The Starry Flight: an Aviation TL

[Tales Weaver]

side story
All hail king Zogu

flag of kingdom of albania(1997-)​

While Korea was dealing with financial crisis, in the other side of the eastern hemisphere, a country was handling with its own problems—a civil war due to a Pyramid scheme, which destroyed said nation’s economy. That country was Albania.

Shortly after collapse of communist regime in 1991, the country of Albania was new to capitalism. On reaction to this, the companies like Sudja and Populli started to make payments to old investors using money from new investors. This was basically a Ponzi scheme. But this wasn’t criticized initially due to a banking law, which didn’t say that National bank can supervise market banks. After the scheme collapsed in January 1997, the economic crisis struck Albania, which resulted in protests against the Democratic Party, which was the ruling party of Albania since 1996.

After, Prime Minister Alexander Meksi’s resignation, the Government declared state of emergency. Many looted the weapons from armories, and insurgents begin to rise, while half of Albania fell under rebels. President Berisha promised the election before june 1997.

However, the elections were not enough for people, as they realized that the republic lost its trust. In this process, Leka Zogu, one of the leaders of the protest, proposed an referendum: the restoration of Monarchy, with house of Zogu as its royal family.

Leka Zogu, King of Albania(1997-)​

By this time, the people wanted change, so they accepted the proposal for an referendum, and it would be scheduled for June 27, 1997, alongside the parliamentary elections.

the results of the referendum.​

As the results, the proposal was accepted with 68% voting for it, and the house of Zogu was restored, with Leka becoming King Leka I.

 

[Tales Weaver]

Just created official discord here.

 

[Tales Weaver]

December 24, 1996.

It was snowing outside today. At my workplace, I had to write a business report on the plans for Fokker-samsung purchase. After signing the MOU in November, our company has been signing the contract, we have been making due diligence on Fokker AG. Fokker has saw total job loss of 5664.. with the contract winning, the company was revealed to have dropped in sales from 1991 to 1994 from 3.8 billion guilders to 2.3 billion guilders. Our attempt of making formal acquisition, meant that our company now have to sell aircraft at a cheaper price then the usual.

But I am excited, as the company was for Technologies, which they incurred as they built Fokker 100s and F-16 fighter jets. This was what we needed for the company.



While I was heading back home, my pager beeped. When I saw the number, it came from my home, probably my son. I ran across street to nearby phone box and called.

“Hello?”

“Daddy, If santa claus bring the gifts this night, what would it be?”

“I wonder, what do you think?”

“maybe war of genesis 2?”

Spoiler: "War of genesis 2" package cover

“I hope it will be. As long as you sleep early”

As soon as I left the phone, I took a subway to yongsan, where the electronics store was in. it was lucky that it was near our apartment in Ichon-dong. There, there was a corner that sold video games. I asked for War of genesis 2, there was one copy that was left. I asked for price , bought it, and got home.

Heading home, the time was almost 10 o’ clock, when my family was sleeping. I put the video game under the tree. I think my son will be excited for this..

 

[Tales Weaver]

Up next..

Rise of Korean Monarchist Party.

Spoiler

April fools special update.

 

[Tales Weaver]

This timeline will make a return soon.

 

[Tales Weaver]

here is a teaser from next update:

(i got this from Airliners and this photo is from Craig Murray, not me. )

 

[Tales Weaver]

although KAC was saved from bankruptcy, the Financial Crisis was far from over. around 1997 June, The baht from Thai collapsed.

the above graph showed the baht to US dollar exchange rates, which showed that Baht devalued suddenly in 1997.


The economic growth of thailand was castle of sand, when it was actually dependent on trade deficit and over-reliance on foreign trade. it cwas exploited by George Soros, who purchased Thai baht in 1995. in may of 1997, It resulted in Baht collapse, and spectators sold the Baht to international markets. meanwhile, a rumors of Japanese interest rate hike was circulated. in response, Investors have moved out of weaker currencies, which also led to Devalue and eventually, collapse of the Filipino Pesos and malay Ringgit in July 24, 1997.


this led to problems in south korea, as it meant that in South Korea, there were many investment banks that borrowed money on short term loans and invested in Southeast asian countries in long term. this top-heavy tower, which worked until 1996, began to collapse. hundreds of thousands of people, who deposited money on Cash management Account set up under said investment banks, rushed to withdraw these funds, not to mention due to 170 billion dollar foreign debt, which was 6 times the 30 billion dollar forex reserves, creditors refused to delay the maturity of South korean corporate bonds. in response, south korean government has considered having emergency bailouts in 1997.


