Chapter 131: Joining Forces
There is a saying in every corner of the world that one feels sick when their cousin buys land.
That perfectly matches the current situation in East Asia.
While Korea was armed with all kinds of new technologies and concepts, and was running towards the fourth industrial revolution, China and Japan had to watch it with their fingers in their mouths.
It was not that they did not try.
They mostly interfered, but they also made some efforts to restrain and sometimes cooperate with Korea.
But how could the grudge that had accumulated for more than a hundred years be resolved in a few years?
The issues of trade and territory were intertwined, and now they had reached a point of no return.
Korea had completely severed ties with Japan, and although it did not do so with China, there was hardly any official exchange between the two governments.
In this situation, it was not so strange that China and Japan became closer.
Wasn’t it said that the enemy of one’s enemy is one’s friend?
The two countries had a complicated history that was not easy to judge simply, but they naturally got along well when they had a common enemy in Korea, who was an eyesore.
After several secret visits, a summit meeting between Wang Xian Shang, the chairman of China, and Matsuda, the prime minister of Japan, took place via video call.
“Once this matter is settled, you will officially take office as president.”
“President? That’s too generous a title for me. By the way, I congratulate you on Japan’s normalization, albeit belatedly. From what I see, it won’t be long before you become a permanent member of the UN Security Council.”
They started by praising each other.
They both had complexes because they did not rise to the position of leader in a normal way.
Wang Xian Shang was criticized by many soldiers and state councilors in his country for being inadequate to be president, and Matsuda had to endure being called a pro-Korean extreme rightist who became prime minister.
So they felt deeply inferior to Yu Ji-ha, who was rated as the worst dictator abroad but was very popular at home.
After almost flattering each other, they moved on to substantive discussions.
“As you can see from the report, there are two things we need to secure this time. The oil fields in the Yellow Sea and Tsushima Island.”
“Since it’s the sea, we’ll have to mobilize the navy. The problem is the Earth Fleet of the United Human Federation.”
“We decided to use the pincer operation. If we start a fight in Tsushima, we will suppress the Korean fleet in the Yellow Sea. And then…”
“Manchuria?”
“We have seen a lot of things because we share a border with Korea. But Korea must not have expected this day to come.”
China currently shared a border with Korea and often clashed with them.
There were cases where a tank unit got lost during training and crossed the border, or a reconnaissance plane entered their airspace.
It was mostly done by Korea, and China was clearly the victim.
Now it was time to use that situation to their advantage.
If they suppressed the Korean fleet in the Yellow Sea, they would cause friction along the northern border of the peninsula and create an opportunity for Japan to attack Tsushima Island.
Wang Xian Shang said confidently.
“Korea cannot afford a two-front war right now. The United Human Federation’s army is definitely a threatening opponent, but it takes time to deploy and more importantly, the Korean army is in a state of disintegration.”
“Abolishing conscription… It’s foolish to go against the flow of the times.”
Korea abolished conscription while Japan tried to introduce conscription centered on the army.
Of course, the reaction was not very good.
They had always regarded themselves as unrelated to the faraway world, but suddenly they were told to enlist.
It was absurd.
But those who passed conscription were mainly middle-aged people over 50 who belonged to the extreme right-wing forces including Yushinto, and they had no chance of going to the army.
Anyway, young Japanese people were protesting against conscription or even leaving Japan.
More than 20,000 young men left Japan in the first half of 2031 alone, which could not be taken lightly anymore.
Korea and the United Human Federation probably knew where they went.
Anyway, both leaders agreed that this was the weakest point of the Korean army.
“The new combat walkers are not even mass-produced yet and the Korean army has started dismantling them. The morale of the army is low so it will be difficult for them to respond properly.”
“The problem is the Earth Fleet of the United Human Federation.”
They were arrogant enough to name their fleet after Earth for a single faction’s fleet.
But there was no room for disagreement on their power being strong.
Military experts who reviewed the Indian Ocean battle unanimously said that it would be difficult to confront them head-on unless it was the US carrier strike group.
