Chapter 594: Moving at the Owner’s Command

My sharp reaction seemed to catch Choi Ryong-hae off guard, leaving his face rigid with shock.

"Whether to kill or spare Kim Jong-il is a matter for Chairman Jang Seong-taek to decide, not mine. Even if I could convince him otherwise, I see no reason to stand against Chairman Jang to have him killed. Yet, how confidently you ask that…"

Choi Ryong-hae, biting his lips, locked eyes with me as he spoke.

"…I've heard you and Kim Jong-il aren't on good terms. If he's still alive, it wouldn't bode well for you, would it, Mr. Kim Mu-hyeok?"

"Perhaps. But I don't believe Chairman Jang would be someone to fall for a toothless tiger like Kim Jong-il. Therefore, I have no desire to persuade him to kill him. If I've spoon-fed him, and he can't even swallow that, isn't that his limit?"

Jang Seong-taek decided to spare Kim Jong-il.

Thus, even if a coup were to occur and Jang Seong-taek lost his position, it would entirely be his choice.

"…He is the supreme dignity of our Republic. Please show some respect in your words."

"He may be supreme in the North, but not to me. And isn't it more disrespectful for you, a political bureau chief, to speak to me like that?"

"What do you mean by that… ?"

With a smirk, I raised one corner of my mouth.

"Chairman Jang decided to keep Kim Jong-il alive. I've heard you've mentioned this several times to others, too. Does Chairman Jang know you're here talking to me about this?"

Choi Ryong-hae fell silent, clearly not having informed Jang Seong-taek.

"Why do you and the reactionary elements that agree with you feel you can speak freely about something decided by the Supreme Dignity? Weren't you all silent under Kim Jong-il's rule?"

Calling Jang Seong-taek the Supreme Dignity while his subordinates blatantly disregarded his authority was a curious contradiction.

"So should I just call Jang Seong-taek and tell him exactly what you just said? That Choi Ryong-hae, the political bureau chief, came to me to persuade me to kill Kim Jong-il?"

It was laughable that those who did nothing when Kim Jong-il was overthrown were now arguing that he should be killed.

Naturally, cold words escaped my lips.

"What do you mean by… ?"

"You say I'm not on good terms with Kim Jong-il? Well, that's not entirely inaccurate. But honestly, it all ended when he was overthrown."

It was simply ludicrous for Choi Ryong-hae to come to me with such a fragmented view.

Kim Jong-il lost everything when he was overthrown.

"If the objective was to kill Kim Jong-il from the start, he'd be smelling incense behind a screen by now. He certainly had enough time. So why didn't Chairman Jang and I go through with it? If you have a brain atop your shoulders, think for a moment about why Kim Jong-il is still alive and why Chairman Jang allows him to live when he's outlived his usefulness."

Kim Jong-il had reached the end of his usefulness as Jang Seong-taek inherited the crown.

From now on, Kim Jong-il's existence would be systematically erased from North Korea. He would still be alive but rendered nothing more than a shell.

Of course, initially, I had thought he should be killed.

But now, I sided more with Chairman Jang's thoughts.

The political burden from killing Kim Jong-il far outweighed the benefits of keeping him alive.

Seeing my lack of a desired response seemed to make Choi Ryong-hae angry, causing his cheeks to quiver.

'Even if Jang Seong-taek tries to change, those piglets will just cause a ruckus beside him.'

Catching sight of Choi Ryong-hae like that, I couldn't help but smirk.

He must have thought I was mocking him because his face flushed bright red.

Someone involved in politics shouldn't reveal their inner thoughts so clearly; he was far beneath Jang Seong-taek.

"Mr. Kim Mu-hyeok, choose your words wisely. It might disrupt your business in North Korea."

I let out a loud laugh at such a pathetic threat.

"Political Bureau Chief, do you know how hard I've fought to ensure Jang Seong-taek retains power in North Korea? I brought in China, Russia, and the U.S. to keep them in check, all to quietly manage this matter. Who do you think you are to say such things? You're just a pawn for Jang Seong-taek, and now that you're on the board, just move how the owner commands."

"Mr. Kim Mu-hyeok!!"

Choi Ryong-hae raised his voice and slammed his hand on the table in front of him.

This won't last long. I clicked my tongue and continued speaking.

"You might be the one getting your head cut off if you try to kill Kim Jong-il, so focus on your assigned role. Chairman Jang sent you to Singapore, which means he's sincere about this preliminary negotiation."

Regardless of what Choi Ryong-hae thought, he appeared as a figure of high authority from the outside.

Jang Seong-taek couldn't personally attend the preliminary negotiation, and sending something as symbolic as Kim Yong-nam wouldn't make sense.

The fact that he sent Choi Ryong-hae was just to make sure he spoke at least a bit to secure his position before the U.S., China, and Russia.

"Hey! I…"

"If you intend to continue this power struggle with me, keep talking. You know very well how I've handled Kim Jong-il, right?"

Choi Ryong-hae fell silent.

I narrowed my eyes and leaned in closer to Choi Ryong-hae.

"I'm not someone who will fulfill your requests at no cost. If you wanted a deal, you should have come with something worthwhile. Throwing a tantrum like a child is hardly the gesture of an adult. What are you trying to achieve by playing this way?"

I fixed my gaze on Choi Ryong-hae.

