Capítulo 609: Chapter 609: The Worst Choice
President Yoon Chang-ho and Secretary Jang Seong-taek shared the same thought.
"You should realize that it's almost unheard of for the Japanese government to adopt such a submissive stance. You both know how shameless those people are, right? Opportunities like this might never come again."
Will there ever be another chance for the Korean or North Korean governments to extract such substantial concessions from Japan?
This was clearly the first and last occasion.
"So, Boss Kim thinks it's a good idea to invite Japan, does he? Got any bright ideas?"
After a moment's hesitation, Yoon Chang-ho turned to me. I nodded at his question while lifting one corner of my mouth in a slight smirk.
"What influence would Japan have, even if they attend? The agreement among the five countries has already been made. If Japan tries to push back, we can simply ignore them. If inviting them yields some benefit, it's probably better to have them there."
To pique the curiosity of the two men, I extended my introduction.
A deep furrow appeared on Yoon Chang-ho and Jang Seong-taek's faces.
"What if we ask the North Korean government to specify that it seeks reparations rather than compensation in the negotiations with Japan? We can figure out the amount later, but the term 'reparations' will be hard for the Japanese government to swallow. Let's demand that as a condition for them attending this meeting."
Jang Seong-taek's eyes widened at my suggestion. But soon, he shook his head with a frown.
"Do you really think Japan would agree to that? So far, every negotiation between the Republic and Japan has fallen through due to their differing views. Do you really think they'll accept such a critical issue just to attend this five-country meeting?"
I shared his concern. Japan would likely reject North Korea's demands.
With Japanese public sentiment being what it is, Prime Minister Koizumi wouldn't choose the hot-button term 'reparations' to justify his attendance at this meeting.
Yet, when it came to starting negotiations, it was crucial to throw out a substantial demand first.
To secure the upper hand, one should start with an unyielding demand that the other party will inevitably refuse. Only after they make a fuss can you propose what you actually want.
This often led to the impression that perhaps their offer was reasonable in comparison.
"Japan will likely refuse. However, we should be able to push for a larger compensation amount. If we insist on the term 'reparations,' they'll argue that it's too much for them. Only then can we negotiate the actual amount of reparations they owe us."
"So, we accept a compensation but demand a larger sum instead?"
"Exactly. This is a suggestion suitable for a pragmatic secretary like you, who values results. Instead of getting caught up in the terminology like 'reparations' or 'compensation,' we should focus on squeezing out the maximum amount possible. It would also be good to secure investments from companies in a quid pro quo manner. But of course, this depends on North Korea's negotiating power."
Jang Seong-taek closed his eyes and fell into deep thought.
I decided to give him some time to think and shifted my focus back to Yoon Chang-ho.
"The Korean government…"
"What would Korea gain from this? Dokdo was already declared a relinquished claim last time, and the only remaining issue is an apology for past wrongdoings, which they will surely refuse."
"Still, we should aim for something economically advantageous. If our demands are too unreasonable, they certainly won't comply. It's essential to be realistic."
"That complicates things. What possible economic benefits could Korea obtain from Japan?"
"Mr. President, how about we tackle the issue of the Seven Isles this time?"
"The Seven Isles? Do you really think Japan will budge on that? Japan will likely drag their feet until the joint development agreement expires in 2028, you know."
Yoon Chang-ho's expression shifted at the mention of the Seven Isles, which he had previously viewed negatively.
"Was it 2002? Regardless, we initiated comprehensive physical surveys and analyses in the Seven Isles region up until not long ago. But this year, Japan has declared it lacks economic value. They're likely just trying to delay things."
The Seven Isles was estimated to be rich in oil and gas.
UN and international organizations had reported that it could contain approximately 100 billion barrels of oil and 210 trillion tons of natural gas.
Saudi Arabia has oil reserves estimated at around 260 billion barrels and about 22 trillion tons of natural gas.
Although the oil estimates didn't surpass Saudi Arabia's, the anticipated natural gas reserves were more than ten times higher.
This quantity was more than five times that of Russia, estimated to have the largest natural gas reserves in the world at 40 trillion tons.
Consequently, the then-president declared that the Isles rightfully belonged to Korea before Japan could claim them.
Japan protested strongly against this.
According to international law at that time, Korea had initially claimed the Seven Isles based on continental shelf extension theories, so this area connected to the Korean Peninsula should be considered Korean territory.
Eventually, political conflict ensued, leading the Korean government to negotiate a joint development agreement while suspending its sovereignty claims.
"But this was the worst choice we could make."
Following that, international maritime law emerged, including the exclusive economic zone system during the joint exploration process.
Therefore, Japan adopted a passive posture toward exploration and development starting at that point and eventually suspended the joint development that had begun in 1980 in 1988.
Because of a toxic clause stating that unilateral exploration and development were impossible without joint exploration, time continued to pass stagnant.
The favorable atmosphere for Korea and Japan after co-hosting the 2002 World Cup saw renewed exploration, but it was halted later that year.
"Japan is probably waiting until the agreement ends in 2028 to secure independent ownership and proceed with development on their own."
Japan didn't want to share the immense economic benefits with Korea.
It's not like the oil and gas would simply disappear, so they had no reason to develop it jointly with Korea and split the gains.
Drawing a middle line between Japan and Korea under international maritime law would certainly result in over 90% of the Seven Isles being attributed to Japan's ownership.
In my previous life, until I died, the exploration further didn't take place.
