Okuma Taro
Okuma Taro | |
|---|---|
 Image of Okuma Taro, former Head of the Central Governing Council and former Head of State for Neo-Korea in 1989 | |
| Head of the CGC | |
| In office April 24th, 1989 – May 23rd, 1993 (Term of 4 years) | |
| Deputy | Seo Shiro |
| Preceded by | Sera Michio |
| Succeeded by | Muraoka Shig |
| Parliamentary group | Kōshin |
| Member of the Central Governing Council, Sabi District, Third Seat | |
| In office January 1st, 1961 – April 24th, 1989 (Term of 28 years) | |
| Deputy | Seo Shiro |
| Preceded by | Ouchi Ken |
| Succeeded by | Fujimura Hitoshi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 14th, 1919 (aged 115 circa 2034) Sabi, Neo-Korea |
| Political party | National Development Party |
| Spouse | Okuma Nobuko |
| Children | Tanin Hideko, Okuma Chiasa |
| Relatives | Okuma Family |
| Residence(s) | Sabi Jūtachi, Sabi, Neo-Korea |
| Alma mater | Sabi School for Foreign Policy |
| Cabinet | First Taro Cabinet Second Taro Cabinet |
Okuma Taro (January 14th, 1919 - Present) was a Neo-Korean politician, bureaucrat, and Head of the Central Governing Council during a portion of the CGC Period, ruling from 1989-1993. Known for his long-running influence in the city of Sabi, reformism, and sudden exit from the position of rulership in the state, Okuma remains a contested figure in the public sphere - adopted and opposed by members of multiple factions during different times. He had two daughters with his wife Okuma Nobuko before her death in 2010.
He would be involved in the 1990 Chamorro Referendum, where a debate was held on the abolishment of the autonomous status of Mizube no Machi, which he opposed both publicly and in backrooms conversation. This was in-line with his noted favoritism towards the Triple Pact allies of the Great War, who he considered to be the closest allies Neo-Korea would be capable of maintaining relations with. He opposed the integration of Jungg'o according to Within The Beomist State, a book written by exile figure (and his daughter) Tanin Hideko.
After being a member of the CGC for two decades, he would ascend to being the Head of the Central Governing Council following the collapse of the Sera government. He would pursue better relations with a large majority of states - including, controversially, Marquesan. His pursuit of reformism and foreign policy action would lay the groundwork for actions later taken by Beom Dae, although they would not see any particular positivity during the course of his leadership. He is the last living Neo-Korean Head of State to have been born before the collapse of the State of Kaesong, and one of the oldest living human beings alive.
He has been generally reclusive into his later life, commenting rarely on political matters and instead mainly promoting humanitarian causes, such as supporting charity directed towards the Mahdah Lorist Republic.
Early Life
Okuma Taro would be born in the State of Kaesong, shortly before the Chamorro War - which his father would be involved in. His family was generally prosperous, and he was able to complete his education before joining the military shortly after the end of the State of Kaesong. He would fight in the Great War as a member of the forces sent to Pandora after the collapse of Janpia during the war.
After suffering injuries during the Battle of Pandora, he would complete his schooling in the Sabi School for Foreign Policy, studying both Geopolitical Policy and Governmental Philosophy - additionally learning to speak Seurian and Arcadie during this period. After the collapse of the KDS, he would flee to Chamorro - where he worked to organize relief programs and foreign aid to the warring states, eventually returning to the mainland after the majority of such was reunified by Hikaru Sakuma's Atarashī Jōtai.
He would become favorable to Lorist economics during the Great War, seeing the prosperity of the non-involved Azuran state during such. Additionally picked up during this period was support for Meridon and Anagonia, seeing their struggle against Marquesan as a morally justified and fundamentally ideological matter - and he was reportedly distinctly saddened by the lack of further invasion into Kaskaida.
Member of the CGC
He would become a member of the CGC in 1961, during the first elections hosted in Neo-Korea to determine the makeup of said body. He would be a notable presence within such, shepherding several laws into a position to be accepted by Hikaru Sakuma, alongside acting as a compromise figure between the Seitei-ha and Keieikō factions of the body. He would never be in an official ministerial role, but often was capable of exerting a greater amount of influence than official members of the Cabinet - owing to his capacity to influence their appointment and his control over the National Development Party as a whole.
During this time, he would be member of a number of internal centrist factions - none of which expressed greater amounts of influence than the man himself. He would insert himself on a number of committees dedicated to foreign affairs, primarily advocating for peaceful interaction with foreign powers and the establishment of greater trade and political ties with the Anagonia-Meridon pairing. Controversially, he would express a desire to engage in trade with Marquesan - owing to a lack of current disputed territory and the general economic benefits which could be brought from such.
He would redirect funding on national-scale infrastructure projects to Sabi - working to establish it as the "unofficial capital" of the nation. This gave him funding from the Sabi community, which he used to bankroll the candidacies of his fellow centrist-aligning politicians who would later form the core of the Kōshin. These policies included the funding of the Iwabuchi Hydroelectric Power Plant, the Sabi-Fuzan HSR, and other projects of that scale. He would meet commonly with other members of the CGC in his private residence, utilizing the location and what it represented to influence their votes on key matters.
