Chapter 657: Chapter 657: This Just Got Complicated
The screen displayed several men kneeling before masked figures.
The men, clad only in their underwear, were trembling and crying.
My gaze was fixated on one particular Asian man among them.
Soon, the men began to speak their demands in English.
Although they wore masks, their accents betrayed their Arab origins.
Among their demands was a request addressed to the South Korean government.
"- If you want to save this man, the Korean government must immediately withdraw its troops and evacuate all businesses from Iraq."
Their demands were straightforward.
The immediate withdrawal of soldiers and businesses currently in Iraq.
After the initial footage of the hostages ended, individual videos of Americans were released one by one, capturing their desperate voices.
The recordings were heart-wrenching.
"President Bush, please withdraw the troops. I want to live."
"Mr. President…"
The sight of them pleading to their own president was pitiful.
Clearly, they had endured multiple beatings, their faces swollen and their bodies bruised.
Then, a video of Kim Mu-gil began to play.
"The invasion of Iraq is a war without justification. These individuals are not terrorists; rather, it is the U.S. and George Bush who are the real terrorists. They invaded Iraq for oil, and no weapons of mass destruction have been found…"
Kim Mu-gil criticized the U.S. and the Western world in English.
"I like the Iraqi people. They have always welcomed me and treated me kindly. But the Americans I've met have always dismissed me. They invaded Iraq twice; they are warmongers."
Watching his video, I frowned.
"There's nothing to gain from provoking the U.S."
His criticisms of America were being broadcast worldwide.
I had to negotiate under the U.S.'s tacit approval to rescue him.
The more he criticized the U.S., the less reason they had to rescue him.
Even if the kidnapped man's words were meant to ensure his safety, broadcasting the content critical of the U.S. was a burden for them.
As a citizen of an allied country supplying the U.S. military, Kim Mu-gil's criticisms would only increase political pressure on America.
Throughout the interview with the terrorists, Kim Mu-gil condemned all the allies involved in the Iraq war.
After the interview ended, he turned to the camera and spoke in Korean.
"President Yoon Chang-ho, I want to live. I want to return to Korea. All Koreans must leave Iraq. Please, I beg you. I want to live, Mr. President. To my fellow citizens watching this in Korea, please save me. Move the president to have Korean soldiers leave Iraq. Protect your lives and mine."
Kim Mu-gil couldn't contain himself and cried out.
I could see tears streaming down his face. His distress came through clearly in the video.
He genuinely wanted to live and was truly terrified.
"This just got complicated."
With Kim Mu-gil's video, the broadcast from Al Jazeera came to an end.
This video would surely spread rapidly on the internet.
Being such a heartfelt plea, its impact would be even greater.
No matter how I thought about it, it couldn't be stopped.
Sure enough, as soon as the broadcast ended, my phone began to ring.
"Yes, Mr. President?"
"Kim, can you come to the Blue House now?"
"Is this about the Kim Mu-gil kidnapping?"
"Yes. This has become a tricky situation. I intended to handle it quietly, but I never expected such a public broadcast. I've instructed the Foreign Ministry to formally protest to Qatar."
Al Jazeera was based in Qatar.
It had gained international prominence by airing videos from Osama bin Laden, the head of Al-Qaeda.
Some criticized it for being biased towards terrorist organizations.
However, it was a station that presented both sides' views without bias towards either the Western world or terrorist groups.
"It might be pointless. If Al Jazeera hadn't aired it, it would have ended up online anyway."
"That's true. But we need to do something. Everything has been laid bare. There's no turning back now. We need to discuss a response… Can you come in right away?"
"What can I do? This is a government matter that requires direct involvement."
"Kim, don't you know? We can't meet their demands. We shouldn't discuss this over the phone, just come in."
The urgency in President Yoon Chang-ho's voice was palpable.
Given the recent rampant discussions about Korean troop deployment in Iraq, it was no surprise he felt this way.
"When should I come in?"
