Chapter 417

Just before America forced the two into war, they hurriedly intervened.

It seemed they were in quite a rush, as the usual diplomatic jargon was nearly non-existent, replaced with blunt statements that were somewhat out of place.

“Unified Korea’s President, Japan’s Prime Minister. Currently, the United States expresses great concern regarding military tension in East Asia…”

That short sentence oddly read as, “Hey, what the hell is wrong with you guys?”

“…We do not wish for either nation to engage in armed conflict. Hence, the United States has decided to mediate between the two countries and will dispatch a delegation…”

America conveyed a very strong message to both nations.

They didn’t care what the two were arguing about; they had sent mediation, so they better stop this damn standoff immediately.

They shouldn’t even think about starting a war.

And to ensure that, they sent along their “deterrent.”

“…Since both nations are maintaining military tensions, we have decided to provide secure escort for the delegation. It will move along with the Seventh Fleet, which will use the Okinawa U.S. military base as its base of operations…”

The Seventh Fleet.

A combat unit composed of the U.S. Navy in Korea and Japan under the Pacific Fleet.

An utterly monstrous fleet capable of showcasing the world’s 7th largest naval power all by itself.

That fleet was there to “escort” the delegation.

Of course, nobody knew whether that escort would merely end as a protection or lead to a situation where the news would report, “Regrettably, we had no choice but to actively respond to ensure the delegation’s safety.”

“tsk.”

With America making such a bold move by deploying the Seventh Fleet, both Korea and Japan had no choice but to retract their weapons, albeit reluctantly.

To be honest, they would love to bomb each other’s capitals right then and there; however, doing so would surely infuriate America. If it came to that, the Seventh Fleet, which was there for “escort,” would inevitably have to act for peace in East Asia using its overwhelming naval power, turning ports and military bases into rubble.

Besides, with an aircraft carrier present, fighter jets would surely roam freely across the skies of other countries as if it were their backyard.

It would be fortunate if it stopped there.

If economic sanctions or naval blockades ensued, countries would fall into devastation.

Currently, both the Republic of Korea and Japan were in a state where they couldn’t trade by land.

Japan, being an island nation, couldn’t use land routes, while Korea, though technically connected to the mainland on a map, was practically an island country due to the occupation of the northern regions by evil spirits and ghosts.

In such a situation, if the skies and seas were also blocked?

They’d be trapped and die.

“…I wonder what America will say.”

There was nothing to gain by agitating America.

Absolutely nothing.

Therefore, Korea and Japan withdrew their missiles aimed at each other as if nothing had happened and waited patiently.

Until the Americans arrived.

Thus, Korea and Japan seemed to forcibly suppress their conflicts under external pressure, unable to resolve their grudges. But really, what could they do? When a powerful force shook a fist at them, telling them to get along or else…

In that scenario, wouldn’t anyone charging in, saying they’d kill their rival even if it meant their own death, be considered insane?

But… they had to reconcile, yet something peculiar was brewing.

“What? Joint management of Dokdo by the two countries?”

The U.S. Secretary, who came to prevent the conflict, spouted some crazy nonsense.

“Liancourt Rocks are a disputed area that continuously causes friction between Korea and Japan. To ensure peace and cooperation between the two nations, we propose that both countries jointly own and manage Liancourt Rocks…”

The Secretary suggested something that Korea absolutely couldn’t accept.

It was a sound that could never be tolerated or even entertained.

Jointly designating Dokdo as a shared management zone with Japan?

Neither the president personally, nor the council members, nor the citizens could accept such a thing.

If anyone showed even a hint of agreement, it wouldn’t be strange for the public to storm the Blue House and hang the president from a flagpole.

“Is that what you call a proposal?”

The president asked, incredulous at the Secretary’s words.

It was an utterly unacceptable suggestion.

Accepting it would not only threaten his political life but also his real life. The moment he accepted that, he would be impeached and recorded as a national traitor who sold out the country, destined to face everlasting scorn. His bloodline would likely find it impossible to even set foot in Korea again.

Bringing such absurdity to the table as a proposal!