But the waters around the Yellow Sea and Tsushima Island were narrow.
Even their low-spec railguns could cope with them.
Also, both China and Japan had hypersonic anti-ship missiles, which were the weak point of the Earth Fleet.
It was incomparable to the old ones used by Iran.
“If we fire a large amount at once, we may not be able to sink them, but we can disable them enough. This also applies to the Ion beam, which we confirmed in the last war.”
“They are not invincible for sure.”
But both countries were trying to reverse-engineer the Ion beam somehow.
Japan was secretly researching the Ion beam with the US, and China also succeeded in obtaining one through various channels.
The problem was that reverse engineering was not easy, especially the material of the lens used in the laser system.
It looked like quartz, but it was different from any kind of quartz, so experts went into research.
Anyway, Korea was ahead in the military field, but other countries were not just playing around.
The US was also planning to unveil artificial intelligence and drones soon.
“By the way, some of our suspicious friends wonder if this whole situation was not intended by Mr. Yu.”
“They lure the enemy into exposing their weakness… It fits the current situation, but they wouldn’t go so far as to abolish conscription. It was a huge gamble.”
“True, they are facing a lot of criticism at home.”
“And even if it was a bait, they can’t stop now, can they?”
He was right.
China and Japan were in a position where they could no longer ignore Korea.
Korea was becoming stronger economically and militarily by the day, and some predicted that it would be untouchable in a few years.
By then, they would have to live under Korea’s mercy, and that was something their people would not tolerate.
They agreed on the schedule that their staff had prepared.
“Then… we will start with our navy conducting a joint exercise near Tsushima. Don’t forget the large-scale maneuver exercise in Manchuria later.”
“Of course. We had many troubles with Japan, but I want to forget everything this time. Korea is too dangerous.”
“If only Yu Ji-ha wasn’t there, they wouldn’t have acted so arrogantly…”
He felt a surge of assassination desire, but fortunately he didn’t let it out.
Yu Ji-ha’s security was tight after several terrorist attacks.
An aerial attack was no longer possible, and war was the only answer.
“Flowers always wither eventually. And I don’t think the US will stay still. They shun any country that can threaten them.”
“Isn’t Korea too small to provoke the US?”
“They are growing fast. They have absorbed North Korea, so they have 70 million people. If they absorb Manchuria, they will be close to 200 million.”
“You really think they will attack Manchuria.”
“They are sending tanks whenever they get a chance. How can we not notice? They must have planned everything in detail.”
Prime Minister Matsuda felt a chill from Wang Xian Shang’s words.
There was no guarantee that those who wanted to attack Manchuria would leave Japan alone.
Yu Ji-ha never made any comment about Japan, but he couldn’t help thinking about the past colonial rule.
It was natural for a thief to worry about his own feet.
“Maybe… no, he might have already planned to conquer Japan.”
“It’s obvious from his aggressive personality. That’s why we have to cooperate with a long-term perspective.”
He meant that even if their opinions differed in some aspects, they had to stick to the premise of shunning Korea, and Prime Minister Matsuda agreed.
“We are one until Korea begs us for a humiliating restoration of diplomatic relations.”
“Excellent judgment. Then I will impose economic sanctions.”
Korea had restructured its economy around the Silla, and it was so solid that even the US couldn’t touch it easily.
But the basic structure of Korea’s economy was still based on importing raw materials from China and exporting intermediate goods.
If the root was shaken, the plant would eventually dry up and d*e.
If China moved as a whole, Korea would surely scream in pain.
That’s how China and Japan began to surround Korea economically, politically, and militarily.
***
“As expected, China has started economic sanctions. It’s the second Han-Han order.”
“They didn’t learn anything from the US case.”
“The US only boycotted the semiconductor sector, so they must have thought that if they expanded it to the whole economy, we would have a hard time coping. And China is ready to withstand our pressure.”
“Well, unlike the US, their media doesn’t function properly. Their people hate me too, so they would gladly join the sanctions.”
The Koreans were more than just hated by the Chinese; they were mortal enemies who had caused them endless suffering.
