21st century Goguryeo

Chapter 52

January 1st, 2019 10:30

Korea

In the years following the terrorist attack on Kim Il-sung Square in Pyeongyang on August 15th, 2015, and with the threat of war, Korea suffered from a recession worse than the 1998 IMF crisis. But after new products using applied technology from the alien spacecraft came out into the world, the economy began to rise in 2017 and an economic boom began. The economic growth rate rose by 41%, and the GDP hit 2.69 billion dollars, reaching the 6th highest in the world just behind the United Kingdom.

The growth rate was unimaginably fast considering the population ratio, which had doubled since the previous year. The western nations began to be wary of Korea and became unsure if Korea was an enemy or ally. The U.S, China, and Japan all made movements to put economic pressure towards Korea.

The key reason that Korea was able to achieve a GDP growth rate that doubled in less than two years was the step-by-step market economy recovery policy that was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Next-generation Technology and Ministry of Trade and Industry.

As the Korean economy began entering an economic boom, the large, middle, and small corporations all began using their capital to hire employees with governmental aid, and the unemployed from younger to middle-aged were all able to return to stable jobs.

The 30% increase in wages became the spark for the household economy to become a roaring flame. Also, welfare policies worked in sync, causing incomes to rise, and lowered income taxes, health insurance fees, and education fees allowed citizens to live leisurely and turn their sights towards seeking happiness. This also increased the purchasing power of consumers. As a result, the market economy began rapidly revitalizing and growing in size from the domino effect.

The Korean government increased its budget by 70%, and the budget of 680.4 billion dollars passed Congress without an issue, and the additional 165 billion dollars in profits from the Korean Pharmaceuticals and hundreds of other corporations that the Ministry of Next-Generation Technology aided was added to the budget, and Korea had the financial stability to become a developed nation.

On the first day of 2019, the Korean government announced a few revolutionary welfare policies. The first policy was all about education. The government announced that education would be free for all students until high school, that free meals would be provided to all students, and that the government would provide financial aid for college students, providing 50% off tuition.

Second, the current welfare, public health, and work policies were changed starting from the elderly welfare pension being changed to citizens’ welfare pension and extending the range from 65 years of age to 60 and increasing the benefit amounts to 800 dollars a month. Also, the national health insurance was amended to have the government pay 50% of the current costs.

A radical new policy for providing 30,000 dollars and free education until college for families with three children was also created. There were also new policies for newlyweds that provided them a free 75-square-foot home for 10 years or a loan up to 200,000 dollars for purchasing a home that would be interest-free for 20 years.

Finally, the government was to provide all the mandatory conscription soldiers to be paid 2,000 dollars a month, 100 dollars for buying personal supplies, and other financial aid for regularly set time off. All reserve forces would be paid a pension of 100 dollars a month and receive completely free health insurance and tax deduction. These policies were radical to the point that every citizen was in awe.

Most young men despised having to give up their schooling or work to be dragged into service in their early 20s, but their opinion changed after the introduction of the new policy, and many went straight into the service after high school. The fact they could earn 40,000 dollars tax-free and also serve their nation flooded the Military Manpower Administration with phone calls inquiring about enlisting.

Many college graduates who started their lives with debt from student loans could finally get out of the vicious cycle, and many young men who only graduated high school had an opportunity to earn precious seed money that could be used when they returned to society or start a business.

The reason all these radical welfare policies became possible was a reformative government that came in and confiscated all the property of traitours individuals or corrupt bureaucrats and gave the money back to the state treasury. However, the largest reason for economic growth was the new products that were released from applying alien technology.

* * *

January 10th, 2019 13:30

Jeon-nam Goheung-gun two kilometers away from Naro Space Center

“Good day everyone. This is reporter Ahn Ho-won from CBS news. I am in Goheung-gun Naro Space Center. In a moment, the Woorinaro rocket that was made purely with Korean technology will begin the world’s first launch carrying three satellites. There is still an hour left before the launch, but many citizens are already here waiting to see the launch first hand. We will now interview some of the people waiting out here.”

Every TV channel was plastered with footage related to the launch of the Woorinaro rocket. There was a hidden agenda from the Korean government. The launch of a rocket made with only the nation’s technology on New Year’s Day would raise the pride citizens felt towards the nation and boost morale at the start of the new year, which in turn would unite them. Therefore, the various press agencies were promoting and broadcasting the launch live.

“Hello. Where did you come from?”

The reporter interviewed one of the onlookers: a man seeming to be in high school.

“Hello. I am Oh Jong-gyu a sophomore from Gwangju highschool.”

“Gwangju is not close by, did you come here to witness the event for yourself?”

“I saw the news about the launch a couple of days ago, and my friends and I asked our parents if we could come to see the launch with our own eyes.”

“Hooray! Go rocket Woorinaro!”

The friends around Oh Jong-gyu cheered.

“Mr. Oh Jong-gyu, please say a few words for the launch of the Woorinaro rocket.”

“First, it was made purely with Korean technology, right? I hope it will be successful, unlike the failures we had with Naro 1 and 2. I also hope our nation’s space industry develops more so that I can go to space. I’m counting on it!”

“Yes, I also hope this launch will be successful as well. Thank you for interviewing.”

“Hooray!”

“Thank you once again for those words. I will meet you again when the time for the launch is close. This was reporter Ahn Ho-won from CBS news.”

When the time for the launch was close, every home, company, terminal, train station, and any other place with a TV in Korea had citizens gathered around to witness the rocket’s launch.

* * *

January 10th, 2019 14:00

Jeon-nam Goheung-gun Naro Space Center mission control room.

At the Naro Space Center mission control room, the researchers from the 17th Fighter Wing underground research facility’s X-21 and X-22 labs were busy making final diagnostics for the launch.

