature. Therefore, it was a choice made to supplement costs.
“It’s quite good. The agents’ Korean proficiency has improved tremendously, so now communicating in Korean has become almost standard.”
As much time as they had invested, the results were certain.
“How about fields other than the PMC?”
“Likewise, it’s good. The number of Soviet citizens studying Hangul to get jobs at factories operated by YK has increased significantly. You could say that in the Soviet Union, Korean is now treated as equivalent to a ‘second foreign language.’”
Unlike in original history, no chaebols had yet been born in the Soviet Union. To create a chaebol, one needed a way to monopolize business quickly, but since YK was effectively monopolizing business in the Soviet Union, no chaebols had emerged. Instead, businesses acting as subcontractors for YK were gradually appearing in the Soviet Union. These were merchants transporting goods to small cities or villages where YK couldn’t supply them. Sometimes it was done by individuals, sometimes by groups of dozens, but in any case, no new chaebol appeared. Instead, they helped eliminate the “half-assed” attitude typical of communism. Because, even if they didn’t become chaebols, they were starting to enter the ranks of the middle class or the wealthy. Therefore, people tried to work hard, following their example. The result was the Hangul education craze. A Hangul education boom had occurred in the Soviet Union, to the point where it was even scheduled on regular TV broadcasts.
“You’re really doing a great job. I’m satisfied.”
“Thank you.”
Yoon-gi and Kang Seok-ho looked at each other and grinned.
“By the way, when should we implement the third phase you mentioned?”
“With my current capital, it might be a bit difficult. Let’s hold off for a while.”
“Understood.”
Phase 1 was Yoon-gi entering the Soviet Union and building relationships with influential figures. Phase 2 was spreading Hangul widely. And there was a Phase 3, but it was still too early to reach that stage. The assets Yoon-gi currently possessed were truly enormous. What could this Phase 3 be, that even that wasn’t enough for?
However, before doing that, there was still work Yoon-gi had to do.
“You know I recently made a movie, right?”
“Of course. Admiral Yi Sun-sin is hugely popular in the Soviet Union, too. It was really entertaining.”
Yoon-gi nodded with a smile.
“It’s a masterpiece for the ages. But, I’m planning to make a movie that follows it.”
“Is it Admiral Yi Sun-sin 2?”
Kang Seok-ho, who had said something similar to Choi Cheol-jun, shook his head with a self-deprecating smile, as if he realized it wasn’t that, just like Choi Cheol-jun had.
“I suppose not.”
“Yes, it isn’t.”
Yoon-gi let out a chuckle and continued.
“I’m planning to film a movie related to Pearl Harbor.”
“Pearl Harbor? Ah!”
As expected of the capable Kang Seok-ho, he read Yoon-gi’s intentions. ‘The Chairman hates Japan immensely; if so, the reason he chose Pearl Harbor is also explained.’
Because of that, Kang Seok-ho could immediately get to the point.
“I will select PMC agents of American descent who would look good on camera and dispatch them to Korea.”
Yoon-gi clapped his hands with an admiring look.
“Whew…! I’m very satisfied.”
Thinking that he should increase the pharmaceutical company distribution Kang Seok-ho would receive, Yoon-gi began full-scale film production.
The reason the Pearl Harbor attack occurred can be summarized very simply.
[If I slap them hard, won’t the U.S. be surprised and come to the negotiating table?]
Surprisingly, it’s true. During World War II, Japan was desperate for oil, and to obtain it, they needed to advance into either Southeast Asia or China. However, Europe had a tight grip on China, and the U.S. had a tight grip on Southeast Asia. From the beginning, through the “Katsura-Taft Agreement,” Japan was able to forcibly occupy Joseon in exchange for giving up the Philippines. As such, it was natural for the U.S. to feel that Japan’s demands were absurd. That was why Japan carried out the surprise attack on the U.S.
And while they succeeded in delivering a tasty slap, they failed to sit at the negotiating table.
“Basically, for a surprise attack to be truly successful, the opponent must counterattack after being hit. They must at least be able to reach a state of mutual destruction.”
Yoon-gi nodded at Son Min-gwan’s words.
“That’s right.”
“But after the Pearl Harbor surprise attack, the difference in national power between Japan and the U.S. wasn’t like that. Do you know how much the U.S.’s production capacity was at the time?”
“Uh… well?”
Yoon-gi knew that their production speed was at a “cheat code” level, but since he didn’t know the specific indicators well, he honestly replied that he didn’t know.
“Simply put, they could build one 10,000-ton transport ship a day.”
“Whoa…”
“You don’t get a good sense of it just from this, right? The U.S. built 2,000 of these transport ships. And they built two types of bombers, one of which they built 19,000 of. They made one every hour.”
“They built transport ships and bombers at the same time, right?”
“That’s right. And the bombers themselves were divided into two types, and I just told you 19,000, right?”
“Yes.”
“That’s the one they made one every hour, and they made 50,000 of the other one.”
“…Then isn’t that almost one every 20 minutes?”
“That’s right.”
Having confirmed the U.S.’s production volume once again, Yoon-gi was convinced once more that there was no country that could ever beat the U.S. in an all-out war.
‘If the Soviet Union had turned the Cold War into a hot war in the original world, the country called the Soviet Union wouldn’t exist on Earth.’
Yoon-gi kept admiring and continued to absorb Son Min-gwan’s military knowledge. Son Min-gwan seemed happy to pour out his knowledge for the first time in a while, and he kept his mouth open for longer than expected. How much time had passed like that? Only then did Son Min-gwan blush and scratch the back of his head.
“Ah, right. This isn’t the time for this. I’m sorry. You said you had a favor to ask regarding the scenario, right?”
“Yes. Please make sure to include the term ‘second-class citizen’ in the movie’s dialogue.”