The secretariat office within the presidential palace.
"His Majesty is seeking you urgently."
The President's Chief of Staff immediately rang the Army Chief of Staff.
-Now?
"Yes, you must come immediately."
-Alright, I get it.
The chief secretary dropped the phone.
Having delivered the same message to the Minister of Culture, I hung up the phone.
'If this carries on, will this young lad end up as the actual power behind the throne?'
The Chief of Staff's expression also changed a little.
But the chief of staff also believed that Lee Sung-soo spoke only good words to the president.
* * *
The Blue House residence living room.
The President's Chief of Staff, who had stepped out of the room, has returned.
"Seongsu, by the way, there is something I will do soon, and I want to hear your opinion."
"Indeed, Your Majesty."
"Whenever I go to a Southeast Asian nation, I get the impression that the Chinese dominate the economy of the country. The Southeast Asian nations live like servants of the Chinese."
I am somewhat ashamed that the president would cite the issue of Chinese capital at this point.
We've killed enough Chinese already.
'It's one of the things the president did well.'
As the President just informed me, it is safe to say that the economies of Southeast Asian nations are controlled by Chinese capital.
Mostly upper class are of Chinese origins and Chinese descendants.
'Thailand refers to them as Chinese, not Chinese.'
The Chinese are upper class.
But in South Korea, the Chinese community nearly took hold, but was rooted out by a coup d'état.
'The Chinese people remaining in Incheon and Busan.'
I am from the Shandong Peninsula.
These are Chinese citizens who crossed over with Qing troops since the Im-o Incident.
"I hope overseas Chinese will not be the capital power that drives Korea. How can one do it well?"
The overseas Chinese already have no property to own except a house.
And it's difficult to find work at a business. That's why lots of people work at Chinese restaurants or barbershops.
You're attempting to keep me from even doing that, aren't you?
"Are you saying you will oppress us even more than we do now?"
I made the mistake without even knowing it.
"That's not right, the word oppression."
"sorry."
China is now a communist nation. The origin of the overseas Chinese is Han Chinese, so they are likely to become communist party spies in the future."
True, but I know that most of the Chinese who have settled in Korea currently are anti-communists who escaped to Korea because they despise the Chinese Communist Party.
Nevertheless, he is Chinese and Han Chinese.
"I would like to borrow your trick bag."
He was determined to eliminate Chinese people entirely from South Korea.
"Your Majesty, most Chinese people earn their living by operating restaurants named Chinese restaurants."
And there is still a strong impression that Chinese restaurants are upscale restaurants.
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"yes."
"Today's impression of Chinese restaurants is that they are upscale restaurants, restaurants where you go to dine when you have a family occasion or a graduation party. Because these upscale restaurants take cash and don't put money into the bank, money accumulates underground and some of it becomes private loans."
Of course, as there are so many overseas Chinese who were hurt by the May 16 military coup, they do not lend money to Koreans.
"Yes, there is underground money being created."
The overseas Chinese do not put money in banks because they do not trust the coup government.
As such money increases in size and the Han Chinese become more consolidated among themselves, a vast amount of underground money could ultimately find its way into South Korean politics.
So if we don't nip it in the bud now, overseas Chinese can take hold in South Korea once more.
'That's probably why.'
The Yushin regime still walks all over the Chinese.
The reason why the overseas Chinese who still do not depart from South Korea earn money in South Korea is that the Chinese restaurants operated by them are high-end restaurants."
The president nods his head to what I say.
So, if we stabilize the price of Jajangmyeon, the chief menu of Chinese restaurants, I believe that would cure the ailment temporarily. Moreover, if we ban Chinese restaurants from marketing Korean-style rice, consumers will decline and a reputation for a luxury restaurant will evaporate."
I went ahead and sprayed weed killer at the Chinese community that was being eradicated.
The process that I told you is precisely the process that was used by the Yushin regime to root out the Chinese. That's why the existing Chinese left all the more.
Now, Jjajangmyeon prices will be held steady, and Jjajangmyeon, a once luxury foodstuff, will now be food consumed by the ordinary people.
"That's right. Hahaha! As expected, you are my eldest son."
The President assumes I'm a Jang Ja-bang?
I cannot but be shocked anew.
"owner."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Alert the Ministry of the Interior to enable them to act immediately. Sure, Chinese restaurants do not have permission to sell rice."
Even the President's Chief of Staff was unable to conceal his fleeting shock that his views were immediately echoed.
"Yes, I will instruct immediately."
If this goes on, the Chinese will be hit hard once more.
'It's true that the Chinese are embezzling a lot of money.'
What if that money were mine?
But there is no way now.
"Instead of this, let's go to the office."
The president rose from his seat.
"Yes, Your Majesty, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Minister of Culture will be arriving shortly."
"Seongsu, you come with me."
* * *
The Blue House Presidential Office.
"Chief of Staff, Minister of Culture."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The two are dumbfounded after receiving the president's instructions.
"Complete a documentary film about the Battle of Chosin Reservoir within a week."
"Your Majesty, the Battle of Chosin Reservoir was a battle in which the US and ROK forces suffered a crushing defeat."