"Come in right away. I've summoned Secretary Lee Myeong-su as well; he'll be arriving soon."
"Okay. I'll head out and should be there in about an hour."
"Got it. I'll be waiting."
After finishing the call with President Yoon Chang-ho, I instructed Manager Ma.
"Manager, please cancel all today's appointments. I'm heading directly to the Blue House, so please make the necessary arrangements."
"Understood. I'll get that done."
While Manager Ma stepped out to prepare, I checked my laptop screen again.
The image had stopped at a close-up of Kim Mu-gil's injured face.
#
On the way to the Blue House, I called Grandma.
"Mu-hyeok."
"Yes, Grandma."
"Did you find out? What happened?"
"I have some information. I don't know all the details yet."
Fortunately, it seemed Grandma was still unaware of the video's existence.
"Is that so? It hasn't made the news, so I wonder how it turned out."
"They're probably negotiating quietly, that's why it hasn't been reported. We don't need to cause unnecessary panic while they're negotiating. Please don't worry too much and just wait. I'll find out more."
As I spoke with Grandma, I arrived at the entrance of the Blue House.
"Grandma, I have to go work now. Don't stay up all night watching the news; just wait for me."
"Oh dear, okay. My dear little puppy, take care."
After hanging up, I went through a light security check and entered the Blue House.
The Chief Secretary was already waiting for me. I was guided to the President's Office.
In the office, President Yoon Chang-ho and Myeong-su were having a discussion.
"Mr. Kim!"
Upon my arrival, President Yoon Chang-ho's face brightened, and Myeong-su's expression also lifted.
"It's been a while, Mr. President."
I slightly bowed my head to greet him, exchanged nods with Myeong-su, and took a seat.
No sooner had I sat down than President Yoon Chang-ho dove straight into the topic.
"Mr. Kim, how much do you know about this situation?"
"I know about as much as you do, Mr. President."
President Yoon Chang-ho let out a deep sigh before nodding.
"That's a relief. We won't need a lengthy discussion then."
"What's the Foreign Ministry's response?"
Myeong-su answered in place of the President.
"For now, we've mobilized embassy staff and the Zaytun Unit in Iraq to establish a line of communication with the kidnappers."
"That's a good start, but establishing communication won't be easy. They won't want to expose their position needlessly."
"We can't just sit back and do nothing. We have to try something. What will we say to the citizens if we neglect them?"
Myeong-su had a point. With the video now public, it was unacceptable to do nothing.
"Have you identified the terrorists?"
"They identified themselves as belonging to a group called The Monotheistic Group and Holy War. They proudly announced it on Al Jazeera."
"So, they didn't know until then?"
"Those crazy bastards didn't even inform the embassy about the kidnapping for over two weeks. They were trying to solve it independently by hiring local Iraqis to seek a resolution."
Seeing the intensity of Myeong-su's anger, it was clear he was extremely upset.
"Are you talking about the company Kim Mu-gil worked for?"
"Yes. It's all because of the idiot who runs Cheongseong Trading. It seems they initially demanded a ransom from the CEO, but when that moron attempted to lower it, this disaster happened instead."
It appears they had indeed demanded a ransom. Unlike KBR, who promptly informed the U.S. government, Cheongseong Trading's antics caused a delay in acquiring information.
"So, it wasn't The Monotheistic Group and Holy War who kidnapped him. It seems they took him from someone else. They definitely have ties with Al-Qaeda and are not a group that would demand money."
"What? Al-Qaeda?"
Yoon Chang-ho jumped, startled.
"Are you saying they are remnants of Al-Qaeda?"
"Yes. The Monotheistic Group and Holy War is a subsidiary of Al-Qaeda. The U.S. arrested their leader, but they managed to survive and orchestrate this situation."
"So, the U.S. knows of their existence?"
"Wouldn't it be odd if they didn't know? Are they not properly exchanging information with the U.S.?"
President Yoon Chang-ho spoke in a somber tone.
"We are only just now discussing a response. We hadn't been in proper contact with the U.S. until now. We only knew a few days ago."
