Chapter 544: I Will Wait Until Tonight

Yoon Chang-ho's visit to the U.S. was going smoothly.

He gathered members of both the House and Senate at the Capitol for a joint address.

— Honorable Speaker Dennis Hastert, Vice President Dick Cheney, esteemed Senators and Representatives, and all distinguished guests present here. I am truly honored to speak on the friendship and future between Korea and the U.S. in this place that symbolizes freedom and democracy, the Capitol.

Beginning his remarks, Chang-ho expressed gratitude to the veterans who fought in the Korean War, and he calmly addressed various pressing issues.

Throughout the speech, the applause was relentless, drawing a total of about thirty rounds of clapping.

In particular, his strong stance on the North Korean nuclear issue and provocations garnered five rounds of applause.

— We must end the vicious cycle of North Korean provocations that have persisted for so long, and it is time for Korea and the U.S. to unite and lead them down the path of openness.

Chang-ho spoke for thirty minutes in English, with the content broadcast worldwide by reporters.

"It seems I won't need to go to Washington after all."

As I managed my schedule, I kept a watchful eye on the situation in Washington.

The visit was proceeding without issues, and a summit meeting between President Bush and President Chang-ho was scheduled for tomorrow.

But suddenly, I received a phone call from Myeong-su.

— Hey, Mu-hyeok!

Myeong-su's voice, calling out to me abruptly, was filled with agitation.

"What's up? Is something wrong? Your voice sounds off."

— No, these bastards suddenly changed their tune.

"What? What do you mean?"

— I'm talking about handing over the individuals involved in the middle school student's stampede incident. They're saying they can't uphold that.

Handing over those connected to the stampede incident was a prerequisite for everything.

It was a strong weapon to quell anti-U.S. sentiment and to enable deployment to Iraq.

If the core agenda of this visit, the alpha and omega of our purpose, isn't resolved, then nothing can be achieved.

To be precise, we could proceed, but President Chang-ho's approval ratings would take a hit.

"…Why the sudden change?"

— It seems they'd planned this from the start. You persuaded China and Russia, and the resolution passed unanimously in the UN Security Council. So they can't hand over their own citizens to us with political burdens. Can you believe this?

"These crazy bastards…"

I couldn't help but curse. How dare they flip their promise like a palm?

— You need to come. Tomorrow, President Chang-ho is meeting with President Bush, and if this isn't coordinated, it'll be a visit that yields nothing.

"Got it. I'm heading out now."

— For now, I'll continue the negotiations.

I hung up and shoved my phone into my pocket.

Taking a moment to close my eyes and calm my anger, I spoke to Manager Ma.

"Cancel all plans. We're heading to Washington."

"Yes, Boss. I'll prepare right away."

We arrived in Washington just as the sun was setting, and I immediately grabbed my phone.

— Hello?

"Good evening, this is Kim Mu-hyeok."

— Charlie! I heard you're in the U.S. But what's going on at this hour?

"I'm in Washington right now."

While on the call, I got into the car that was waiting for me. The vehicle took off for the hotel where Myeong-su was negotiating.

— Ah…

"Did you know? I didn't think they would flip the promise like this. Or is this a direct order from Secretary Powell?"

— …That's not possible. I still believe we should hand them over. Charlie, there's a presidential election next year, right? The Democratic Party has already started primaries, and the response isn't bad.

"I already know that."

Powell sighed softly before responding.

— Knowing that makes this a bit easier. However, we're taking a risk by holding our own citizens responsible for a 'mistake' made while they were soldiers, and this will affect next year's presidential election, according to our advisors. President Bush accepted that. I couldn't do anything about it.

President Bush knows. No, he allowed it. And downplayed the significance of the incident with the word 'mistake.'

But the urgency of the situation was too great to get bogged down in wordplay.

"Then you should've at least informed us beforehand. I've been running around China and Russia, negotiating for the U.S. government without a moment's rest. And this is what I get in return? Is this how the U.S. government views me as some fool?"

Even if it meant losing out on something, I upheld trust and promises.

Their breach of promise meant they had no intention of trading with me anymore.

"I'm going to support the Democratic Party now. And I will mobilize all my wealth to ensure President Bush does not get reelected. Remember this: President Bush and you provoked me. We won't be in contact again. Thanks for everything so far."

— W-wait a moment, Charlie. Hold on.

Powell, feeling frantic at my declaration to support the Democrats, called out to me.

"Is there anything more to discuss? The trust has already been broken. I have no obligation to support President Bush or the Republican Party anymore."

— Let me speak with the president. Please wait a moment.

"Then relay this clearly: fulfill your promises as agreed. I'm sure the Secretary will realize I know more than you think. If everything falls to the Democrats, it should be quite an interesting scene."

Powell fell silent, unable to respond. A deep silence flowed through the receiver.

"I am not one of President Bush's underlings. The only reason I went above and beyond to assist was that my interests aligned with the U.S. government."

— Just wait. I'm going to speak with President Bush now.

"I will wait until tonight. If President Chang-ho leaves the U.S. without gaining anything, then that will truly be the end."

I hung up before Powell could respond.

"How much longer?"

"About 30 more minutes."

I smiled lightly at Manager Ma, who looked worried, and gave my instructions.

