Bab 258: Chapter 258: If You Don’t Fabricate
Kim Hak-gwon received news early in the morning that the North Korean People's Army had mobilized. He summoned the National Security Council members before dawn to hold an emergency meeting.
In the underground bunker of the Blue House, individuals who had received the President's call were arriving one by one.
The Prime Minister, the Minister of National Defense, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Reunification, the head of the National Intelligence Service, and the head of the National Security Office—all relevant figures concerned with the government's safety gathered together.
Once everyone had arrived, President Kim Hak-gwon entered last.
"Thank you all for coming this early in the morning."
As Kim Hak-gwon took his seat and began his greeting, the head of the National Security Office immediately reported the situation.
"Around 1 AM, the movement of the People's Army units, including the 2nd Corps, was confirmed. The exact number of troops is unclear, but…"
The head of the National Security Office displayed a map, detailing the movements of the People's Army one by one. He explained the situation for about twenty minutes.
After the briefing was complete, shock registered on the faces of all the cabinet members gathered in the conference room.
The Minister of National Defense spoke seriously.
"Based on the movements we've tracked, the likelihood of a coup d'état is high. Not only have troops from the 2nd Corps, stationed on the frontline to contain Korea, begun to move, but the troops from the 4th Corps in Gangwon Province are also heading toward Pyongyang."
Coup d'état.
A heavy silence fell over the conference room at the Minister of National Defense's words.
The South Korean government had always prepared various scenarios for emergencies, including potential coups from the North.
However, they had never anticipated that large-scale military movements would occur in such a manner.
Faced with this unexpected situation, President Kim Hak-gwon let out a small sigh and turned to the Minister of National Defense.
"Are the corps commanders involved in the coup?"
"That's uncertain. The number of troops moving is relatively small to suggest the involvement of corps commanders."
There were no clear answers. They were left to make deductions based on limited information.
To fill in the gaps as much as possible, Kim Hak-gwon asked the Director of the National Intelligence Service.
"Does the National Intelligence Service have any insights?"
"I'm sorry. We're only aware of what the Ministry of National Defense knows as well. All our informants are currently unreachable."
Kim Hak-gwon's face darkened as a sigh escaped him.
If the informants from the National Intelligence Service were also unreachable, it meant North Korea was essentially in lockdown.
"Have we heard anything from the U.S.?"
The Minister of Foreign Affairs shook his head in response.
"Currently, the U.S. is also assessing the situation."
"How could the U.S. not know about such an emergency? Are they pretending not to know?"
"I was informed through the Ambassador to the U.S. that their NSC is meeting just like ours."
"Understood. What about our nationals in Pyongyang? Have we received any news regarding them?"
The Minister of Unification responded with a solemn expression.
"Currently, all lines of communication to Pyongyang have been cut off. We cannot reach them, nor is the hotline with Kim Jong-il functioning."
Despairing answers followed one after the other. Kim Hak-gwon let out a deep sigh, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, other members were busy exchanging opinions, filling the meeting room with a natural buzz.
After pondering for a long time, Kim Hak-gwon finally spoke up.
"What about U.S. troop movements?"
"There has been no reaction yet."
"Minister of National Defense, contact the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and initiate DEFCON 3. Work with the deputy commander of the allied forces to secure permission from the U.S. military."
"Understood."
Upon receiving the order, the Minister of National Defense stood up, bowed to Kim Hak-gwon, and exited the conference room.
"Everyone, please stay alert in your positions. No one knows when anything might happen."
"Understood."
"The safety of our citizens in Pyongyang is the top priority. They are the business people who control our economy. Use any means necessary to find out whether they are safe or if they've been detained. If not…"
Kim Hak-gwon couldn't finish his sentence.
Yet everyone present could guess the unspoken words left hanging by the President.
No answers came back, only a heavy atmosphere lingering in the conference room.
At that moment, not only South Korea but also neighboring countries were in a state of emergency.
