Dear Comrade

Dear Comrade Leader, Episode 268

Chapter 94. division

-welcome. The success of modern electronics is the success of Yanji.

“I only saw this from a bird’s eye view, but seeing it in person, I can see how big it is. What is the total area of the site?”

A large-print welcome placard written in three languages: Korean, Simplified Chinese, and English swept through the entrance to the industrial complex (giant enough for five trailers to pass side by side) and fluttered. I asked the young man next to me.

To the supervisor’s question, the secretary bowed her head and answered in almost perfect Korean Seoul, but with a faint Hamgyeong-do tone.

“Fifty square kilometers, about 700,000 pyeong. Mr. Jung.”

“Heh heh, that’s really big.”

On the top floor of the management building on the site, Jeong Yang-heon, who was receiving information from factory executives and reporting the production volume for the first month of the start-up, was tongue-in-cheek.

In September 2009, the modern electronic Yanji plant built on the outskirts of the Korean-Chinese Autonomous Prefecture in China was actually vast, as Yangheon Jeong said.

Of course, not only the size but also the production capacity and investment was huge, so it was possible to produce 20 million cell phones a year, a mobile display to be used in the cell phone, and a washing machine for a robot vacuum cleaner similarly.

Modern Electronics invested $2 billion in Yanji to build this factory, employing a whopping 30,000 people.

It can be said that there are few industrial complexes of comparable size in Jilin Province as well as in the three northeast provinces.

This is especially true in a time when the Chinese economy is not cool due to the collapse of real estate like these days.

And as proof of the words of these luxuries, during the operation ceremony of this industrial complex, not only President Yang-Heon Jeong, but also key figures from Yanji Market to the growth of Jilin Province in Yanbian attended and cut off the tape.

“I should have seen this scene because my deceased father lived a long time… … The decision he made has blossomed and bore fruit today.”

In response to the secretary’s answer, modern electronics president Jeong Yang-heon, who passed his sixtieth birthday this year, shed tears in his heart as he remembered his father who died like that, the late Chung Mun-young, chairman of the modern group.

Modern electronics, which were once shaken by the foreign exchange crisis, have now been revived so perfectly, and the company has grown to the point of establishing such a huge consumer electronics complex in Yangil, the Korean-Chinese Autonomous Prefecture, even more in the north.

However, what makes Jeong Yang-heon even more satisfying than this industrial complex is that there is a semiconductor foundry line as huge as this Yanji Industrial Complex 1 in North Korea, only a few dozen kilometers from this Yanji Industrial Complex. It was a planted root.

– All home appliances that use electricity in South Korea are made by Seongsam Electronics, and electrical appliances that use electricity in North Korea are made by Modern Electronics.

It’s a joke on the Internet, but it was a saying that spoke of the current status of the two electronics companies that split the two countries on the Korean Peninsula in 2009.

A few years ago, the iPhone shock caused by Steve Jobs and Apple ushered in the era of the great smartphone, and in line with this, mobile device makers around the world, including Sungsam Electronics, are moving quickly to occupy this new market opened up by the iPhone. it was

In addition, the explosively increased demand for mobile devices also exploded the demand for displays and semiconductors that constitute the mobile devices. It was the No.

Of course, it goes without saying that the background of this revival and investment assuming losses for at least five years was the full consideration of the Workers’ Party of Korea, which has generously supported the main business of modern electronics, including semiconductors, with bold investments since the mid-1990s. .

In particular, in the case of semiconductors, from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s, the revival of modern electronics, which suffered losses and continued investment in the semiconductor sector, both Pepsi and foundries, is in line with the history of development and mass production of integrated semiconductors in North Korea. it was about

In fact, Jeong Yang-heon’s secretary, who is introducing the industrial complex right now, was a native of North Korea who was born and raised in Hamheung, but in this difficult era of employment, Korean young people also passed the modern electronic entrance exam, which is a friend who has risen to the position of assistant to the current president, Yang-heon Jeong. it was

And finally, in 2007, Hyundai Electronics recorded annual sales of $8 billion and became a semiconductor consignment manufacturing powerhouse, on par with Taiwan’s TSMC, a pioneer in the foundry field.

“Now, I will bring semiconductors made in the Republic and make smartphones and other home appliances here. And the products made here will be transported by train to the interior of China, Russia, or the Republic… … .”

“Not only that, but for the welfare of factory workers around here, kindergartens, elementary schools, and entertainment facilities such as theaters and cafes in the industrial complex will be built for children to attend. In fact, Yeongil will become a modern town of modern electronics. Really congratulations. president… … .”

‘Yeongil becomes a modern town… … . Come to think of it… … .’

A certain person passed through Jeong Yang-heon’s mind as he was thinking about it.

It was about 10 years ago, a young leader who gathered himself and his brothers from the modern family and yelled at them.

Yangheon Jeong took his eyes off the placard and turned his head to ask.

“What did the general secretary say?”

“Congratulations, you asked me to tell you that I was sorry I couldn’t come to the ceremony in person.”

“Hmm, I thought you would come in person because you seem to have a great interest in the production of smartphones made in the Republic of Korea, but as expected, is the general secretary more interested in software like Union than in hardware like our modern times?”