However, with the loans coming up, investors begin to pull out of South korea, selling out South korean wons in favor of US dollars. this drove South korean won to devalue, which meant that South korean government had to pay off its debts AND defend exchange rates of South Korean Won. which meant they have to spend more of the forex reserves, which began drying up.


in response, Korea had considered having a currency swap with japan, but it couldn’t do it as Japan couldn’t send money as they have to spend it in bailing out their corporations due to collapse of Hong Kong dollar, not to mention they have grown distrustful of Korea due to the Kim Young-Sam’s actions, which included destruction of Republic of Korea Capital Hall, which was once known as Empire Of Japan Empire of Japan’s Government-General of Korea Building.


As Moratorium was out of option as it would make international trade impossible, Korea had only option of asking IMF for emergency loans. and issuing Asset-backed security bonds, proposed by Kang Kyung-sik, then-Deputy Prime minister for economy, never got anywhere.


in November 1997, Michel Camdessus, then-managing director of IMF, arrived in Republic of Korea. to tell the South korea the terms that South korea needed to follow in order to receive the emergency loan..


by this time however, presidential election was coming up in december, which had serious contenders: Kim Dae Jung of National Congress for New Politics, who had been assisted by Shin Ki-Ha, who missed deadly flight of Korean Air flight 801, which crashed in Guam, Grand National Party’s Lee hoe-Chang, and New National Party’s Lee In-Je, with the negotiation and campaigning for 1997 presidential election was beginning.
--
Anyways, marry christmas for all the STaF fans!

 

[Mr_ Bondoc]

Consider that the 2016-2018 protests in South Korea, there were multiple accusations that President Park Geun-Hye was taking corporate bribes from many of the companies including Hanjin and Daewoo. Maybe in the TL, Park Geun-Hye is never indicted...

 

[Tales Weaver]

Consider that the 2016-2018 protests in South Korea, there were multiple accusations that President Park Geun-Hye was taking corporate bribes from many of the companies including Hanjin and Daewoo. Maybe in the TL, Park Geun-Hye is never indicted...

Park Geun Hye became prominent due to attempt of impeachment of Roh Moo Hyun backfiring on Grand National Party and millennium democratic party. With Shin Ki Ha surviving, Roh Moo Hyun's presidency may be butterflied away.

 

[Mr_ Bondoc]

Park Geun Hye became prominent due to attempt of impeachment of Roh Moo Hyun backfiring on Grand National Party and millennium democratic party. With Shin Ki Ha surviving, Roh Moo Hyun's presidency may be butterflied away.

Consider that while Park Geun-Hye might not get indicted or impeached, some other leader is bound to make similar mistakes...

 

[Tales Weaver]

Consider that while Park Geun-Hye might not get indicted or impeached, some other leader is bound to make similar mistakes...

Just wait and see..

 

[Mr_ Bondoc]

Just wait and see..

I would also play with the conservative accusation that current Moon Jae-In is being accused of being a North Korean spy. If anything, it flags the amount of political instability nationwide....

 

[Tales Weaver]

I would also play with the conservative accusation that current Moon Jae-In is being accused of being a North Korean spy. If anything, it flags the amount of political instability nationwide....

I want to finish this timeline when I reach a limit where continuing doesn't need to bring up current politics.

 

[Tales Weaver]

I am sorry, I can't update this

April fools..

Recently, I had some writers block; but currently, a new draft is coming up soon.

 

[Tales Weaver]

Side story: Jewel of the orient.

Filipino presidential mansion, Malacanang Palace​

The 1997 Asian Financial crisis, which began with drop in Baht, has its impacts in Filipino economy as well.

Fidel Ramos Administration, elected to power in 1992, has commenced the Philippine 2000 plan, which called out for rapid modernization was failing in its wake as In June, The Philippino Peso dropped as well. This drop of Philippino politics meant that Fidel Ramos reached approval rating of 39%. Amidst this economic failure, meant Joseph Estrada, Vice President in Ramos Administration, had to decline to run in 1998.

