I Will Stage A Coup D’état - Chapter 179



Only Noblemtl

EP.179 Nuclear Armament (2)

Since I have nuclear weapons, I decided to also pursue nuclear power generation.

In fact, there was a correlation between military nuclear power and civilian commercial power generation facilities.

Both required reprocessing of uranium and plutonium.

However, nuclear power is an extremely dangerous force, so we must pay attention to safety.

‘If you’re going to do it, you have to be thorough like the US, with double and triple layers of safety measures. If you do it carelessly like the Soviet Union, there will be chaos.’

In the case of the United States, Hyman Rickover, the father of the nuclear navy, created the myth of safe nuclear power by trampling on naval and civilian opponents who demanded cost reductions, but the Soviet Union was unable to do so.

As we did our work in a haphazard manner while cutting costs, we ended up causing countless accidents.

The Mayak reprocessing plant alone, one of many, has had hundreds of radioactive leaks.

The number of victims also reached hundreds of thousands.

If we didn’t pay attention to Korea, there was no guarantee that something like the Soviet Union would not happen.

I created the Atomic Energy Commission to oversee nuclear safety, and I filled that position with stubborn, principled people.

“The job of the owners is to find fault. If even one screw in the reactor is out of order, construction is stopped immediately.”

Safety was also emphasized during the reactor design process.

“Don’t spare any expense on construction, and prepare thoroughly, double and triple. If an accident happens, the country could be ruined.”

A good example of this was the Soviet Union.

There is no need to explain how devastating the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident was to the Soviet Union.

That alone did not destroy the Federation, but it was certainly one of the main reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Japan, which suffered relatively minor damage, also lost part of its territory due to the aftermath of the Fukushima accident and had to pour hundreds of trillions of dollars into recovery efforts.

But, it’s scary that I couldn’t get it fixed.

In this way, once a nuclear accident occurs, it has a huge impact on the rise and fall of a nation.

Such an incident should never have happened in my country.

I have repeatedly assured the Atomic Energy Commission of safety issues with this policy.

The same goes for companies.

“If an accident happens, I won’t just compensate you for the damages, I’ll physically cut your head off, so take that into consideration.”

If an accident happens despite all the effort, you can only say that it’s bad luck.

As we were gearing up for a commercial nuclear reactor, word came in that Britain was preparing for a nuclear test.

The UK’s progress wasn’t surprising, as it was almost complete before we even shared the information.

However, seeing Britain already preparing for a nuclear test, one worry filled my mind.

‘China will eventually be able to arm itself with nuclear weapons, that’s the problem.’

Of course, we have not just sat back and watched China’s nuclear armament so far.

They thoroughly eliminated and disappeared talented people in order to hinder their nuclear development.

But if people pour money and time into the boundless China, technology and talent will follow.

At any moment, China will reach for nukes.

I have not forgotten this fact.

China should have been chained before it got nukes.

Of course, if we were to intervene in the unstable situation in China on a macro level, we might end up helping the Chinese people achieve unification, so a precise surgical operation was needed.

‘First, we need to speed up the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.’

I instructed Ambassador Jang Myeon to make every effort to cooperate with the United States and pass the treaty.

Once the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was passed, it would be possible to monitor the flow of nuclear materials such as uranium into China.

And, one more step.

I prepared a draft public export control bill and discussed it behind closed doors with the UK and the US.

“China is currently in the midst of a civil war, so if they develop nuclear weapons, it could create a dangerous situation. If the PRC and the Republic of China happen to arm themselves with nuclear weapons, how can a local war not escalate into a nuclear war?”

“What the Prime Minister is saying is that we should not export to China the enrichment equipment needed for nuclear armament, right?”

“Wouldn’t that be right?”

Youngmi reviewed my proposal positively.

From the perspective of the vested interests that own nuclear weapons, there was no story more appealing than the proposal to kick away the ladder.

“Okay, I understand. I will cooperate.”

I made the same offer to France, Israel, and the Soviet Union, who were accumulating nuclear technology.

France, which is already cooperating on nuclear issues, readily agreed to do so.

“We will not send even 1 gram of enriched uranium to China, let alone enrichment facilities.”

Israel also showed a positive attitude for the time being.

“If the Prime Minister keeps his promise, we will also keep our promise.”

That being said, the Jews were the ones who were halfway to changing their minds after receiving a nuclear warhead.

The Soviet Union responded ambiguously.

“I will think about it.”

Last time, I helped mediate this issue, but my attitude was very lukewarm.

Could it be that we have switched to democracy?

