Republic of Korea in Yeokcheon - Chapter 322



Only Noblemtl

#322. Mahjong? I can never get rid of that.

January 26, 1965.

On his way back home, Lee Kang-cheol stopped by a small country in Southeast Asia.

It’s Singapore.

As President Lee Kang-chul’s plane landed at Seletar Airport, traps were set up and a red carpet was laid out.

“Wow! It’s really humid.”

“Really? Oh!”

As the private jet door opened, both Lee Kang-cheol and his wife Lee Seon-yeong involuntarily frowned at the rushing moisture.

I had heard about it in advance, but I never imagined it would be this humid in January.

“Just bear with it. It’ll be okay if we go somewhere with air conditioning.”

“Haha! Don’t worry. It’s not like it’s the first or second time.”

Just because someone is the head of state doesn’t mean he or she is necessarily a good person.

Because I have to control my expression even when this kind of murderous humidity hits.

Lee Kang-cheol and his wife quickly changed their expressions to smiles and came down the trap while waving their hands.

“Welcome! We are honored to have you visit our Singapore!”

“Haha! I said I was coming, but I’m a little late. Sorry.”

“Hahaha! No, just coming to a small country like ours is enough and will really help us.”

This tall man in his 40s, who seems a little excited, is about as tall as Lee Kang-cheol for an Asian.

It was Lee Kuan Yew, the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore.

There was good reason for Lee Kuan Yew to be so excited.

Originally, Singapore was supposed to gain independence in August 1965, when it was unilaterally expelled from the Malaysian government (of course, there is talk that Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman and Lee Kuan Yew had agreed to part ways beforehand. In other words, the tears Lee Kuan Yew shed when he was expelled were just a show), but this time, independence was achieved three years earlier, in 1962.

And Singapore’s independence, which was earlier than its original history, was annexed by annexing not only Singapore Island but also nearly half of the state of Johor, which is adjacent to the north of Singapore Island, an area of ​​9,000㎢, and the country that provided the decisive driving force for this was none other than South Korea.

After World War II, when Malaysia gradually gained independence under a different name, Kim Kyu-sik, under the direction of Lee Kang-cheol, worked with Britain to incorporate part of Johor into Singapore from early on, but for a while, the project was sluggish due to opposition from the Malaysian government.

There was a turning point that brought about rapid developments: the war between South Korea and Indonesia in 1959.

The Malaysian government, which had been trying to protect the entire Johor region by any means necessary, was frightened by seeing the seemingly powerful Indonesian military being completely destroyed, and agreed to hand over nearly half of the Johor region to Singapore.

Of course, Britain was at the forefront of all this, but both the Malay government leaders and Lee Kuan Yew knew very well that the country that provided the greatest driving force behind this was South Korea.

That is why Lee Kuan Yew treated Lee Kang-cheol like a king serving the emperor.

So, why did Lee Kang-cheol and the South Korean government do this?

Because Lee Kuan Yew and Singapore are pretty?

Of course that wasn’t it.

Initially, Lee Kang-cheol had also considered making Singapore a part of Malaysia while continuing to remain in the federation.

The goal was to create a decent ally in Southeast Asia while diluting Islamic fundamentalism and Malay nationalism.

In fact, there is a record in the original history that Lee Kuan Yew had hoped to remain in the federation and become the prime minister of all of Malaysia, so this plan was once studied to a considerable extent.

But such a plan was immediately dismissed.

This is because research results have shown that no matter how much we examine it, we cannot stop the nationalism of the Malay people, who make up the majority of the population, and their insistence that Islam be the state religion.

Is Islam moderate in Malaysia?

Even in modern times, such misunderstandings still exist, but Islam in Malaysia is surprisingly conservative.

This is because the Islam they believe in is a Sunni fundamentalist Salaf sect.

They are influenced by the Wahhabis, the apex of fundamentalism, and have a strong tendency to force politics and society based on Salafism.

Southeast Asia is South Korea’s front yard, and there was concern that having such a fundamentalist Islamic fundamentalist government dominating Malaysia would create considerable conflict in the future, so Lee Kang-cheol wanted Lee Kuan Yew, an atheist, to rule all of Malaysia if possible, but in any case, this plan was abandoned.

The only way then would be to make Singapore independent as it had been in its history, but if possible, make it fully self-reliant.

Singapore later expanded to over 700㎢ through reclamation, but at the time, the island of Singapore was only about 580㎢.

Considering that modern Seoul is 605㎢, one can see how difficult it would be for Singapore to become completely independent.

Above all, Singapore relies on the state of Johor to its north for its water supply.

It was natural that they were not self-sufficient in food, but since it was a very developed trading port, they could obtain food from other countries as well.

But it wasn’t water.

In the end, South Korea worked to annex part of Johor to Singapore for a sure victory, and it was ultimately successful.

So, it was only natural that Lee Kuan Yew would become an ardent pro-China supporter.

“No, there was no need to have such a grand welcoming ceremony… … .”