Role in the later Hikaru Government
Okuma would become more and more influential as Hikaru Sakuma became more preoccupied with Foreign Policy (specifically the return of the Chamorros) - working on the legislation of the first projects to seek the support of the Iminchebol, alongside focusing on greater investment in HSR. He would additionally be crucial to stopping a bill supporting greater protectionism in regards to trade relations, advocating instead for the consideration of the abolishment of currency and the adoption of a single foreign-based trade currency - a policy eventually accomplished by Beom Dae.
After Hikaru was placed into a coma, he would begin the process of working to make the CGC temporarily able to fulfill the role of the Paramount, eventually leading to the appointment of Kaba Ryouta, and through him the reformist Anzai Kurou. After the Kurou government was collapsed by elements of the Keieikō, he would shockingly support the bid of the notable Anzen hardliner Goya Tadashi - mandating the appointment of Sera Michio as his vice-Head in exchange for the role of Head of the CGC.
Role in the Goya Government
Okuma would stoke the flames of paranoia within Goya's government for the four months it existed - encouraging the purging of members of the state he believed responsible for the end of Kurou's government while positioning himself as a close ally to Goya. After a dinner with Okuma, Goya would be found dead of unknown causes - later revealed to be poison. With the lack of capacity of Michio and the inability to form a government, Okuma would maneuver to place himself as the Head of the CGC - a task he succeeded in after managing to force Michio to resign in ten days. He would additionally pursue a radical infrastructural program during this period - working with Akira Heavy Industries to create more High-Speed Rail networks.
Head of the CGC
Following his appointment to the role of Head of the CGC, he would rapidly realign his public and political persona - dropping his ideological support of centrism within the party and instead focusing on becoming the candidate of the younger members of the party. This was primarily through a focus on collective democratic expression within the party, a greater focus on CGC influence within such, and a somewhat notable realignment against the Iminchebol.
This change in policy would primarily be manifested through his newly formed political organization, the Kōshin Shugi-sha, which for a period was on the verge of acting as the primary force of the party. While it would collapse with his resignation, members of it would later move to join the Shakakukō, and the presence of former members in the CGC before that point would maintain the influence of the reformist voice in the party.
Domestic Policy
As mentioned above, Okuma would focus on economic and political reforms previously championed by the left of the National Development Party, with his government passing the 1990 CGC Power Reform which delegated greater powers to the body and established official procedures for fighting electoral corruption. He additionally reduced the amount of armed policemen the Central Intelligence Services were allowed to have in one legal enforcement area, encouraged the development of new computer technologies (such as variations on the HAOPMU Kernel) alongside their proliferation in Shūeijchi to encourage digital-communal communication between the structures.
During this time, he would also work to legislate greater power to the councils which controlled provinces and cities - although these programs would be rolled back by his successor. He additionally invested in infrastructure between cities, establishing several modern energy production sites and HSR lines across the majority of the country.
Foreign Policy
He would align closer with Meridon and Anagonia - working to establish more sustainable trade with the two, alongside more controversial actions to establish trade with Marquesan (eventually accomplished in the wake of the 2015 Marquesan Intervention by Beom Dae) and to de-escalate tensions with both Marquesan and Janpia. He would retain the hardline position of his predecessors on the matter of Aureumterra, including supporting resistance fighters within the overseas territories of the state and working to encourage divestment from the state by Meridon (a goal which he did not succeed in).
He established several state-backed funds to be distributed to nearby states for humanitarian aid reasons, alongside some to be used to support political parties and groupings supporting certain goals such as Pan-Hiakemirism. These funds would be maintained by his successors.
Resignation
Unexpectedly, he would resign from his role as Head of the Central Governing Council in 1993 shortly before the 1994 elections, citing "health concerns". It was later revealed that he was forced to step down by Muraoka Shig, who utilized the reason defection of his firstborn daughter (Tanin Hideko) to force him into agreeing to such. This was motivated by concerns that Okuma's Kōshin would overpower the then-dominant Keieikō.
With his resignation, Muraoka would seize the role of Head of the Central Governing Council, ruling for two years until the ascension of Beom Dae to the role of Paramount Leader.
Later Life
Okuma would go into retirement after his ousting, become reclusive except in the realm of charity work - which he has dedicated much of his remaining life to. His charity work has mainly targeted nations such as the Mahdah Lorist Republic and other disadvantaged states - and it was reported that he at one point considered the creation of a charity to support the Composite population in Meridon during the violence which occured against them. He has suffered numerous health scares in his advanced age, and it is considered unlikely he will live past the age of 116.
Supercentenarian Status
As mentioned, he is the oldest living man alive and a supercentarian, currently aged at 115. He is the last remaining Head of State of Neo-Korea to have been born during the State of Kaesong's period of existence, and has lived throughout all three major states of the post-colonial period.