"so?"
"Is there a need to record such a defeat on video and leave it in history?"
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, observing the situation.
"Tsk tsk!"
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty."
"If you're going to make it, just make it. Don't beautify it, make it absolutely horrific. Make sure to only show the strong camaraderie between the US and Korean soldiers. Ask Secretary Lee Seong-su for the details."
"yes?"
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"Listen."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Minister of Culture saw me.
"Let's hope that it is filmed in Gangwon-do. Well, it's January now, so Gangwon-do will have lots of snow. And Minister."
"Speak please."
Politicians are instinctively clever.
And my presence has already been the subject of rumor among politicians.
"You need to employ top-class actors like Shin Sung-il and Choi Moo-ryong."
"Do so."
Then two top-class actors were apprehended by the Security Service.
We have to utilize the testimonies of soldiers who fought in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir among lower-ranking officers and unit officers to the extent possible."
"Alright."
Now, Korea will summon all of its national resources to shoot a documentary.
"minister."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Provide actors with a cultural medal once filming is complete."
Cultural Medals do not cost anything.
"Yes, I see, Your Majesty."
* * *
The President's private study in the Blue House residence.
The president was standing beside the study window, hearing the Japanese folk song Enka, to his surprise and absurd popularity. Naturally, Korean folk song is derived from Japan as well.
Enka began in the Meiji period.
Most scales are 5-note scales applied to traditional Japanese folk songs, and it's a mixture of these and classical music.
And it is probable that Korean bbongjjak started in the 1920s.
Beginning with Yun Sim-deok's Praise of Death in 1926 and Falling Flowers and Flowing Water in 1927, the writings gained popularity.
And the president was born after the collapse of the Korean Empire.
He does have the justification that he had no country to defend.
But this is only a weak excuse, for there were indeed independence activists who resisted the Japanese Empire until the eve of liberation in 1945.
Maybe those who did not care about Korean independence would have lived like the present president.
The independence activists who were still resisting the Japanese Empire and attempting to let the world know about it continued living with the hope that Korea would certainly become independent, and thus their lifestyle itself must have been different.
"Did Seongsu understand my intentions?"
The president was gripping a glass of wine in his hand.
The alcohol in the glass was the renowned Chivas Regal.
The president typically drinks makgeolli, but when he is by himself, he consumes Chivas Regal.
This is likely also the president's two-facedness.
But Chivas Regal was not a high-quality whiskey either.
* * *
In a moving vehicle.
I exited the Blue House residence.
On my way home in a car driven by the Blue House secretary, I opened the envelope with the New Year's money the president had given me.
'Hey, Mr. Lee!'
It's only a ten-thousand won bill.
Why is the president so narrow-minded?
Or do you think of me as your dear nephew?
It's a shame.
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I'm a bit sad and stuff.
'wait for a sec.'
When I was Chairman Lee Seo-jin, I used to have a hobby of collecting banknotes.
'The new ten-thousand-won bill.'
It was published in June 1973?
The initial plan was to release it in 1972, but it was shelved because of intense opposition from Buddhist and Christian communities. Once the design was modified, it was released in 1973.
'What if you see the statue of Manjusri Bodhisattva at Seokguram Grotto?'
It'll be a huge success later.
Of course, that jackpot came later.
'But it's still ten thousand won that I can't even use right now.'
That's the reality.
'But what is this?'
The money awarded by the president was a 10,000 won bill that would be issued in 1972.
'Is paper money capital?'
Moreover, the 10,000 won bill is South Korea's highest denomination bill.
'Are you telling me to become the center of capital?'
Is that also new?
Indeed, all understandings of meaning created by mankind are sure to be ego-centric.
Just as now.
* * *
January 2, 1972, Office of the Chief of Staff of the Army.
"Loyalty."
I thought there would be no reward, but there was.
'The military cares about me too.'
I saluted the Army Chief of Staff.
"It's a reward."
"thank you."
"Sergeant Lee Seong-su."
"Yes, Chief of Staff."
"Would you like a cup of coffee?"
If the captain is drinking coffee, the sergeant must simply drink it. But he asks me because he knows that the president is quite fond of me.
"thank you."
"Sit down, and this is some pocket money I'm giving you because I think you're my nephew."
"yes?"
This is the Chief of Staff who hands New Year's money even though I haven't even made a New Year's bow.
"If you're a soldier, you should salute three times. Hahaha."
"thank you."
This is how the fact that the President has my back works.
Anyway, I came to the Army Headquarters and received a reward of 10 million won and even some New Year's money.
I got the reward money equal to the cost of an apartment, and these days you earn this much money for capturing a spy. So I deserved it.
'Let's go purchase land.'
I have already told Kim Gwang-pil to investigate some land in Gangnam.
"If you encounter any inconvenience or request while serving in the military, don't hesitate to inform me."
"yes?"
"I'm saying this because you look like my nephew. Hahaha!"
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He is the Chief of Staff who has the look in his eyes which tells me he will do whatever I ask.
That's why the back is frightening.
'My back is the president.'