Even if I couldn’t come in person, I thought I would be greeted by a party manager-level person.

Jeong Yang-heon mumbled something like that, and the secretary, who was watching him, quickly added a word that seemed to have been waiting to inform him.

“that is… … In fact, there was a message that President Jung told me to convey one more word when he said such a thing.”

“… … One more word? Do you know how to say something like this?”

“Yeah, I don’t know what that means, but… … He told me not to be heartbroken, because there was nothing better for him or a member of the party to visit in person. Oh, and again… … You don’t want to leave room for overinterpretation… … .”

“Exaggeration?”

Jeong Yang-heon’s expression changed subtly after pondering the word for a moment.

Something came to mind when I thought about Junghwan’s words in combination with the recent trend report regularly delivered by the Beijing branch.

* * *

– For the past 20 years or so, all the people of Yanbian have had to make a choice between the two when they were born and raised. Do you want to live in China or in Joseon?

These words, which have been circulating not only in Yanji, but also throughout Yanbian, represent a discourse that sat in the hearts of all Korean-Chinese living in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture.

The discourse was directly related to the immediate issue of living and living before the ambiguous questions such as patriotism and national identity.

Broadly speaking, this is a battle for leadership in the Yanbian economy that has been formed as a beneficiary of the high growth benefits of both China and North Korea for the past 20 years, and narrowly, it is also a forward-looking change in the struggle for leadership that has changed due to the collapse of the Chinese real estate market a year ago.

– Did you hear the rumor? The earthquake in Sichuan destroyed the inland real estate market?

– I heard you. Heh, seeing those Ganna bastards licking their assholes are crying, my insides are all cool, but I hope! That’s why people shouldn’t forget their roots. By the way, let’s talk business now. How much is Piyang (Pyongyang) investing in Yanbian?

Even within China, the three northeast provinces, which are particularly underdeveloped and underdeveloped regions, especially Yanbian, have been formed in two major ways.

One was real estate development, the industry that gave birth to the most wealthy people in China’s inland and coastal first-class cities, and the other was the logistics industry that made money from import and export trade. depended on the trade of

In the case of the former real estate development business, due to the nature of China, a socialist country where all land is state-owned, they had no choice but to be friendly with the Chinese authorities. I have increased my influence.

Conversely, as for trade, Rason Port, the nearest port from Yanbian, is located in North Korean territory, North Korea is reborn as a huge consumer market, and North Korean businessmen also enter and exit Yanbian to establish business relationships. It was a pro-Chosun faction that had no choice but to have a connection with the North Koreans in any way.

In other words, according to the industry and the rise and fall of the industry, the pro-Chinese faction, who thought of their identity as Koreans and Koreans, and the pro-Chinese faction, who thought they were Chinese, were divided.

However, since Yanbian is strictly Chinese territory, the pro-China faction has had a weak advantage and a balance has been achieved between the two forces, but this balance was broken by the collapse of the Chinese real estate market in 2008.

The real estate development industry, the base of the pro-Chinese factions that have been leading the economic hegemony of Yanbian, has met with frost in an instant.

– What is this, what does this mean!!! Eight, where’s the law for this guy! I’m a beggar! What do you mean, I’m a beggar, I… … !!! This is nonsense, nonsense… … !! uh uh uh… … !!!

– My business went bankrupt while playing around with his peasant family and real estate in the mainland Central Party! Eight! What the damn bastards! This is why long gauges are not allowed! Now what are we going to eat?

Of course, the economic crisis of 2008 had a huge impact on North Korea, but limited to Yanbian, it had the opposite effect.

As the voices of businessmen in the Workers’ Party of Korea grew louder within the Workers’ Party of Korea, representing the river Thames, the post-manufacturing rush began, in which various manufacturing factories in North Korea began to move out of North Korea in search of cheaper wages in order to reduce costs in the face of the approaching economic crisis. will be.

In addition, Chung Hwan and the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) met the demands of these businessmen and proposed a negotiation proposal to make Yanbian an area that would serve as a subcontracted production base.

Anyway, the average minimum wage in Yanbian is higher than Vietnam or Southeast Asia, but it is definitely cheaper than North Korea, which is slowly moving into a high-wage society.

In addition, when the KRX high-speed rail, which is about to open next year, starts operating, considering transportation costs and access to markets in China, Russia and Korea, Yanbian was definitely a reasonable choice.

This wind of overseas relocation of manufacturing bases was not limited to North Korean companies, but in the case of Chinese companies, their headquarters were mainly located in cities along the eastern coast of China, and the destination of these companies’ overseas relocation was either inland on the mainland or abroad at all, such as India. Yeonbyeon without a map was not taken into consideration.

Due to this circumstance, factories of numerous companies, including indigenous North Korean companies such as today’s modern electronic Yanbian Industrial Complex No. 1 and Korean companies resident in North Korea, have built their nests in Yanbian, which in turn accelerates the speed at which the Yanbian economic zone is subordinated to North Korea. meant to be

The Chinese authorities were not fools either, so they felt that the atmosphere in Yanbian Autonomous Prefecture was unusual, and then fell on their knees. This led to the result that