Even though they didn’t ban private trade, its volume had decreased significantly.
The Chinese were obsessed with money, but they were willing to give up some of it to destroy Korea.
“The stock price will drop, but they probably think it’s not a big loss.”
“As long as they drive us out and secure the West Sea oil field. That’s why the US is silent.”
“But they haven’t completely let go of us. They are jointly researching Ion beams and railguns with Japan. They also gave some information to China.”
“Ion beams require Aether Crystals to work properly. How are they doing on that?”
“They are experimenting with various gems while trying to find Aether Crystals using their intelligence agencies.”
“They might find some since there are more than one or two that fell on Earth. The range and output of Ion beams will be solved then.”
Of course, he was talking about Ion beams after sealing their output.
Aether lasers with unsealed output were monstrous weapons that could melt plasma shields and armor of battleships, and it was hard to stop them.
Anyway, it was almost impossible to stop their collusion from this side.
At best, he could expose their unsealing of Ion beams and give them some disadvantages, but then the US would blame everything on Japan.
To break their connection, he had to hit the US, but it was not the right time yet.
“We need at least three years… no, five years to fight the US. Let’s turn a blind eye for now.”
That didn’t mean he would turn a blind eye to China and Japan’s atrocities.
Rather, he planned to beat them hard and take what he wanted.
Arma predicted their actions and marked them on the East Asian map.
“As expected, it’s the Yangdong Operation.”
“Daemado and Manchuria will be the main targets. They will try to create friction and increase tension, and then achieve their goals in other directions.”
“They want to tie up the Earth Fleet. I wonder if they think that’s all.”
“You clearly underestimate the productivity of this side.”
He said that because it was rational to deny it, not knowing why he had been fooled several times.
They knew that there was an unmanned plant on Terra Island, but they did not know its scale and productivity.
They also did not know that the smart factory had already been completed and was ready to mass-produce weapons systems, including combat walkers.
The information agency, which was responsible for providing high-quality information by analyzing the source from multiple angles, was playing on Arma’s palm, so they had no choice but to misjudge.
To overcome that, they had to obtain information themselves instead of relying on the information agency, but that was almost impossible in this world.
Anyway, China and Japan’s determination to go to war was firm and irreversible.
He looked at the roadmap marked on the top of the map he was holding and said,
“It would have been better if they had no reaction. We would have entered Manchuria. But it’s good. We have at least some justification.”
“What are we going to get from Japan?”
Arma was thinking about compensation even before the war started.
It was natural considering the power of both sides.
Yu Ji-ha’s hand pointed to Okinawa.
“From the south of Kyushu to the north of Okinawa. All the islands. We need to open a sea route to the Pacific this time.”
There were many uninhabited islands except for Danegashima, and acquiring them would make it easier for the superconducting train to approach Terra Island.
Of course, there were other sea routes, but there was no need to go around.
Arma redefined the EEZ and Japan had to go around in a ridiculous way to approach Okinawa.
But what can they do?
They had to pay a hefty price for trying to attack this side with China.
They had nothing to offer because they broke off diplomatic relations, so they had to give up some land first.
“Let’s think about the rest slowly after we win. Arma, prepare for war.”
“Yes. I will activate the smart factory and the plant.”
Yu Ji-ha looked at the map of East Asia.
After crushing China and Japan, the next target was America.
That country had influenced the whole world for nearly a century.
Its economic power was great, but especially its military power was overwhelming.
If Earth Fleet, whose power was sealed, fought against the 7th Fleet right now, he could not guarantee victory.
And America had 10 such fleets, not including the army, air force, and nuclear power.
Considering these things, the name of the United Human Federation might suit America better.
“I would have been an American if I had a body suitable for my soul.”
But America was so big that it was not easy to handle.
It took him three years to become Korea’s leader, but he was somewhat pessimistic about how many years it would take in that huge country.
He needed severe chaos, but to push America into such chaos, he had to cause a global disaster.
He chose Korea by force and ended up in a situation where he had to confront America, but it was not that difficult.
It just took a little time.
***
China began to move in earnest.
