1997- The Question of North Korea
The Starving Hermit
It was only barely a few days and President Arlen Specter would already would he be having to deal with quite an interesting developing situation. He would be called over to meet up over with the Zhao Ziyang of the People's Republic of China and Chief Director of the SUSR, Georgy Arbatov. While it was a meeting of congratulations for his election and for the two leaders to get to know him, there was something else on why it was the three of them here. The two in particular was interested in speaking with Specter on account of one issue that they realized needed to be solved: North Korea. Askew did leave behind a couple notes over regarding the observations and the growing troubles of North Korea, but now President Specter would be thrust into a meeting of great powers to figure out a solution given how much of the situation has esculated.
With the death of Kim Il-sung back a few years prior, his son Kim Jong-il would take over the nation along with inheriting the cult of personality. Jong-il would declare his father as the Eternal President of North Korea, all but abolishing it while its position would be divided into three different positions, with Jong-il himself being head of the military alongside with the other positions of the premier and parliament chairman. Unfortunately, fortune was not favorable to Jong-il. While the Sovereign Union would still be willing to help out North Korea, the transistion period of the SUSR itself meant that assistance was going to be pretty limited for the first few years. In addition, a flood back in 1995 would lead to famine because of the crops and infrastructure being heavily damaged, marking Jong-il's first years as potentially disasterous and a potential omen of what was to come. This would be reinforced when Jong-il would use it to try and consolidate power and forcing more of the military up front to handle the situation. In fact, some of the intelligence reports would note that this would be the development of a new political philosophy known as
Songun. Literally meaning "military first", it was meant to synch up with the preexisting "
Juche" policy that North Korea was running under right now. Beyond just focusing on military expenditure more than anything else, it would allow Jong-il to maintain power, given how there was an increasing pressure to try to change.
However, the larger concern was on nuclear weapons. The fall of the USSR and rebirth into the SUSR along with PROC's political reforms concerned the Kim dynasty and it was becoming increasingly clear that they were determined to try and obtain nuclear weapons for what they claimed would be deterrence of foreign aggression, but if one would read between the lines, it would be done to try and prevent the Americans or the Chinese from toppling the government. The Yongbyon nuclear reactor remained a prominent target for them and while it seemed that discussions would be making headway, President Specter believed that it was kicking the can down the line. The fact that North Korea would rather focus more on arming themselves rather than trying to deal with the crisis going on in their country showed a large lack of trust. One of the policy counselors in particular described one meeting as some "extortion attempt" regarding additional aid in the exchange of no nuclear development, but worded in a very roundabout matter. Ultimately, an answer had to be reached...
Korean Reunification
Reunifying Korea has been on the talking board ever since the Germans did so. The Koreans maintained some desire for it, but it was becoming clear that it would be alot more difficult to achieve. A major factor making matters difficult was North Korean leadership; the objectives they were putting with
Songun was incompatible with what South Korea was wanting. While
Juche was a bit more appealing to the descendent of the Joseon hermit kingdom, it was very unlikely to be taken seriously due to economic realities rendering it unfeasible. The SUSR was somewhat impartial over to what happened to North Korea as long as change did happen since they would likely not want to help a volatile ally. China was a bit more complicated. Their goals regarding the Koreas could be described in six words: "no war, no instability, no nukes."
President Specter would become aware of the geopolitical situation. While China was willing to be more flexible with North Korea, they had their own situation to think about and naturally, anything like a war or invasion would be against the nature. That said, Specter noted how North Korea would likely cross the line at some point or may decide to flout the authority against them. However, it was here that Arbatov noted something... that the problem was with the North Korean govenment... or perhaps more specifcially, the Kim dynasty. Arbatov brought up the legacy of de-Stalinization and how such a process may be needed to stabilize North Korea and make reunification possible. However, it was pretty clear that the Kim family would need to be taken care of in some form or fashion for this plan to be possible.
