Walking with a slightly uncomfortable gait, Kim Jongil slowly ca toward .
“Are you Mr. Kim Muhyuk? Pleased to et you. I am Kim Jongil.”
“I am Kim Muhyuk. It is an honor to et you like this, Chairman Kim Jongil.”
Kim Jongil nodded, then sank heavily into the seat of honor, passing by.
“Mr. Kim, please sit.”
I too walked slowly and sat down, careful not to provoke the {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} soldiers surrounding him.
“All of you, step back.”
At his single command, the escorting soldiers withdrew. But unlike them, Baek Cheolsu remained motionless behind Kim Jongil, standing like a robot.
While I was glancing sideways at Baek Cheolsu, Kim Jongil’s gaze swept over , scrutinizing thoroughly.
The awkward silence was broken only when finely dressed won entered and began setting up a table with drinks. The reception room instantly filled with bustling sounds.
When the table was set, Kim Jongil poured whisky into his own glass. Looking at , he said:
“Mr. Kim, will you have a drink as well?”
Holding my glass, I rose from my seat and walked a few steps closer to him.
At that mont, Baek Cheolsu stepped forward from behind Kim Jongil and blocked my way.
“President Kim Muhyuk, unless the Chairman instructs otherwise, you must not approach him.”
Baek Cheolsu warned with a rigid expression.
Sure enough, the soldiers who had withdrawn also reacted in the sa way.
But when Kim Jongil waved his hand, Baek Cheolsu stepped back again.
“Co here, Mr. Kim.”
I resud walking, and this ti no one stopped .
Pouring alcohol into my glass, Kim Jongil spoke.
“Do you drink well?”
“Yes, I am confident I do.”
“Ha ha, good. A man must have confidence.”
Laughing loudly, Kim Jongil raised his glass to while I was still standing.
“Let’s drink together.”
I emptied my glass in one go, following Kim Jongil as he downed his.
“Ha ha, yes. You drink well.”
Laughing heartily, Kim Jongil held out his glass.
I lifted the bottle and filled his glass, then poured another for myself.
“Go sit down. From now on, we will each pour our own.”
The distance between my seat and his was quite wide, making it inconvenient to keep exchanging glasses.
No sooner had I sat down again than Kim Jongil raised his glass.
“Co on, another drink.”
I had heard rumors that he liked to drink, but it turned out he enjoyed it even more than known.
After drinking for a while, Kim Jongil set down his glass and spoke.
“Mr. Kim, do you know why I called you here?”
“I do not.”
“Of course, that can be the case.”
He paused, then refilled his glass.
I unconsciously swallowed dryly.
What is he trying to demand, dragging it out like this?
Watching my expression with amusent, Kim Jongil asked:
“I hear you are looking for citizens of the Republic, is that correct?”
“Yes, I requested help from the Chinese side in finding them.”
“I heard from Vice Premier Wen Jiabao. But why are you looking? I hear you want to take them to China.”
There was no point in lying—it would co out later anyway. I decided to mix truth into my answer.
“They are the family of soone I know. I wanted to reunite them. I heard they could not even et during the family reunions, so I asked Vice Premier Wen Jiabao for help.”
Without replying, Kim Jongil drained his glass, then pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. Baek Cheolsu lit it for him with practiced ease.
Drawing the smoke in deeply, Kim Jongil spoke again.
“Our Republic is not China’s vassal. Do you think we grant requests just because they are asked?”
The thick smoke spread through the room.
“I never ant it that way. It was only that I had no ties in the Republic, and the only acquaintances I had were on the Chinese side. So I asked them for help. It was never ant as disrespect.”
“Is that so?”
Only then did the tight line of Kim Jongil’s mouth ease a little.
“Yes, and that is why I ca to Pyongyang at the Republic’s request. If there is sothing you wish, please tell . If it is sothing I can do, I will help.”
“Yes, if there is giving, there must also be receiving. That is how people are, is it not?”
Pressing his cigarette into the ashtray, Kim Jongil fixed his gaze on .
“Mr. Kim, what do you think of the economy of our Republic? Speak plainly, without flattery.”
The economy... If I spoke truthfully, wouldn’t it anger him?
As I hesitated, Kim Jongil added:
“You may speak bluntly. I am not a narrow-minded man.”
Fine. If he wants to hear it, I will say it.
At last, I spoke honestly.
“I do not know what answer you want to hear. But if I speak truthfully, the current economy of the Republic is already at rock bottom—it could hardly beco worse.”
Kim Jongil quietly refilled his glass.
“Outside of Pyongyang, it is widely known even in the South that people are starving to death.”
“...”
“With the Party’s rations already cut off, people are forming markets just to survive, but...”
I hesitated over how to phrase it, but Kim Jongil jerked his chin.
“Speak. Do not hold back.”
“...Very well. Even that is difficult. The People’s Security Ministry and the State Security Departnt exploit the people. Children orphaned wander the markets, exposed to every kind of cri.”
I spoke the truth I knew about North Korea.
“The biggest problem is the so-called Military-First Economic Policy. It is nonsense.”
“That is the choice we made to survive.”
To all my other words he had no reaction, but at the ntion of the Military-First policy, he imdiately countered.
It was understandable, but I could not agree.
“Yes, I understand it as a choice made to preserve the regi. But speaking only in economic terms, leaving politics aside, what I say will be uncomfortable to hear. Shall I stop here?”
“It is fine. Continue.”
