Chapter 578: Chapter 578: Is the Ryugyong Hotel Never to Be Rebuilt?
The hotel where the southern envoy delegation was staying had been sealed off.
Armed soldiers stood guard at the door of the envoy's room.
"Wow, this is insane. What on earth is going on?"
Myeong-su staggered into my room, looking disheveled.
His face was pale, likely due to the sudden gunfire that had echoed earlier.
"This is the beginning of Jang Seong-taek's bloody purge. It shouldn't affect us, so don't worry and try to sleep," I reassured him.
"What? How can I sleep with gunfire ringing in my ears? Plus, soldiers are guarding the envoy's room!"
"It's just a precaution, you know, to protect you and the envoy. If something goes wrong and a terrorist attack happens against the envoy, it'll all fall on Jang Seong-taek. Think of it as a special measure," I explained.
Despite my attempts to calm him, Myeong-su still looked anxious.
I pulled a cold bottle of water from the fridge.
"Here. Drink this and calm down."
"Uh, okay…"
Trembling, Myeong-su grabbed the bottle and gulped it down. The bottle was empty in no time.
Bang!
Then, distant gunshots echoed again.
At the sound, Myeong-su flinched. His hand, gripping the empty bottle, turned white from the strain.
With a face full of dread, Myeong-su asked,
"…You don't think a major incident is about to happen, do you?"
I replied with a faint smile,
"Jang Seong-taek has control over all military forces in Pyongyang. Even if Kim Jong-il showed up, he wouldn't be able to catch Jang Seong-taek in this city. It's about time things wrap up, so don't worry."
While Myeong-su was still restless, I felt unexpectedly at ease.
It seemed Jang Seong-taek had decided to heed my advice.
If that weren't the case, gunfire wouldn't be ringing out in Pyongyang at such an hour.
Finally seeming to process my words, Myeong-su nodded faintly.
"I'll just sleep here."
Yet even that didn't entirely dispel his worries. He got up from his seat and flopped onto the bed.
"This is probably the safest spot in Pyongyang."
I couldn't help but smile at Myeong-su's antics. After a day of one-on-one with Jang Seong-taek and the gunshots ringing in, it was no surprise.
"Okay, get some sleep. You must be exhausted."
Myeong-su nodded and soon began to snore.
I rose from my chair and walked to the window. After taking a deep breath, I drew back the tightly drawn curtains.
What I saw was utter darkness. The city was literally engulfed in shadows.
Down below, the streets of Pyongyang were dim, with streetlights barely flickering.
'Now that I've made up my mind, I need to do this properly. I hope Jang Seong-taek has become more resolute.'
A weak leader simply didn't fit in with Pyongyang anymore.
Reform and open-door policies often faced resistance from entrenched interests.
Currently, Jang Seong-taek had ousted Kim Jong-il and taken power.
So, even if there were outward pledges of loyalty, who knew how things would turn with the passing time?
'Fear. Only fear can govern them. They'll have to spill blood if necessary.'
China's reform and opening-up were only possible because of a dictator named Deng Xiaoping.
He resolutely oppressed dissenters and pushed through policies.
Thanks to that, it became a bizarre nation with one-party rule yet touted as a free economy.
Eventually, it turned into an economic powerhouse that could threaten the U.S.
'Deng Xiaoping wasn't afraid to get blood on his hands. Jang Seong-taek, you need to do the same.'
Mentioning Jang Geum-song was not a poor judgment call.
The reason I brought up Jang Geum-song was to provoke Jang Seong-taek and awaken his ruthlessness.
Only after Jang Geum-song's death did it become clear how much he cherished his beloved daughter.
Had Jang Geum-song not died… If things hadn't completely soured with Kim Kyung-hee, would Jang Seong-taek have faced a purge after Kim Jeong-un's rise to power?
This was also a path unknown, a road I had paved myself.
This time, I must prevent her death.
Jang Geum-song must remain a weakness for Jang Seong-taek until the very end.
"The gunfire seems to have stopped now."
The sporadic gunfire had ceased altogether.