All the countries in East Asia, including the U.S., China, Japan, and Russia, were keeping close watch on North Korea, eager for any information they could gather about the situation in Pyongyang.
* * *
Kim Jong-il remained silent, sipping liquor for a while.
I just watched him quietly, not saying much.
However, as the silence stretched on, the realization that rebels would be searching for him at this very moment crossed my mind.
"Chairman."
Instead of replying, Kim Jong-il gazed at me, holding his liquor glass.
"Shouldn't we reach out to China and Russia?"
Despite the distance that had grown since Kim Jong-il's ascent, China and Russia were still North Korea's allies.
"China and Russia…"
Without answering, Kim Jong-il took a sip of his drink, trailing off.
After emptying his glass, he seemed to ponder for a moment and then spoke again.
"You have connections with high-ranking individuals in China and Russia, right? You said you were friends with Putin, and you've built guanxi with Wen Jiabao, correct?"
"That's correct. I was fortunate enough to maintain a connection with President Putin since long ago, and I've built guanxi with Wen Jiabao."
Listening quietly, Kim Jong-il let out a sly smile.
"Well, if they're true friends, they can be trusted. But I can never trust them, no matter the situation. Both China and Russia."
Even if Kim Jong-il couldn't trust the two countries, there was an emergency at hand.
To get him moving somehow, I cautiously broached the subject again.
"At least shouldn't you demonstrate that you're safe, Chairman? Otherwise, who knows what they might do?"
If the Chinese were anything like I knew them to be, they might use this opportunity to deploy troops on the border under the pretense of assisting North Korea. Putin would likely just be watching.
Kim Jong-il let out a hearty laugh, grasping the meaning behind my words.
"Tell them to go ahead if they can."
Kim Jong-il's cheek began to redden, perhaps from the alcohol.
Yet, his eyes remained chillingly cold.
"Tell those bastards to come! I won't be a sitting duck. The day any of them step onto our soil without my permission is the day they all perish."
"Chairman."
"Don't say anymore, Kim. I'm not in a mood to entertain your words right now."
Annoyed, Kim Jong-il filled his glass from the bottle again, raising it toward me as he asked.
"More importantly, do you have any information? You claim to have heard about a coup, yet you seem unfazed by it."
There was a glimmer of suspicion in Kim Jong-il's eyes as he questioned me.
I nearly sighed out loud, but managed to hold back.
'This man…'
Kim Jong-il had a pathological distrust of others. It was no surprise he had warned Kim Jong-un not to trust Jang Seong-taek in his last moments.
"Is Jang Seong-taek involved in this?"
"I know nothing about that at all."
After finishing his drink, Kim Jong-il offered me his glass.
"Have a drink. I've already heard about the covert meetings you and Deputy Minister Jang had in Seoul."
Well, it was impossible for Kim Jong-il to not know. Refusing this glass would only give rise to speculation about my intent, so I accepted it willingly.
"Yes. I hinted at my willingness to guide him through the nightlife of Seoul."
"What did you two talk about?"
The liquor overflowed from the glass, yet Kim Jong-il continued to pour while gazing directly into my eyes.
I held his gaze and called him softly.
"Chairman."
"Speak up."
"Are you interrogating me now?"
"Listen, Kim. I'm not asking questions, I'm telling you to answer my inquiries."
I set down the glass I was holding. Kim Jong-il was still spilling liquor from the bottle that had lost its way.
"I'm not your subordinate, Chairman."
His expression shifted subtly. Only when Kim Jong-il had finished drinking did he finally place the bottle down on the table.
"So, is that why you can still sit there before me?"
"Are you threatening me?"
"I respect you, Professor Kim."
"I worked hard towards peace with the U.S. as a repayment for your assistance."
Even as I indicated my precarious position, Kim Jong-il nodded in acknowledgment.
"To be honest, I didn't expect you to bring back a positive answer. Thank you for that. But that's one thing, and this is another."