In response, LAMMP had to find a new candate for 1998 Philippino Presidential election, which he found in Bella Angara, house floor leader of Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino. With Aquilino Pimentel Jr., a former democracy activist during Marcos regime, As his running mate.

IN the Other side, Lakas-NUCD-UMDP chose former speaker of the house Jose De Venecia Jr., with Gloria Arroyo as his running mate, after Fidel Ramos endorsed Jose De Venecia.

Gloria Arroyo, an economist by trade, promised the Filipinos to end its poverty and bail the country out of the IMF. Furthermore, she planned to expand Value added tax, to raise money to pay the Loans from IMF and to balance Filipino budget. Furthermore, she promised to implement holiday economics, lengthening holidays to encourage domestic tourism and spending.

In response, Jose de Valencia pushed for Debt-For-Equity program, and Property rights reform, which meant to give chance for urban squatters for their land, and try to restart mining industry. And he also promised to reach for Sunshine policy on Southern Moro rebellion and communists, which Arroyo promised to take a hardline stance against. The election was tense, but it resulted in Jose De valencia winning.

 

[Tales Weaver]

Interlude: glimpse of the future

a promotional photo of 4LEAF, a chatting browser and major community site in korea(source: hardcoregaming101)

KAC's A-50 operating over libya

blueprint for new airplane by KAC, based on Fokker f.29's design.

Bombardier's last Airplane, CRJ-550 before liquidation​

 

[Tales Weaver]

From p.462 of 100 years of fokker by Park Sung-Min(2012)

With the Asian Financial Crisis passing and Daewoo, out of profits from KAC, survived the crisis. With this, they began to develop new aircrafts, the first of which, Fokker 85, first took flight in June 10, 1999. This airplane was the first Airliner to be designed in the Republic of Korea. based on Fokker F.28 design, it was named such as its niche was between Fokker 50 and Fokker 100.

Fokker 85, designed to compete with CRJ-900 and Embraer E190, learned from the failure of Fokker 100, its fuel efficiency. So instead of Rolls-Royce Tay MK650, it applied General Electric GE34. Furthermore, it was smaller, more fuel efficient, and also more reliable than Rolls-Royce Tay. Which meant when it began service under Asiana Airlines in 2001, which saw distrust with Boeing After Boeing 737 crash in 1994.

Thai Airlines international Boeing 737-400, same model as one involved in Thai Airways international Flight 114​

Not to mention the disaster of Thai Airways International Flight 114, which exploded mid-air on March 3, 2001 from a fuel tank explosion, killing all 157 passengers and crew onboard including newly-inaugurated Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra (with conspiracy theories claiming he was killed by the military), was revealed to be caused by the explosion of the fuel pump in the Boeing 737. This led to SE airlines losing interest in the Boeing 737 in favour of KAC' s Fokker 85 and Fokker 100.

After this, they begin to produce new Aircraft, a twin-engined regional jet with T-Tail. Modeled after Fokker's Old Design of Fokker F.29.

Despite the disaster of Flight 114 exposing new dangers in the Boeing 737 and leading to the grounding of all 737-400 planes until the issue was solved by 2002, another problem would be hitting the aviation industry...

(Credits to @Whiteshore for collaboration)

 

[Tales Weaver]

I know that this timeline gets updated sparsely, doesn't mean that it is dead. In fact, I want to apologize for inactivity with this. i been very busy with college meanwhile. With graduating, i have more time to work on this.so you can expect more.

 

[Tales Weaver]

Chapter 4 part 1
That Day in September​

South Korean Anti-Americanism in 21st Century and return of Communism - Park Ga-Bun

Since the Gulf War, Al Qaeda, founded by Osama Bin Laden, has targeted the USA. Which started with their declaration of war against the USA. After the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia signed the Oslo Accords, he overtly began to call for the removal of American troops and criticism of King Fahd. This led to him being disowned by his family and from the kingdom. He moved to Sudan in 1993 and attempted to Assassinate president Mubarak in 1995, which led to him being expelled from Sudan.