Finally, I closed the curtains and lay down on the bed.
As the echoes of gunfire faded, Myeong-su's snoring filled the void.
He was exactly the same as always, whether back then or now. I couldn't help but chuckle as sleep soon took over.
"Hey! Mu-hyeok!"
Suddenly, my body was jolted awake. Blinking awake, I found Myeong-su shaking me back and forth.
"You're up! What time is it?"
"It's seven. I'm thinking of heading back soon. The envoy delegation probably spent the night wide awake."
I nodded, stretching my stiff body.
"Can you get me some water?"
Myeong-su pouted but tossed a bottle of water at me. I easily caught it and twisted off the cap.
Taking a sip, I glanced at Myeong-su, whose dark circles were drooping beneath his eyes.
"Still tired? You've only slept for about four hours. You okay?"
"I'm tired, but today's the last schedule. I need to move quickly since we're going back to Seoul tomorrow morning. Today's going to be busy. What are you going to do?"
"I plan to take a look around Nampo City."
"Oh really? You'll be busy. I'll head out now. Good luck!"
Waving goodbye, Myeong-su left. I returned the gesture, then got out of bed and pulled back the curtains.
Gone was the chaos of the previous night, replaced by the warm morning sunlight streaming in.
"The weather is nice today."
After finishing my shower, Manager Ma set a cup of coffee on the table.
"I was just thinking about coffee. Thanks, Manager."
The rich aroma of coffee wafted up, and just as I was almost done with my cup, Manager Ma spoke up.
"Boss, someone is arriving soon to guide you to Nampo City."
"I suppose it's someone familiar with Nampo. They better be."
I planned to explore every nook and cranny. I still didn't have the freedom to roam around North Korea at will.
Having finished preparing, I heard a knock at the door at the perfect moment.
When Manager Ma opened the door, the man who had guided me previously stood there.
He bowed deeply and said,
"I'll be your guide today as well."
Not bad. I remembered him and he seemed quite capable.
Receiving his greeting, I asked,
"Do you know much about Nampo City?"
"Yes, I was born there. My parents still live there."
What a remarkable coincidence. Or was it just coincidence?
From the very beginning, Jang Seong-taek had likely sent this man as my guide because of his Nampo roots.
Regardless, it's true that having someone familiar is better.
Accepting the coat handed to me by Manager Ma, I stood up.
"Your name is… Lee Jeong-woo, right? I heard it when we talked on the phone."
"Yes, that's correct."
"Looks like fate has a hand in this. I'll rely on you for today. I'm Kim Mu-hyeok."
"I already know."
As I smiled and extended my hand, Lee Jeong-woo cautiously took it with both hands.
I couldn't help but laugh at that.
"By the way, it seems you are favored by Vice Chairman Jang. You have direct access to him, it seems."
"Oh, no, that's not true. You're exaggerating."
"It couldn't be that Vice Chairman would send someone he doesn't trust to me. Otherwise, it could spell trouble."
I trailed off, giving him a pointed look. Lee Jeong-woo quickly replied.
"I'm with the Security Bureau, protecting Vice Chairman Comrade. That's how I'm still here."
"I see. Well, let's get going. How long will it take?"
"It's about 50 km away. If we take the highway, it should only take about an hour."
Following Lee Jeong-woo, I exited the hotel. Once in the car, he cautiously began driving.
The car moved slowly. I looked out the window and asked,
"I noticed there aren't many cars on the road, just like before."
"It's probably due to the fuel shortage. Currently, only vehicles authorized by the Labor Party are allowed on the road."
"Is it okay to tell me such things? Will it cause problems later?"
"Well… since you're someone who's invested in the Republic, it's fine to share. The Vice Chairman ordered me to answer all your questions truthfully."
He genuinely seemed to have Jang Seong-taek's trust. He shared quite a bit of detailed information.
In the distance, the Ryugyong Hotel came into view. Its terrible appearance remained unchanged.
"Is the Ryugyong Hotel never to be rebuilt?"