He was deeply stubborn. After a long sigh, I finally replied.
"What answer do you want? Do you wish for me to say that Jang Seong-taek is the orchestrator behind this coup? Would that satisfy you?"
"…What do you mean by saying that?"
"Chairman, would you believe anything I say at this moment?"
Kim Jong-il pulled off his sunglasses and glared at me.
"Be careful with your words, Professor Kim."
If Kim Jong-il so desired, he could easily have me killed. But conversely, if I set my mind to it, I could end his life too.
In the room were just me, Kim Jong-il, and Manager Ma.
If I ever issued a command to kill him, Manager Ma would follow my orders without question.
Even if the gun that Baek Cheol-soo handed to Manager Ma earlier didn't have any bullets.
'Boss, there are no bullets.'
Manager Ma had quietly whispered that to me while we were heading to the underground stairs at the villa.
It didn't matter if Baek Cheol-soo did that to keep me in check or if Kim Jong-il had issued the orders to monitor me.
Either way, I had been deceived and disregarded. Naturally, the corner of my mouth twisted upward slightly.
"You could likely do as you please, Chairman. But will you?"
Kim Jong-il was easily frightened. He already knew that he had much more to lose than gain from killing me.
The flesh on Kim Jong-il's cheeks twitched. He seemed genuinely furious.
Everyone had bowed down to him, and he expected me to do the same, but I had no intention of complying.
In my new life, I had never bent the knee to Kim Hak-gwon, Putin, or Bush.
Having resolved never to bow to anyone again, I had enough money and power to ensure that.
"I haven't heard anything from Deputy Minister Jang regarding this coup, and we simply talked about trivial matters. Believe it or not, that is the truth."
Kim Jong-il scrutinized me with serpentine eyes.
In his gaze, devoid of sunglasses, I sensed malice.
They say people reveal their true selves when facing a crisis. His true form was that of a mad dictator.
"Professor Kim. You'll be held accountable for that statement. Do you understand? Once this matter concludes, I plan to see to it that all involved parties are exterminated."
As Kim Jong-il shot me a chilling glare, I replied casually.
"If you don't fabricate things."
"Your mouth will bring me trouble, Professor."
Unlike the lively atmosphere from earlier at the villa, the tension here was palpable.
But the standoff didn't last long, as thankfully, the door swung open, and Baek Cheol-soo walked in.
"Have you gathered any intel?"
"Yes. I've heard that both the commanders of the 2nd and 4th Corps have been detained by their subordinates. Pyongyang is isolated. The rebels have cut off all communication lines to Pyongyang and are determined to locate you, Chairman."
"Those bastards. The instigator is Kim Il-cheol, that scoundrel, is't he?"
"On paper, they've only borrowed the name of Kim Il-cheol, but it's the younglow-ranking officers under his command who are driving the troops. They are the real instigators."
Surprise flickered across Kim Jong-il's face as he processed the report.
"So, are you saying those young reactionary bastards are behind this?"
"Yes, that's correct."
From their conversation, I recognized that Kim Sung-jin and his comrades were the masterminds behind this incident.
The serious expressions of the young men I had seen at the banquet resurfaced in my mind.
"Are there no generals involved in this?"
"…There are a few reactionary members who participated after hearing the name of Kim Il-cheol."
Kim Jong-il nodded.
"Right. Just a handful of low-ranking officers could not orchestrate such a scale of upheaval. Has the Chief of Political Affairs been contacted?"
"Yes, fortunately, he was reported to have been outside Pyongyang. After the incident, he quickly moved to a bunker elsewhere, focusing on the city's defense for now."
"That's good. Very good."
Kim Jong-il, letting out a sigh of relief, turned to me and asked Baek Cheol-soo.
"Are there any reactionaries among the Party who took part in this event? Any high-ranking officials like Deputy Minister Jang?"
I waited anxiously for Baek Cheol-soo's answer.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone