At that same time in Southeast Asia, the war between Thailand and Cambodia also came to an end. Although considered the victor, Thailand suffered significant losses in this conflict. On the other side of the front, Cambodia officially went bankrupt when China began demanding repayment of its aid money. Unable to pay, the Hun Sen government was forced to lease land to China for 150 years. For the Cambodian people, this was no different from allowing a legal invasion by China, and no one could save the situation as everything was publicly signed by both governments. When the information was announced, the public's outrage turned into an armed riot aimed at overthrowing the current government. The Hun Sen family and officials did not hesitate to flee the country, leaving behind angry, screaming mobs.

At the Royal Palace, instead of fleeing, the royal family members chose to stay, standing tall amid a Phnom Penh engulfed in smoke and gunfire. Although they no longer held power, their presence was a connecting thread that prevented the nation from collapsing completely. The aging king, looking tired but resolute, gave a short but moving speech: "We may lose our land, but we will never lose the soul of a people. The royal family members of the Kingdom of Cambodia will stay with you, no matter what happens." However, when facing the "king," the one who had accidentally lost his "puppet" would never accept having his debt disappear with just those empty words.

In the northeastern part of the Korean peninsula, an unprecedented event occurred. For the first time in history, after taking office, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung requested that no anti-North Korean propaganda be disseminated. He also restored the inter-Korean hotline to connect with his counterpart, Chairman Kim Jong-un. The two sides met at the inter-Korean border, where President Lee shared his long-held desire for a peaceful reunification of the two Koreas. He supported the resumption of inter-Korean economic cooperation projects to create mutual dependence and reduce military tension.

In response to President Lee's goodwill gestures, Chairman Kim Jong-un listened carefully with an inscrutable smile. After a moment of thoughtful silence, Chairman Kim made a surprising condition: for peace and reunification to be realized, South Korea must end joint military exercises with the United States and withdraw U.S. troops from the peninsula. "Only when Seoul is truly self-reliant can we talk about a unified future," Kim Jong-un declared definitively.

This proposal put President Lee in a dilemma. On one hand, it opened the door to a peace that both sides had long yearned for, but on the other hand, it posed a major challenge to the strategic alliance with the United States, a pillar that had existed for decades. The meeting concluded without any specific agreement being announced. The press only received a vague joint communiqué, but everyone understood that this was a new, risky move, not only for inter-Korean relations but also for the stability of the entire region.