I would not be surprised if the author is a polsci or history student. The level of detail they are putting into this world building shows they clearly have a purpose. They're trying to reimagine post-mercantilism with some sort of people's rule while keeping concentrated powers in check. It's so obvious this is not just a manhwa - this is a quest to play out a vision.
I don't even care about Ian and the present. I just want to see this world continue.
The round shocked eyes are killing me (⊙…⊙ ) rofalol