The Ryugyong Hotel was a hotel that Kim Jong-il ordered built to compete with South Korea's 63 Building.
He wanted to show that North Korea was superior by building a 100-story structure even taller than the 63 Building, which was the tallest in Asia at the time.
Under Kim Jong-il's orders, North Korea quickly signed a contract with a French construction company and commenced construction based on their technology and capital.
However, this was imprudent construction without regard for national finances.
'Ultimately, they ended up not being able to pay and even made excuses to avoid payment.'
This was always the way with Kim Jong-il and the North Korean government.
Eventually, the construction payments went unpaid, and France halted the work, demanding payment.
After lengthy negotiations, the French construction company decided to give up and withdrew from North Korea.
Since then, they had engaged in negotiations with several real estate companies from various countries but had not succeeded in resuming construction.
"If the Vice Chairman's reform and openness were successful, construction could resume soon."
Shaking my head at Lee Jeong-woo's hopeful words,
"Who knows? It's an issue even if they build it as it is…"
Construction of the Ryugyong Hotel had always been misguided from the start.
Inspired by the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the North Korean government had recklessly pushed for completion in time for the Pyongyang World Festival of Youth and Students.
Naturally, poor construction led to cracks being discovered right from the framework.
If they continued as is, the hotel would probably be unable to serve its function and would only remain a symbolic building.
"If the construction resumes as it is, it will probably collapse. It would be better to demolish it and start over."
"But the Republic's reputation…"
Lee Jeong-woo mirrored the perspective of the North Korean government.
To maintain face, they were willing to pump astronomical sums into unnecessary projects. With no money, their dreams were grandiose.
"Building a flawed structure beautifully will only make it seem more ridiculous. The Western world is already aware of such showy buildings."
It would be better to gift them a newly constructed one as a sign of friendship. That would save Jang Seong-taek's face and would be better overall.
Of course, I intended to keep the operational rights for myself. A little later, we passed by the Ryugyong Hotel and left Pyongyang behind.
"This is the highway from Pyongyang to Nampo."
There wasn't a single car in sight, yet the road was ridiculously wide, with twelve lanes in either direction.
"This road was built without utilizing any machinery, relying solely on manpower. Isn't it impressive?"
At Lee Jeong-woo's prideful explanation, I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity.
With no money or technology, they had no choice but to depend on manpower.
Whether or not he realized what I was thinking, Lee Jeong-woo continued explaining as he drove.
"University students voluntarily responded to the Republic's call. Thanks to their effort, we managed to finish it in two years. That's why our great leader named this road the Youth Hero Road."
So the joke about them bringing in youths to call it the Youth Hero Road was indeed true.
"The Vice Chairman said he would designate Nampo City as a special economic zone. This road will serve as a lifeline connecting Pyongyang and Nampo. All this is due to the great leader's far-sighted vision…"
If I continued to listen, I'd be stuck with endless praises for Kim Il-sung, so I interrupted him.
"The condition of the road surface isn't great for all that acclaim."
"…"
Lee Jeong-woo closed his mouth tightly. He definitely knew when to be quiet.
Compared to the highway I had taken from Kaesong to Pyongyang, the road wasn't in good condition.
"The road connecting Kaesong and Pyongyang is the same. Overall, it seems repairs are indeed needed. For a nation to develop, the roads must be well maintained."
The beginning of economic development lies in building the basic infrastructure.
The current state of North Korea had to be compared with South Korea in the 1980s.
That was only true for some satellite cities near Pyongyang and special cities like Kaesong and Najin.
For other cities, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were stuck in the 1960s.
As we passed the highway, Lee Jeong-woo explained whenever there was something to explain.
After driving for about an hour, we finally arrived at Nampo Port.
Getting out of the car, the sea breeze tickled my nose.
"Nice. So this is Nampo Port."
The largest port in North Korea.
If Incheon Port is the gateway to Seoul, Nampo Port serves as the gateway to Pyongyang.
Sea routes had been established with China's Dalian, Tianjin, Qingdao, and Shanghai.
In short, geographically, it was exceptional.
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