This was the only proposal that would benefit me and the Korean government alike.
"However, Mr. President, there is something that both Korea and Japan are overlooking."
"What is that they're both missing?"
"China. China is also likely to assert ownership over the Seven Isles. It's better to proceed with exploration and development quickly to gain international recognition."
Over time, China succeeded in developing oil fields just 1km away from the Seven Isles.
From then on, they began to assert their claim over the Seven Isles.
If the agreement ends as it is, it is clear that China will interject, and if all three countries assert ownership, the situation will become even more complicated.
"Hmm… It seems like you're suggesting the best course of action. But will Japan accept this?"
"We aren't asking for a complete transfer but suggesting a resumption of joint development. What seems to be the problem?"
"What if they again use economic concerns as an excuse to delay matters? They've never done otherwise, after all."
Yoon Chang-ho's concerns were valid.
"That issue can be resolved simply. Instead of arranging separate expeditions like before, Korean and Japanese representatives can make an agreement and then contract an oil company, delegate the exploration to them. They won't dare to unilaterally suspend exploration due to the newly established contract."
"Do both Korea and Japan have a reliable major oil company they could trust?"
"I happen to own an oil company in Russia. We can hand it over to them."
A glimmer of hope appeared on Yoon Chang-ho's face, which had previously been filled with worry.
"Oh, that's right! I completely forgot. Didn't you say you owned Yukos, Russia's major oil company?"
"Yes. Technically, I acquired a subsidiary of Yukos, but nonetheless, it amounts to the same thing."
"If you can take care of it, our government would trust you. If the Japanese government agrees, I'll insist on their participation. The U.S. will likely back it up too."
Yoon Chang-ho was persuasive. Now, it was just up to Jang Seong-taek.
Turning my gaze back to Jang Seong-taek, he opened his eyes and asked.
"…Mr. Kim Mu-hyeok, would you handle the undercover negotiations with Japan? If you accept this, the Republic will also advocate for Japan's attendance."
Jang Seong-taek's request was unexpected. He wanted me to conduct the covert discussions regarding reparations.
It seemed that negotiations were quite difficult at the moment.
He had rejected my proposal earlier, and now, he was the one suggesting me.
I thought it would be foolish not to take a meal set up before me. I nodded seriously.
"All right. I will take responsibility and negotiate as favorably as possible for North Korea."
I had managed to convince both of them. Now, the key issue was whether Prime Minister Koizumi would accept this.
I pulled my phone out of my suit pocket.
"I'll contact Prime Minister Koizumi now. This will be an unofficial conversation between heads of state. Nothing discussed here should be made public for any reason."
Both Yoon Chang-ho and Jang Seong-taek nodded in agreement.
After receiving their confirmations, I dialed the Prime Minister's personal number.
Before it even rang a few times, the call connected.
"Prime Minister. This is Kim Mu-hyeok. Do you have a moment to talk?"
― Um… Could you hold on a moment?
After a brief pause, it sounded like he was moving seats, and the door opened and closed before his voice returned.
― You can talk now. Have you already managed to persuade them?
There was an eager tone in Koizumi's voice.
"I've successfully convinced both the Korean and North Korean governments."
― Is that true?
"Yes. I'm currently with both of them. I will switch to speakerphone now. All conversations here are unofficial. I hope nothing leaks to the outside. If you attempt to use today's call for political gains, I will cease all engagement with the Japanese government from that moment on."
― Of course.
Koizumi answered quickly. After activating the speaker function, I placed the phone on the table.
"I'll relay the demands from the Korean and North Korean governments."
― Let's hear it.
"To begin with, the North Korean government seeks the term 'reparations' to be explicitly stated in negotiations regarding compensation from Japan. If this is accepted, they will persuade both China and Russia to consent."
― Absolutely not! That is out of the question.
The reply came firmly without a moment's hesitation.
As expected, it was the refusal I anticipated.
Jang Seong-taek frowned as he looked at me, and I nodded before speaking.
"If this condition is not accepted, negotiations will not be possible for both North Korea and Korea."
― Mr. Kim, it's better not to attend the talks at all rather than accept such a term; we can't agree to that.
Just then, Jang Seong-taek, who had been quietly listening, spoke up.
"Prime Minister Koizumi, this is Jang Seong-taek speaking."
― Secretary Jang Seong-taek. It's been a while.
"Let me be clear. If you cannot use the term 'reparations,' then please pay the amount we demand instead. If you agree, we will insist on Japan's attendance."
"― The matter on compensation should be negotiated between both nations…"
"Hey, Prime Minister. This is an unofficial dialogue. Don't try to evade it. If you refuse this, North Korea will refuse to engage in talks with Japan altogether."
I couldn't help but be stunned by his words.
Jang Seong-taek played a strong hand. Declaring a complete severance of negotiations.
"For the undercover negotiations, we will assign Mr. Kim Mu-hyeok as our representative. Therefore, you will need to prepare a suitable decision-maker for the undercover negotiations on your side. Can you manage that?"
― …
"Prime Minister Koizumi. Don't we all agree that relations between North Korea and Japan should improve? Let's forget the past and aim for better coexistence. Aren't I right?"
After a long silence, Koizumi finally let out a soft sigh.
― If it's not an unreasonably high amount, I can agree to the terms the North Korean government requests. We can determine the exact amount during negotiations.
This was Koizumi's declaration of surrender.
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