And thus, dirty business would need to be done. Specter was not too happy with this, but realized it needed to be done. It would also give a bit of breath to the SUSR as it would be easier to justify preparing aid to a friendlier and more managable government. Ziyang saw it the same though he also saw this as a chance for the PROC to make further deals with the west. After all, a unified Korea would bring peace and South Korea was not
that close over to the west to where a sort of neutrality or favorability could be reached. Of coruse, this was easier said than done... after all, this was just some conversation and an informal arrangement. Of course, this did not mean the goal could not be done...
After all, the Kim family wasn't
entirely unified in the rulership...
Kim Out, Kim In
There were two people of prominent interest over in the Kim family: Vice President Kim Yong-ju and Kim Pyong-il. Yong-ju was Kim Il-sung's younger brother and thus Jong-il's uncle. The two were not on good terms with relations falling out over in 1974 due to a power struggle between him and Jong-il. One large reason was because of Yong-Ju having a more orthodox view of Marxism and thus was opposed to the cult of personality forming. As such, he would be a good candidate for the Sovereign Union to try and reach out for a potential alliance. The other candidate was Kim Pyong-il, the paternal half-brother of Jong-il. While Jong-il fell out of favor thanks to his behavior and being seen as a threat to the cult of personality. Pyong-il was easier to reach given how he was North Korea's ambassador to Finland and thus he would be able to communicate over to the SUSR on a potential offer.
The time to act was now.
Jong-il would be invited to one more meeting for a sort of ultimatum during talks over with the Chinese: for UN staff to come in for thorough investigations regarding the nuclear research along with a stronger deal to go and secure more aid. At this more hardline offer, Jong-il would refuse to budge along with the pulling back of the military expansion and the deal would fall apart soon afterwards.
Only hours later... Kim Jong-il would be killed in a large explosion over within along with several staff members. Chinese investigators with some North Korean support would reveal that this was the result of a gas leak and someone lighting up something in a tragic accident. And thus, Jong-il's reign would end before it would really begin, especially with no decided line of secession or at least an heir from him.
North Korea's leadership would be sent over into a massive shake-up, especially when the news would come out. However, to fill in the void would be Vice President Kim Yung-Ju, ascending to power and securing deals over to deal with the famine and flooding going on with China. Loads of aid would start coming in and as Chinese officials came in to help their ally, they also used the chance to purge any loyalists to Jong-il and even II-Sung. Kim Yung-Ju noted he would remain in power for 5 years before passing it off over to his planned successor, that of Kim Pyong-il.
North Korean Aid & Change
Jong-il's family meanwhile would be cared for though it was clear that there were large changes happening, including on leadership. Kim Jong-nam, Jong'il's oldest son, noted he nor his family had little interest in power and would support his grand-uncle to do what is needed in the wake of this horrid tragedy. While the people mourned, it was a rather strange and quiet affair... Yung-Ju would would become Grand Secretary of the Workers' Party in Korea and would begin purging the party of those who would be against the upcoming reforms, based by the Chinese and SUSR programs to help the economy recover. In the meanwhile, to help rebuild relations with the Americans, North Korea and the United States would arrange a deal that would provide large foreign aid to help out with the famine over in North Korea along with medical attention, with the approval of the new leadership.
It was quite an overwhelming bit of change for North Koreans, but with such a disaster in the famine and the death of Jong-il, such support and kindness was welcomed, a major first process in what the new government would unofficially call "de-Kimification", referring to undoing the cult of personality. One way was to encourage the people to embrace more orthodox faiths to fill the void, especially among the older generation with Korean Buddhism and Chondoism becoming the most prominent of the faiths being promoted by the North Korean government. For the youth, the hope was with the gradual opening, that they would overcome it on their own. Lastly, as part of another plan over to further give hope to North Koreans, the new government would announce peace talks with South Korea along with new opportunities to be done.
It would be the beginning of a transition process for quite a different North Korea...