Empire of the Ring

The Arctic Ocean had been quiet for a long time. It was that way because no one dared to touch the ocean covered with ice.

The Arctic region consisted of 1,200-meter-deep ocean covered by ice and glaciers and was connected to the Pacific Ocean through the Bering Strait and to the Atlantic Ocean through the Kennedy Strait. It was impossible to sail through due to the ice one to fifteen meters thick in the winter and floating ice and glaciers in the summer.

From tens of millions of years ago, the Arctic Ocean was the sea of ice, and Greenland was the land of glaciers.

However, since the Industrial Revolution, the average global temperature had risen steeply as greenhouse gases accumulated in the atmosphere, and it was the Arctic Ocean where global warming most notably progressed.

The Arctic Ocean was almost covered with ice during the winter, but by mid-September, the ice area would be reduced to a minimum. Compared to more than three decades ago, ice had now been halved. At this rate, many predicted that people would not be able to see ice in the Arctic Ocean in the summer in a few years.

Thus, from a few years later, Arctic shipping would be possible for more than 100 business days a year. With icebreakers, they may be able to sail year-round, regardless of the season.

It had been revealed that the Arctic Ocean was not only an optimal route to shorten sailing time but also a place with inexhaustible resources as 13 percent of the world’s oil reserves and 30 percent of natural gas were buried.

In other words, it was a treasure chest of resources that everyone could aspire to.

Many countries had coveted the resources in the Arctic Ocean, and there were eight countries that formed the Arctic Council, including Russia, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark (Greenland), Canada, and the United States.

However, when China proposed to make the Arctic Ocean a common sea, maritime powers, which had no connection to the ocean, began to rush in one step after another.

So, after many twists and turns, there were 12 countries that qualified as members of the permanent observer of the Arctic Council, which were South Korea, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Singapore, Britain, Italy, India, Japan, China, Poland, and France.

Thus, global warming had invited the world to the Arctic Ocean.

Youngho, who had no connection there, was also taking a step using the icebreaker as a weapon.

Only a few countries in the world had icebreakers, either for military or scientific purposes.

However, Youngho had been building icebreakers for years with the intention of using the Arctic route commercially.

It was to make money, not to make the dream come true of the human being. The free voyage of the Arctic route between the Pacific and the Atlantic had been a long-cherished dream of mankind.

This was because the northern hemisphere was home to 90 percent of the population and 67 percent of the land.

Efforts to break through the Arctic Ocean had been made concrete, and it was said that the fleet of purification also went to the Arctic Ocean during the Ming Dynasty’s Yongle Emperor’s time.

Recently, two vessels from a German shipping company succeeded for the first time in July 2009 in the commercial operation of an Arctic route linking Vladivostok, North Pole, and Atlantic-Rotterdam with the help of an icebreaker. It was a splendid journey, shortening 7,408 kilometers compared to going through the Suez Canal.

The reduction in sea distance was tantamount to a logistical innovation that drastically reduced transportation costs and transportation time.

***

After hearing Youngho’s hour-long explanation, Prime Minister Rasmussen and the central bank governor agreed to Youngho’s opinion on the importance of the Arctic Ocean.

“Your Grace, it seems like you know the Arctic Ocean better than we do, so I have nothing to say.”

“I didn’t study particularly, but I’ve compiled what I’ve been hearing from here and there.”

“I have no doubt that your big dream will come true soon. We have Greenland, the largest island, but we’ve always been passive. Now that Kazakhstan is backing us up, we’d be more confident.”

“That’s why I want our Royal Navy to use Greenland as a regular base.”

“But I think having a naval base in Greenland is going to provoke Russia…”

“Kazakhstan is very free in that regard. Because it’s blood alliance with Russia. Russia might rather welcome our navy to anchor in Greenland. Russia will think of the Kazakh Royal Navy as another card to pressure the West.”

“Prime Minister, is Denmark not willing to strengthen its military strength?”

“How much strength would we increase with a population of only five million? It’s better to keep the basics and rather strengthen national competitiveness at that cost.”

Who would dare to harm to Denmark when it was a NATO member?

Youngho was envious of Denmark’s geopolitical situation in which it could feel at ease even though its security was left to their allies.

“Do you share the cost of defense?”

“Of course we are. But it’s much more economical than arming ourselves.”

“I don’t know if this sounds funny, but Kazakhstan is planning to have more naval power in the future. So your cooperation is very precious.”

“It would be complicated to accept foreign troops but if it’s Kazakhstan’s force, lending our port won’t be difficult.”

***

To develop into an oceanic navy, a large, multi-purpose landing ship that could carry leaflet commands and supplies was most necessary.

However, it would take too long for it to be deployed if he ordered a new vessel now as it at least took three years for ships in the design to be completed.

So, Youngho was thinking about buying the landing ship classified as a reserve force in other countries. There were a few options, but they were so old that the repair cost was close to the cost of building a new one.

While visiting Szechenyi’s financial investment advisory company to talk about such concerns, a plan to make a breakthrough came up.

“Hyung, shouldn’t we have to renovate it even if we purchase a foreign spherical landing ship anyway?”

“Of course. We must renovate it to create a structure that suits our taste.”

“Why don’t you renovate relatively new freighters then? We can get as many bulk carriers of about 15 years of service.”

“You’re saying we should buy a cargo ship and renovate it?”

“I don’t think it’s going to be too difficult. If we just overlay the flight deck for helicopters and vertical take-off and landing fighters, the upper part will be closed. The lower part of the room is empty, so you just need to partition it as you like.”

“That sounds like a good idea. Alright. Call an official from the Danish Shipyard first.”

Hours later, the Design Manager of the Danish Shipyard visited the office.

Hanson, a blonde man in his late 50s, was outstanding enough to be considered unique in the field.

Knowing why he had been contacted, he was outspoken in his knowledge.

Polite but sharp questions followed.

“Duke, is it a landing ship or a light aircraft carrier that you want?”

“I don’t know what Dr. Hanson’s intentions are for asking such a question.”

“I asked you because you have to choose between a multi-purpose landing ship and a light aircraft carrier to maximize your power.”

“Can’t you meet them both?”

“That’s going to make a ship that’s neither here nor there. Multipurpose landing ships are supposed to carry firepower that can literally deploy forces on land. Light aircraft carriers, let’s say, have to focus on air power. The facility itself needs to be different to achieve its desired purpose.”

“I’ve heard that a multi-purpose landing ship could be later converted into a light aircraft carrier, but I guess that’s not the case.”

“This raises the question of cost and time. If you’re planning to make another alteration, I’d like to dissuade you. It will only increase the fatigue of the hull. To maximize attack power, it’s better to make it a light aircraft carrier. But if you consider the land battle, a multi-purpose landing ship with helicopters and landing gear would be better.”

Youngho was going to use it as a multi-purpose landing ship and renovate it if necessary, but Hanson insisted that it was better to distinguish it from the beginning.

Youngho thought for a while, but the agony did not last long.

The most urgent thing for the Navy was the multi-purpose landing ship, which was both a command ship and a supply ship.

“Please transform it into one of the best multi-purpose landing ships in the class.”

“Sure. Then we’ll have to set up a missile launchpad. We’re going to make room for a small submarine to be stored. Don’t you think you should have that much if you want to call it the best in its class?”

“You carry a submarine on a multi-purpose landing ship?”

The idea of carrying a submarine on a multi-purpose landing ship was quite new.

This was because the multi-purpose landing ship, in Youngho’s mind, was less than 20,000 tons.