A moment later, the launch systems for the Woorinaro rocket began to operate with a minute left before launch. One of the operating researchers from the Woorinaro rocket looked at the screen and began shouting the launch sequences in order.

“Countdown for Woorinaro rocket KSLV-1 start!”

The 200-inch screen in the middle of the mission control room showed the soon-to-be-launched Woorinaro rocket rising in the launchpad, and underneath it, the countdown was starting.

“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, engines ignite!”

Goong~ Booooooom~

The Woorinaro rocket emitted flames and smoke that was different from the standard Naro rocketships or rockets from other nations, and it overcame gravity gradually and began rising into the sky. Soon, the launchpad’s evasion maneuver started, and after the rocket adjusted left and right, it gained speed and left the visual field.

“Reaching an altitude of two kilometers and starting the second ignition.”

When the operating researcher reported each moment of the Woorinaro’s progress, the second ignition blasted the heat, and the ship vanished from the atmosphere that was double the space speed. The people who were watching from the television and at the site all clapped at the spectacular scene and began to cheer. However, many other steps had to be taken before the launch would be considered a success, so many people put their hands in prayer or balled them up into a fist watching in admiration and anticipation.

The Woorinaro rocket flew at speeds of 30 kilometers per second until it reached an altitude of 36,000 kilometers, and soon the first rocket engine stopped and detached. The detached first engine turned on its vernier engines following the autopilot system and began its descent to the designated landing area. Also, the second engine ignited when the first one detached and the rocket began making its journey diagonally to the target orbit the first satellite was to detach from.

“Soon the first satellite will reach the point of detachment.” action

From the second engine of the Woorinaro that was moving in a diagonal orbit, a pairing covering the first satellite detached, and the first satellite successfully reached its desired orbit with its thrust. After an hour passed, the second and third satellites also reached their target orbits using the same methods, and Korea became the first country in the world to launch three satellites using a single rocket.

Also, the satellites that were launched into orbit were the planet-wide communication satellite Hera 1, 2, and 3, all equipped with the Turkion-X wireless system. Now Korea was able to use the geostationary orbit communication satellites to use its network for phone calls and wireless data and watch videos and broadcasts on SUPER HUD, which was the highest quality. This meant that phone calls, internet access, and broadcasts in SUPER HUD were all available even in the middle of the Sahara desert.

In a press conference at 19:00, the Director of the Naro Space Center announced the three satellites all had entered normal orbit stably, and the first rocket also landed safely in its designated location. On that day, the Korean citizens all were pleased, and many business owners hosted events and sales just like when the Korean soccer team reached the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup.

* * *

January 10th, 2019 16:00

Choongbook Chungju-si 17th Fighter Wing underground research facility first-floor lobby.

The underground research facility was also celebrating. Since the rocket and satellites developed succeeded, the head researchers who were directly involved were at the Naro Space Center and could not be congratulated, but they offered kind words to those who were in the facility and had a small party in celebration.

Namgoong-won also took a break on his own watching the TV, drinking with his fellow researchers and spending time with Assistant Manager Lee Hye-jin when the call from Hocula came.

-Bee beep! Beep! Namgoong-won!

Namgoong-won, who could now communicate with Hocula on a smartphone immediately answered Hocula.

“What’s going on?”

-I would like you to come into the lab for a moment.

“All right. Just give me a moment.”

“Assistant Manager Lee, I need to step into the lab for a bit.”

“What’s going on?”

“Hocula is calling me.”

“You’re being requested by Hocula now too?”

“Yeah. How did it all come to this?”

“Let’s go together, I keep getting pestered by Lee Ja-sung if I am alone here. He keeps asking me to set up a blind date for him and it’s getting annoying.”

“Yes. Let’s go.”

* * *

January 10th, 2019 16:10

Choongbook Chungju-si 17th Fighter Wing underground research facility X-2 lab (Namgoong-won lab).

Namgoong-won had returned to the lab with Assistant Manager Lee Hye-jin and began conversing with Hocula at the main computer.

“What’s up?”

-Currently, Hocula’s main system has reached 80% operating capacity with its self-recovery protocol.

“That’s great, isn’t it? Is that why you asked for me to be here?”

-No. The reason was to show you a few recovered features in the Roseferry after the main system’s operating capacity has reached 80%.

“Roseferry’s recovered functions? What’s that?”

-Go look at the Roseferry now.

When he was instructed to go see the Roseferry in the X-1 lab out of the blue, Namgoong-won looked at Assistant Manager Lee Hye-jin and waved at her to come along to head to the lab.

A moment later, the doors to the X-1 lab opened, and Namgoong-won and Assistant Manager Lee Hye-jin almost fell back out of shock. The Roseferry spaceship that was supposed to be in the X-1 lab had vanished without a trace.

“Huh? It, It was here this morning, where did it go?”

Assistant Manager Lee Hye-jin, who saw Namgoong-won shaken and stuttering his words, urgently spoke to Namgoong-won.

“Isn’t this an emergency security breach?”

“Wait. I will ask Hocula first.”

Both of them rushed back to the X-2 lab. Namgoong-won, who just arrived at the lab, began to communicate with Hocula in a quibbling manner.

“Hocula? What just happened? The Roseferry has vanished.”

-Is this one of the amusements humans call a joke?

Namgoong-won for a moment became angered at Hocula’s irrelevant answer and asked again.

“Now is not the time for games! What, what happened?”

-Namgoong-won, don’t get worked up. The Roseferry has not vanished but rather used its cloaking ability and now can’t be seen.

“Is it something like invisibility?”

-Yes. I will explain it in due time so don’t be hasty.