Though his expression remained displeased, Kim Jongil lit another cigarette and gestured for to go on.
“...Expanding the defense industry recklessly while daily livelihoods remain unresolved is the road to economic collapse. It was the downfall of every past and present communist state.”
My throat was dry from speaking so long, so I sipped from the glass before .
“Just look at China—they are doing everything to revive their economy through an open-door policy. Russia too.”
“Our Republic is different from those two.”
At his stiff reply, I gave a small nod.
“Yes, it is different. Having endured the Arduous March, North Korea’s growth turning from negative back to positive since the 1990s was largely due to the markets.”
I once more pointed out that the markets created for survival were carrying the weight of North Korea’s economy.
Even Kim Jongil could not deny that.
“Activating the markets further would help sustain livelihoods, but it would still only be an ergency asure.”
North Korea had economic experts who had studied in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
But due to political reasons, they were ignored.
“Reduce the spending on defense, and redirect surplus manpower from the military into light industry.”
North Korean youths wasted ten golden years, from late teens to late twenties, locked in military service. Using that manpower only for drills was idiotic.
Even South Korea used its soldiers in farming season as civilian support.
“The dostic market has limits. You must open the economy.”
The reason Kim Jongil asked this much was clearly because he was searching for a way to break free from dependence on China.
“The more you depend economically on China, the more you will be forced to bow to them. Have you not already sold mining rights at a pittance to Chinese companies?”
North Korea’s imnse underground resources could be its salvation.
But lacking mining capability, it had sold rights cheaply to China. A colossal loss.
“That was because China was the only option. But if you open the economy, you can demand proper prices. And ultimately, you must learn mining techniques from them, then mine and sell it yourselves.”
Given the lack of infrastructure, selling resources was the only path for now.
“And...”
I trailed off, then looked at Kim Jongil. If it had co this far, I had to say it. He nodded.
“Speak.”
“...The nation is too corrupt.”
“What?”
Kim Jongil glared at sharply.
“Not only the elite, but even low-level officials and the People’s Army exploit the people. Reforming that must co first.”
“Reform...”
At first hearing, it could be unpleasant. Kim Jongil repeated the word several tis.
“If reform does not co first, no policy will be anything but hollow. South Korea surpassing the Republic’s economy was no coincidence. It was because both governnt and people struggled desperately to survive together.”
At the ntion of South Korea’s economy, Kim Jongil’s mouth twitched.
I spoke as carefully as possible, fearing I might touch his pride.
“South and North Korea were originally one nation. We are one people. The Republic too can do it.”
“Do you believe the South’s system is superior?”
“I am not speaking of superiority of systems. As you know, South Korea too went through a political dark age.”
When I denied I was claiming superiority, Kim Jongil’s mouth relaxed.
“And in truth, such things are not what matter. What matters is whether the people eat and live well. Without that, a state has no reason to exist.”
I had said all I could.
For a few years North Korea’s economy would remain in positive growth.
But eventually, with U.S.-led sanctions, it would fall back into darkness. That, of course, I could not say.
“Reform and opening...”
Muttering to himself, Kim Jongil drank heavily. A tense silence followed.
‘Did I speak too truthfully?’
I had thought he surely already knew this much. But after speaking, I felt a tinge of regret.
“To maintain the system while opening up—is that not difficult?”
“It is difficult. But I believe it can be done.”
“Tell a thod that will not endanger the system.”
This man, after all, valued preserving his power over the lives of his people. His greed was transparent. I swallowed bitterness.
“When all power is concentrated in one man, it is a weakness but also a strength.”
“A strength?”
“With the ruler’s decision, anything can be done. What the economic delegation that ca with worries about is one thing.”
In today’s one-man system, North Korea was in truth a lawless land.
“They fear that investnts in North Korea cannot be guaranteed. Start with an institutional device such as an investnt protection agreent. If the Chairman wills it, it could be done tomorrow.”
This was the sa reason I myself had not invested in North Korea.
Investing without safeguards was madness.
“Confronting the U.S. may help preserve the system. But if you compromise sowhat, they would gladly shake hands with the Republic.”
Diplomacy is always driven by interest. I pointed it out.
“The U.S. ultimately prioritizes its own interest. They do not truly care about the Republic’s politics or system. If they did, how could they cooperate with other dictatorships?”
“Extend a hand to the U.S.?”
“Yes. Of course, halting nuclear developnt would be the condition. But trading nuclear arms for regi security would not be a bad deal.”
At that, Kim Jongil once again lit a cigarette.
“To halt nuclear developnt...”
Turning his glass slowly, Kim Jongil closed his eyes. His brows furrowed deeply, showing his heavy thoughts.
At that mont, Baek Cheolsu leaned in and whispered in Kim Jongil’s ear. Kim Jongil nodded.
“Let him in.”
Baek Cheolsu stepped back, and the door opened. Lim Dongok entered.
Head bowed, Lim Dongok said nothing. Looking closer, his face was pale.
“Mr. Kim, do you know?”
Kim Jongil muttered as if to himself.
Baek Cheolsu walked toward Lim Dongok. The closer he drew, the more terror filled Lim Dongok’s expression.
“In our Republic, words and actions carry responsibility.”
As Kim Jongil gave a casual nod—
Bang!
A gunshot rang out in the room, and Lim Dongok slumped to the floor.
In Baek Cheolsu’s hand, the gun barrel smoked coldly, without a flicker of expression on his face.
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