He fled to Afghanistan and Al-Qaeda begin to radicalize. After issuing a fatwa to wage war against the USA in 1998 and Failed Attempt to bomb USS cole in 2000, they begin to be daring.

On September 11, 2001, Michael Jackson arrived in time for an appointment in the South Tower. Little did he know that it would be his last day due to the Flight 175, which crashed to South Tower. In addition,

Few moments later, Flight 11, hijacked by Mohammed Atta, crashed into North Tower. As these cities collapsed, michael Jackson was one of the killed. few minutes later,

Flight 77, the third plane to be hijacked crashed into the Pentagon. And flight 93 was successfully retaken by Passengers and landed safely.. However the story flowed somewhat differently for KE085..

When KE 085 was spotted by US ATC, its transponders read 7500. The code word for Hijacking. paranoid due to recent hijacking USA ordered KE085 shot down, killing all onboard.

The news quickly reached Seoul, resulting in sorrow of many families, who blamed the Terrorists of Al-Qaeda.


However, this was not to be, as the further investigation by the NTSB revealed that it was a US fighter jet that shot down the airplane.

This incident, in which the US fighter shot down a South Korean Civilian airliner out of Negligence, angered South koreans, many of left wing SKers, who already held some Anti-American sentiment due to US sponsorship of military regime just 20 years prior to said incident, to rise up in protest. Many users in 4LEAF, were swept in fervor as well.

4LEAF’s Yakety Yak speech, which became hotbed of Korean Far-left after KE085 Shootdown

In Yakety-Yak Speech(wageurwageul Seupichi, 와글와글 스피치), a speech game in which users held 3 minute Speeches be written live and posted on the site and one with most support wins, had filled with Anti-American rants, in some cases, even words like "Proletarian revolution" or "Yankee Go Home!”, “Workers of the world Unite” were there. It was the start of 4LEAF’s leaning into far-left, which later began to show its presence offline very next year.

---

sorry for belated update here. Please enjoy.

 

[Tales Weaver]

Chapter 4 part 2
The Candle is Lit​

The Rise of far-left In Korea was only big on online community sites of 4LEAF, Jinbonuri, and Democratic Labour Party’s Party BBS. However, it reached the big breaking point on June 13, 2002 after a US Tank accidentally ran over and killed South Korean middle school students named Shim Mi-seon and Shin Hyo-sun in a training accident in Yangju, Gyeonggi.

The investigations went relatively smoothly at first, it seemed that the drivers didn't saw the students due to blind spots. Not to mention that radio disruption, they couldn't hear the messages which resulted in the accident. The problem was not due to what happened, what happened at the trial. As two soldiers involved In the accident, Mark Walker And Fernando Nino, were under US jurisdiction due to SOFA agreement, which resulted in them being found not guilty in the court-martial in November 2002.

This was met with fury. The celebratory attitude over the World Cup finals Win by South Korea was gone. Replaced by fury over the trial decision. People experienced condolences for the two middle schoolers in DC inside, then a digital camera forum, and 4LEAF. When a post by Ang-ma(앙마) which said “It is said that souls of the dead becomes fireflies. Fill the Gwanghwamun Square with our souls. Let’s become the tens of thousands of Fireflies with Mi-Sun and Hyo-Sun in Gwanghwamoon.”(Park, 2016) Thus the gwanghwamun square was filled with candlelight at 6:00 PM, November 30, 2002.

According to Ohmynews article that was written on reflection, It was “open to everyone who was willing to bring a candle there.”(Park, 2016) This horizontal nature of the candlelight vigil ended up becoming anti-American protest, which called out for Amendment to US-ROK Status of Forces agreement, which placed the USFK soldiers in US jurisdiction, or some even more radically, termination of the US-South Korea alliance and immediate withdrawal of US Troops.

Although the moderate voices won out, the latter two slogans coming from 4LEAF users, which began to turn Far-Left. These signals appearing alarmed some right wing and moderate netizens. but it was dismissed as individuals being carried away. This however started to show first signs of far left beginning to appear..

---

Works Cited​

Park, Se-Gil. (2016, November 24). 2002, 2008... Geurigo 2016, igeosi chotburui yeoksada[2002, 2008 and 2016... This is history of Candle]. Ohmynews. Retrieved August 9, 2022, from http://m.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/Mobile/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0002264069.