First, they conducted audits on raw material companies that exported to Korea and effectively blocked exports.
Food was also included in this, and Korea faced a situation where its basket price soared again.
Korea surprisingly endured this situation well as if it had predicted it.
They got the scarce raw materials from Russia, India, Australia, etc., and tried to minimize the damage by releasing government reserves for food.
But their food self-sufficiency rate was so low that they could not completely prevent the damage.
—The savory smell of sesame oil is disappearing from homes and restaurants. Reporter Lee Hyun-jong reports.
—President Yu Ji-ha rejected the price ceiling proposed by the Ministry of Planning and Finance at today’s cabinet meeting.
—“This problem will not be solved by limiting prices. Supply is key.”
—However, experts predicted that it would be very difficult for Korea to solve this situation as it relied mainly on China for supply.
—If China blocks all food exports to Korea, the basket price will increase by at least 2.5 times. It is not a level that ordinary people can afford.
—There are things like bracken that are not grown anywhere except China or Japan. There are farms in Madagascar, but they are low-quality bracken and there is not much quantity.
Despite these negative predictions, public sentiment did not waver much.
They were used to being bullied so much.
They also believed that Yu Ji-ha would solve it if they endured it.
—Complaining won’t solve anything. It’s best to just shut up and stay still.
—Haven’t you experienced this before? The president will take care of it.
—Maybe the president predicted all this situation. He is good at waiting for the situation to ripen and then exploding it all at once.
—I want a revolution, but let’s wait a little…
The mainstream thought was to wait and see, but the basket price soared so much that patience did not seem to last long.
And Japan announced the Korean betrayal statement in the name of Prime Minister Matsuda.
—Korea stole Tsushima from Japan and refused any dialogue for a peaceful solution until today.
—They also tried to frustrate and expel Japan from the black metal ecosystem.
—Japan repeatedly proposed talks with Korea, but was ignored every time. This was a complete disregard of Japan’s position.
—Korea also…
There were 30 paragraphs like this, and the overall meaning was vague.
It seemed to imply that Japan was being mistreated and Korea was cruel, but it was unclear what the point was.
The National Security Council declared a state of emergency and held an urgent meeting.
“My statement today must not leak to the outside. Please keep that in mind and listen carefully.”
When the specific plans of China and Japan were mentioned, all the attendees swallowed their dry saliva.
They had suspected the existence of an anti-Korea encirclement, but this was the first time it was revealed.
China and Japan had finally drawn their swords after sharpening them for a long time.
It was impossible to compromise and put away their swords, considering their size and pride.
They would surely shed each other’s blood, and it was unimaginable how much damage Korea would suffer.
In fact, the world’s security experts had warned about the possibility of war in East Asia.
However, they did not predict that a real war would break out.
They had too much to lose.
They were too close to each other, which made it easier to mobilize military options.
The best option was to negotiate before the worst situation occurred, but China and Japan did not seem to have any intention of doing so.
—If we don’t strike Korea now, it will be harder in the future. That’s a precise calculation and a high probability.
—The war between the three countries will be incomparable to the Second Korean War or the Two Shores War.
—If Russia intervenes, there is a very high chance that it will lead to the World War III. We must prevent that.
As if responding to such predictions, the United States called in all its naval forces in the Pacific, including the Guam Fleet.
At the same time, President Baldwin blocked any intervention from other countries at a press conference.
“The United States respects the sovereignty of East Asian countries. We will not take any responsibility for this situation and will do our best to clean up afterwards. However, if another country intervenes, it will be a different story. I hope that doesn’t happen.”
It was a plan to suck money out of the aftermath without taking any risks.
Strangely enough, the three East Asian countries at the center of the situation seemed to welcome this attitude of the United States.
Even if China and Japan did, what about Korea?
They had incomparable national power and military strength compared to North Korea, Iran, or Pakistan, which they had fought before.
As suspicions rose, Japan invited French and British fleets to conduct a large-scale joint exercise near Tsushima.
And they began to mass-produce supplies from several smart factories and unmanned plants located on Terra Island.
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