But ideology is just ideology, and we continued to cooperate with the Soviet Union as much as we could according to camp logic.

I decided to take some time to think about it.

When Stalin passes away soon, the Federation’s position will also change.

I decided to wait until Stalin left.

If Stalin disappears, either Khrushchev or Beria will adopt a positive attitude.

In any case, the Soviet Union was in no position to ignore Korea’s position.

The Federation was so inferior to the West that it could not even turn Korea into an enemy.

That was Moscow’s innate weakness.

I took my time and watched China steadily.

There was a need to find out whether China was letting the world’s major powers off the hook as they acquired nuclear weapons.

Then, I noticed some suspicious behavior from China.

‘You want to import uranium oxide as a raw material for soap?’

It was obvious that it was a ploy to develop nuclear weapons.

These guys were trying to use the trick that the original Israel had committed.

‘Who would allow that?’

Uranium oxide was on our watch list to begin with.

“Try importing it. I’ll make it so you can’t do it.”

We put pressure on every single Chinese company that would import uranium oxide.

“The moment you export that to China, the East Asian market will be your company’s last word. Remember that.”

Pressure was also put on the governments of those countries.

“Uranium oxide exports are a matter of core interests for Korea. If you allow it, we will feel very bad.”

I have continued to nitpick China’s nuclear armament in this way.

Then, the Chinese side, unable to bear it any longer, responded.

“No, is it really that problematic for the private sector to buy some uranium oxide?”

Yeah, that’s a problem.

You must not go near uranium or plutonium until you give up your nukes.

I offered to supply uranium to China if it declared it would give up its nuclear weapons.

“This is interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state.”

“Oh, if you don’t like it, then just quit.”

We also took this opportunity to cut off subsidies to China.

‘China is becoming paralyzed due to the Great Leap Forward, so why are we giving it more money?’

The anti-communist solidarity agreement was also terminated.

I took steps in turn to pressure China.

“Precision and machine tool exports are not allowed. China is the one who will use these to build enrichment facilities necessary for nuclear armament.”

It was a futile quibble, but when the world’s third-largest power pushed forward with an iron plate on its face, it was bound to work.

The United States, still busy with the Italian War, announced that it would remain indifferent to this issue.

“Isn’t the leader of that neighborhood Korean? Do as you please.”

Finally, Chiang Kai-shek raised the white flag.

“If we give up our nuclear weapons, China must also give them up. Without that prerequisite, we will never give up our nuclear weapons.”

“Oh, just trust us and give up for now.”

Chiang Kai-shek announced the ‘Declaration of Denuclearization of Mainland China’.

“We Chinese people have experienced many wars over the past 10 years. In the process, all kinds of chemical weapons have contaminated the continent. However, these weapons are nothing compared to nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons are terrible, evil weapons that can cause suffering to 100,000 people with just one explosion. Does that mean the damage is limited to the present? They say the damage is passed down to future generations. Should we have such weapons in our country?”

Chiang Kai-shek strongly argued that China must not have nuclear weapons, even for the sake of its peace and people.

The Nanjing government also responded.

“Chongqing was the first to speak the truth. The interests of the Chinese people lie in peace, not in nuclear weapons that create death. We have a duty to save the people from the fear of nuclear war by giving up nuclear weapons.”

As regimes on the continent declared they would give up nuclear weapons, Mao Zedong also felt the pressure.

Everyone in the world was looking at Mao Zedong’s mouth.

Mao Zedong, whose leadership had already been weakened by the aftermath of the Great Leap Forward, could not withstand this pressure.

“We, the new China that the Chinese Communist Party will create, do not need nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons are evil weapons created only by irrational imperialist countries. China, as the world’s leading moral country, will show the courage to break away from such evil.”

The Chinese government’s declaration to give up nuclear weapons was praised in Washington and London.

“I salute the Chinese people’s commitment to peace.”

Of course, the parties that gave up their nuclear weapons could not have thought that way.

Even if it weren’t for us, they wouldn’t have given up their nukes.

By the time it gave up its nuclear weapons, China had essentially lost its path to becoming a great power.

“Hahaha.”

I laughed when I saw Chinese people willingly putting on chains.

That promise may not last forever, but once it’s been made, it’s not easy to take back.

Why couldn’t South Korea arm itself with nuclear weapons?

The biggest reason was the United States, but the second reason was the declaration of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

No country trusts a country that cannot keep its own promises.

China has staked its credibility on its opposition to nuclear armament.

So, it will not be easy to decide on nuclear armament.

‘Is this a satisfactory result?’

At least during my term, we will never see China arm itself with nuclear weapons.