With a glare, the president looked at the Secretary, who casually spoke nonsense in front of him.

Yet, the Secretary remained calm, unfazed by the president’s glare.

“Please reconsider. Liancourt Rocks are merely a reef. The increased territorial waters and the resources buried beneath the reef are what hold value. Ironically, the value brought by the reef prevents us from utilizing that value properly. Due to the conflict in the area, we can’t exploit the resources and are spending unnecessary costs while facing military threats. Wouldn’t it be best to remove the risk entirely?”

He claimed it was a genuinely good proposal.

Currently, it was a chance offered to them, your supposed allies.

The Secretary said all of that without hiding his attitude.

As a result, a deep valley of conflict had formed between Korea and America.

But what about Japan? Were they raising a toast different from Korea?

Not quite.

“Joint management of Takeshima… that’s not a bad proposal…”

Japan reacted positively to the suggestion of jointly managing Takeshima with Korea, even if they couldn’t claim it.

They hadn’t seriously intended to seize Takeshima; it was merely a desperate measure to solve a political problem.

In that situation, if they could even gain half of what they wanted, it would be considered a success.

“Of course, Liancourt Rocks will not be covered by Article 5 of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. The disputed area must be jointly secured by Korea and Japan.”

But the real issue came after that.

“And while talking about the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty…”

No.

This wasn’t a proposal; it was more like the ramblings of a lunatic.

“Prime Minister, we are currently very concerned about security in East Asia. Hence, we request a revision of the mutual cooperation and security treaty between the United States and Japan.”

The first thing the American Secretary said upon arriving in Japan was a demand to revise the treaty.

And it was highly disadvantageous for Japan.

“Currently, it’s evident that the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty is extremely one-sided. While the U.S. takes responsibility for Japan’s security, there’s no obligation for Japan to provide military assistance if the U.S. is in danger. We demand that this be made obligatory.”

The Prime Minister, taken aback by the Secretary’s statements, asked incredulously, “We are a pacifist nation. We can’t have an army.”

“I know.”

“Are you asking us to send our self-defense forces to assist when the U.S. is in danger, even though we don’t have an army?”

“Exactly.”

“Then do you mean Japan should amend its constitution to allow for a military?”

“Impossible. Japan absolutely cannot have its own military. It can only maintain a self-defense force for its own defense.”

“So… you can’t have an army, just a self-defense force, but you want us to send our self-defense forces to fight alongside you when the U.S. is in danger?”

“Yes.”

“What the heck…?”

Is this some kind of joke?

The Prime Minister barely held back the curses that nearly slipped from his mouth.

“Additionally, the U.S. military stationed in Japan has been maintained through the considerable sacrifice of the U.S. But it’s time to end this one-sided sacrifice. We request a revision of the special agreement on the burden of U.S. military expenses in Japan to increase the budget for the U.S. forces stationed there.”

“How much?”

“One trillion yen.”

Bang!

“Are you out of your mind?!”

The Prime Minister stood up, shocked by the Secretary’s outrageous words.

He couldn’t possibly tolerate it.

“Last year, the budget was around 200 billion yen! And you were requesting an increase of 250 billion yen! So why the heck is it now one trillion yen?!”

Compared to last year’s burden, that was five times more, and compared to what the Americans had been asking for until recently, it was four times more!

One trillion!

An utterly unacceptable proposal.

No, could that even be considered a proposal?

Even a robber would be more kindhearted than that.

No matter how mad a robber was, they wouldn’t try to squeeze out a trillion in one go.

“That’s a fair amount. If the U.S. is providing security while stationed here, why should America endure all the burden and only Japan enjoy the benefits? It’s only natural that America should share in those benefits. Compared to the various benefits gained from being stationed here, isn’t it quite cheap?”

But the Secretary didn’t flinch, even when the Prime Minister shouted in outrage.

Instead, he looked at the Prime Minister as if he were gazing at someone ungrateful.

‘Ugh…’

And so, the meeting between the Japanese Prime Minister and the U.S. Secretary ended in chaos.

Leaving nothing but resentment behind.