"The U.S. absolutely will not negotiate with terrorists or hostage-takers. They won't even like it if our government tries to negotiate alone."
Yoon Chang-ho frowned and nodded.
"I called you in precisely for that reason."
"Me?"
"Can you persuade the U.S.? We need to ensure our government can negotiate without issues."
Yoon Chang-ho's request for me to convince the U.S. made me look him directly in the eyes.
"Are you thinking of saving Kim Mu-gil?"
"That's the plan."
"You could face criticism from the international community."
"Still, I want to save him. I cannot simply watch as a citizen is killed by terrorists. If the state cannot protect its citizens, what reason is there for its existence?"
President Yoon Chang-ho spoke resolutely.
Even if it drew criticism from the international community, he felt it was his duty to protect the citizens.
"Hmm…"
I had already spoken to Jessica about the matter, but I pretended to ponder as I swallowed my words.
"Mr. Kim, can you make it happen?"
Both Grandma and President Yoon Chang-ho were pushing me.
Perhaps Kim Mu-gil was destined to survive.
"For now, I've already contacted the U.S. to ask for permission to negotiate directly."
"What? Why are you only mentioning this now? Are you serious about taking the lead?"
Yoon Chang-ho's eyes widened as he criticized me.
It was more annoyance at me not telling him sooner than concern.
"I learned that it was the son of someone I know. So I contacted the U.S. side just in case. However, if the U.S. opposes, I will refrain from getting involved. The risk of proceeding without their approval is too great."
Given the U.S.'s principle of not negotiating with terrorists, it was uncertain whether they would acquiesce to this incident.
Thus, I candidly expressed my thoughts to Yoon Chang-ho.
"I will help in any way I can. Your involvement would ease my burdens."
"Just because you step in, there's no guarantee that he'll be saved. It's merely an attempt to intervene."
Listening to me, Yoon Chang-ho let out a sigh of relief.
"If it's you, you'll surely find a way. Have you ever failed at anything you set your mind to? You've accomplished everything to this point."
Despite his insistence, I wasn't a superhero.
Considering my past achievements, I could understand his belief.
But I couldn't predict the outcome of this particular situation.
"Once again, I want to make it clear that I cannot guarantee success. The Middle East is not a place where logic applies. Moreover, Islamic extremists are particularly illogical. They are far more likely to seek to identify their location and commence a rescue operation rather than engage in dialogue."
"What method we use doesn't matter. If we can ensure the citizens' safety, that's what counts."
I closely observed Yoon Chang-ho as he spoke firmly.
I wanted to gauge whether his concern for the citizens was genuine or if he feared the backlash it might bring to him.
However, he looked at me with unwavering eyes.
While there may have been some political motivation, he seemed to genuinely care about rescuing the citizens.
"Time is of the essence. It's a matter of weeks at best; otherwise, they will behead him. The more time passes, the harder it becomes to resolve situations like this. The best time to act is immediately after a kidnapping occurs."
"I will not forgive the owner of Cheongseong Trading. The person responsible should prioritize employee safety…"
At my words, President Yoon Chang-ho trembled with rage.
Cheongseong Trading was doomed. The authorities, from the National Tax Service to the police and prosecutors, would thoroughly investigate; that company wouldn't survive.
Now that I had decided to take action, I had to move swiftly.
"I'll be departing for Iraq tomorrow. I'll wait there for contact from the U.S. to gather information."
"You're planning to go yourself?"
Hearing the concern in Yoon Chang-ho's voice, I simply smiled quietly.
"Ah… Is that not too dangerous?"
"Don't worry. The Black Bear's mercenaries are already there, and I plan to bring in a team resting in Russia."
I intended to call in Igor's team, who had just finished a North Korean infiltration operation and were enjoying a long break.
That Igor's team, who had managed to execute a challenging mission successfully, would be dependable in this matter.
If I could identify the kidnappers' location, the chances of them leading a successful operation would be high.
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