Born as the son of Choi Hyun, Kim Il-sung's closest aide, he had followed the elite path.

He made many enemies by acting presumptuously, but because of his father's influence, no one dared to touch him.

Choi Ryong-hae held the position of secretary in the Korean Socialist Youth League during his youth, where he turned the youth league into his own small kingdom, living a lavish life.

As a result, he drew Kim Jong-il's wrath, leading to the execution of all the youth league officials.

Ultimately, he found himself on the brink of death.

However, due to his exceptional background and Jang Seong-taek's urgent plea to Kim Jong-il for his survival, he was merely expelled and sent to a remote village to learn labor.

There, he underwent humiliations he had never faced before and cried tears of regret.

Yeah, he must have dreamed of revenge from then on.

"Don't think you can move Chairman Jang just because of your personal ambition. You might end up back in that hellish countryside again. No, this time, your chances of death are high."

I knew precisely why he was so obsessed with Kim Jong-il.

Choi Ryong-hae merely wanted to kill Kim Jong-il, who had exiled him to a rural farm.

A mix of contempt and anger flickered in Choi Ryong-hae's eyes.

Had anyone ever survived after staring at me like that?

I chuckled as I leaned back against the sofa, nonchalantly crossing my legs and bouncing my feet.

"You should leave now. I won't be telling Chairman Jang what the Political Bureau Chief said to me today. So, do your job well in this negotiation."

Even my casual gesture for him to depart didn't move Choi Ryong-hae.

I shook my head and closed my eyes, signaling I no longer wished to converse.

Moments later, I heard him stand up, prompting me to open my eyes again.

"I'll take my leave now. But I won't forget this humiliation for as long as I live."

I responded only with a wry smile.

Choi Ryong-hae seemed to want to retort, but he simply turned away.

After he exited, Manager Ma approached me with concern.

"Are you okay? I think you pressed him too hard."

"I'm fine. People like him yield to strength more than anyone. If they see a weak side or cowardice in front of them, they'll do anything to take advantage."

He's probably gnashing his teeth at the humiliation I dealt him while searching for ways to take revenge.

"Won't there be issues with the business in North Korea?"

"How can Choi Ryong-hae obstruct a project backed by Jang Seong-taek? Even if there are disturbances, we can deal with it when it happens."

Was Jang Seong-taek's influence still not enough?

Considering that he had taken over all the positions Kim Jong-il held at the party congress, that didn't appear to be the case…

Since the method of asking me had collapsed, they might start scheming other ways to get rid of Kim Jong-il.

Just because Jang Seong-taek seized power didn't mean everything would end.

* * *

Delegations from various countries met at a designated location to conduct negotiations.

The first day ended without any agreement in sight.

Myeong-su found me late that night after the talks concluded.

"How did it go?"

"How do you think? We just exchanged our points without any resolution."

"The U.S. was directly represented by the person in charge of East Asia and the Pacific, right? Russia sent a deputy foreign minister, and China sent Li Zhao-xing personally?"

It seems China is quite eager.

While other countries sent deputy ministers, China opted for a direct ministerial presence.

It's understandable. From Hu Jintao's perspective, he couldn't accept North Korea being completely under U.S. control.

'I'm disappointed, Mr. Kim Mu-hyeok. I considered you a friend, yet it seems you prioritize the U.S. over us.'

Wen Jiabao, who had previously communicated with me after the South-North summit announcement, didn't hide his displeasure.

His tone was noticeably more rigid than before.

I recalled our conversation and asked.

"What are China's demands?"

"After the South-North summit, we're looking for a three-party meeting among South Korea, North Korea, and the U.S. China wants to join in on that discussion."

"And Russia feels the same?"

"Yes. While there are other requests, at the core, that's what matters. They want to ensure we're part of the negotiations among your three countries."

It wasn't an unreasonable request.

Last time, we held six-party talks to address North Korea's nuclear issues.

North Korea's concerns were a critical issue in East Asia.

This time, they were suggesting a five-party meeting, excluding Japan.

"What's the stance of the South Korean government?"

"We're open to including all involved parties. However, the U.S. is opposed. It seems they want to maintain their influence."

"Of course. North Korea has always prioritized relationships with China and Russia. If they don't seize this opportunity, it'll be tough for the U.S. to establish influence in North Korea. They wouldn't want to give up their dominance easily."

Myeong-su nodded, his face bearing shadows of fatigue after the discussions had dragged on.

"For now, we've agreed to reconvene in two days. I have a meeting with Choi Ryong-hae scheduled for tomorrow…"

The five-party meeting was a separate concern.

Myeong-su's actual purpose in Singapore was to negotiate the South-North summit.

"Is that so? Then I'll take the initiative to meet with the U.S. representatives and those from China and Russia. You focus on North Korea."

Myeong-su's face brightened. He had likely been waiting for me to suggest this.

"Could you? Thank you. I worry about leaving it solely in the hands of the foreign ministry. If I don't step up, the level of discussion won't match the occasion, and if negotiations are left to the working-level delegations, nothing will proceed if the representatives refuse to agree."

His voice regained strength. I smiled at Myeong-su's cheerful demeanor.

"You're welcome. That's precisely why I came to Singapore. It was at the request of the U.S. The five-party meeting shouldn't be too difficult. The essence is that they have something they want from North Korea. If we coordinate that, we can end this."

And I knew what China and Russia wanted.