"Manager, check how the Democratic Party's primary is going right now. Most likely, candidate John Kerry is a strong contender. See if a meeting with him is possible. Don't schedule anything yet."

"Understood."

Manager Ma nodded and quickly pulled out his phone.

After confirming that, I closed my eyes to sort out the situation.

'How did the 2004 U.S. presidential election unfold?'

I recalled memories buried deep. Although it wasn't entirely clear, I could piece together some outline.

The Republican Party, without primaries, had President Bush running for reelection, while the Democrats, through fierce primaries, nominated John Kerry as their candidate with overwhelming support.

And the Democratic Party, succeeding in their primary campaign, confidently attacked Bush and the Republicans.

Before the election results came out, no one could predict the outcome.

'But in the end, Bush won.'

For many reasons, but the biggest factor was that incidents occurring during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars hadn't been widely publicized by the U.S. media.

Currently, Bush's approval ratings were notably higher than in my past life.

Yet, despite that, Bush wasn't assured of reelection and had discarded our agreement like trash.

I knew of dozens of bunkers blown away by U.S. troops.

Just throwing a few of those to the Democrats could swing the election in an unpredictable direction.

Or perhaps the Democrats could actually win.

While it was an action that might alter the future again, I knew that if I let this slide, they would continue to disregard me.

'Still, I hope they keep their promises by tonight.'

The prospect of the future changing weighed heavily on me. I merely wanted to reduce variables.

"Boss, we've arrived."

Lost in thought, we pulled up to the hotel where President Yoon Chang-ho and Myeong-su were staying.

As I called Myeong-su from the lobby, he came down.

"You made it?"

"How did the negotiations go?"

With a solemn face, Myeong-su shook his head.

Given the instructions that had already come from the White House, the negotiating team, who had no authority, couldn't defy the President's orders.

"What about President Yoon Chang-ho?"

"He felt uneasy, so he's having a drink."

"Let's go up then."

I moved with Myeong-su to the top floor where the President was staying.

The security teams from the Blue House in Korea and from the U.S. were controlling that floor.

The Korean team recognized Myeong-su and me and tried to let us pass, but the American team was different.

"We need to check you for weapons."

The strictness of their procedures was simple.

If any harm were to befall another nation's president on American soil, the U.S. would be held entirely responsible.

Myeong-su and I complied and, after a long wait, finally got through.

"Those guys are just overdoing it. They clearly know who I am."

I chuckled at Myeong-su's grievances.

Unlike in Korea, where your face is your ID, the U.S. operates solely on systems.

It would be nice if those sitting in the White House operated with as much consistency too.

Swallowing my disappointment inwardly, I opened the door to the room where President Yoon Chang-ho was staying.

Yoon Chang-ho, alone in the living room with a drink, looked up and smiled at us.

"Mr. Kim, Chief Jung, welcome."

I thought the First Lady was with him, but it turned out he was alone. I glanced around and asked.

"Where did the First Lady go?"

"I told her to rest first. I wouldn't want her to feel bad because of me. Come here and sit down. Now that you're here, let's have a drink together."

Yoon Chang-ho's face appeared somber. Myeong-su and I exchanged glances before taking a seat.

Yoon Chang-ho poured two glasses of liquor and slid them in front of Myeong-su and me.

He quietly tilted his glass. I also took a sip.

Then I set my empty glass down and spoke.

"I watched your speech in Congress. It must have left a profound impression of your philosophy on people around the world."

No matter how passionately he shouted his philosophy, if it's only broadcast within Korea, it remains hollow; it wouldn't spread globally.

But delivering his political philosophy in front of the American Congress, where all eyes were on him, would ensure it reached far and wide.

This was an opportunity for both Chang-ho and Korea.

"Really? You watched?"

"Yes. I didn't know you spoke English so well. You were quite fluent!"

Though there were awkward moments, he managed to deliver the speech entirely in English without faltering.

"I prepared hard. I debated whether to speak in Korean, but I wanted to imprint Korea on the minds of everyone gathered in that moment, including both the Senate and House."

"You did well."

"But all of that has become meaningless. We're receiving reports that they're not giving us anything we want. What's the meaning of this? Did you know about it?"

At his somber question, I lightly shook my head.

"No. I heard about it from Myeong-su today and just got off the call with Secretary Powell. He said they can't hand over their citizens due to the upcoming election."

"How can they overturn something that was coordinated beforehand? Even if it's the U.S., this doesn't make sense."

"Because it's the U.S. They've always prioritized their own interests, haven't they?"

It was an abuse of power from a superpower. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, international politics was now dictated by the United States.

While China may become a rival in the future, that time hasn't come yet.

"Regardless, we are an ally of the U.S. The only ally Korea has is America. And how can they treat us this way? I am! The President of Korea visited the U.S.! And this is how I'm treated?"

President Yoon Chang-ho erupted into a loud voice. It wasn't drunkenness but rage that colored his tone.

"This is unacceptable!"

Pouring liquor into Yoon Chang-ho's empty glass, I replied.

"I warned Secretary Powell. If I don't hear a promise made today, I too will explore other options."

Curious about my words, Yoon Chang-ho asked.

"Other options? Are there any?"

"This time, we might be the ones to suffer, but President Bush will not be able to secure reelection. I will make sure of that."