“Hahaha! No! Since the founding of our Republic of Singapore, we have the most distinguished guest, so we cannot just pass by.”

“… … .”

“… … .”

Because of that, Lee Kang-cheol and Lee Seon-yeong had to suffer from terrible humidity for a long time.

Singapore Prime Minister’s Residence.

Lee Kang-cheol, who was exhausted from attending the official welcome dinner the day before, met Lee Kuan Yew after getting a good night’s sleep in his air-conditioned accommodations.

“Did you sleep well last night?”

“Oh, thanks to you I slept really well. Really.”

“Hahaha! That’s fortunate.”

“… … .”

Lee Kang-cheol really slept well ‘thanks to’ him.

I was so exhausted from the heat and humidity that I practically passed out until the morning.

“I wonder how Prime Minister Kim Kyu-sik is doing. He was like a teacher to me who taught me a lot.”

“I’m doing well. Of course, since you’re so old, your energy isn’t what it used to be.”

“I see. That’s too bad. He was such a great person.”

To Lee Kuan Yew and Singapore, he was a benefactor and a great person, but on the other hand, to Malaysia, Kim Kyu-sik was the worst person in the world.

Because he was the one who forced them to hand over their own territory to Singapore.

Lee Kang-cheol and Lee Kuan Yew chatted like that, but soon began to have a serious conversation.

“Is the Johor regional territory well integrated?”

“Yes. Well, it’s not that there are no problems at all, but we treat everyone equally, including Chinese, Malays, and Indians, so there’s no big problem.”

“Haha! You’re doing a good job. But are you aware that there are some concerns in the international community?”

“… … .”

Although it was a summit meeting, they couldn’t just say nice things.

Lee Kuan Yew has always been, and has been, a very authoritarian ruler, and at times has gone too far, which has caused concern.

Looking at Lee Kuan Yew, whose face had become slightly stiff, Lee Kang-cheol opened his mouth again.

“Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

“I know it may be presumptuous of me to give you some advice, but would that be okay?”

“Hahaha! Of course. If it’s the President’s advice, I should listen to it even if I have to ask for it. Please speak comfortably.”

“Hahaha! Thank you. Prime Minister, first of all, I don’t view your authoritarian rule and developmental dictatorship so negatively. I think it is somewhat necessary in Singapore’s current complex situation.”

“Oh! Is that so? Hahaha! Thank you. I feel strong after hearing the President’s words.”

These are Lee Kang-cheol’s words.

In East Asia, it was truly an indescribable joy to hear that a figure with almost the same influence as an emperor understood him and his way of ruling.

“But, the truth is, anything in excess is worse than anything insufficient.”

“yes?”

“I and the government of the Republic of Korea will support the Prime Minister. However, if the authoritarian style of governance becomes problematic and becomes an international issue, there may come a time when we cannot support him even if we want to.”

“… … .”

“I understand that there are currently a significant number of political prisoners in your country’s prisons.”

“Ahem! They have to stay there.”

“I’m not saying to release them.”

“Then?”

“I ask you not to treat them too harshly. I heard that some of them were even tortured.”

“… … .”

That’s actually the case.

Moreover, they enact laws to arrest political opponents without warrants.

“That approach won’t help you get back home. As I said before, too much is worse than too little.”

“I don’t understand what you are saying. Didn’t you say earlier that you understand my way of governing, considering the situation in Singapore?”

“Of course. I completely understand.”

“But?”

“Please continue to rule in your own way, Prime Minister, but please be a little more flexible. The torture of some people in particular was too harsh. I hope you will refrain from doing so in the future.”

“Whew! Anyway, isn’t this interference in internal affairs?”

“Hahaha! This is not interference in internal affairs. It’s just advice. It’s also advice. If things like this keep coming out, I’m honestly afraid of America’s moves.”

“America, America?”

“Yes, I mean the United States. When I met Joseph in the United States, he was secretly critical of the current situation in Malaysia.”

“… … .”

It’s scary to be at odds with South Korea, but the United States is an even scarier country.

Lee Kuan Yew’s mind became uneasy.

“Then what should I do?”

“As I said before, I’m not saying that you should change the entire way the Prime Minister governs. Just give him some freedom. No matter what the circumstances, humans need to breathe sometimes.”

“… … .”

“Not everyone can live like the Prime Minister. Mahjong? That can never be eliminated. No, even if Mao Zedong returns to China, that can never be eliminated. I used mahjong as an example, but you know what I mean, right?”

Lee Kuan Yew also tried to ban mahjong, but this ultimately failed.

And Mao Zedong also tried to ban mahjong during the Cultural Revolution by destroying everything, but ultimately failed.

“There is a moderation in everything in the world. I believe that Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew will govern Singapore well. However, I hope that he will not go too far. That would also be good for the relationship between our Republic of Korea and Singapore.”

“Oh, I understand. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Hahaha! Thank you for listening to me.”

“yes…….”

Whose words are you talking about that I should just ignore?