章 553: Chapter 553: The Moves of Jang Seong-taek
I think we're about to get started."
As I glanced at my watch, President Yoon Chang-ho hesitated.
"…There's no turning back now, right?"
His question, heavy with anxiety, made me nod.
"Yes. The die has been cast. All we can do now is wait for the outcome."
With a sigh, Yoon Chang-ho pressed the button on the phone beside him and gave his orders.
"Call the NSC. Tell everyone to converge at the Blue House within two hours."
—"What? Right now?"
"Yes. Do it immediately."
—"Mr. President, what's the reason for calling them in?"
For a moment, Yoon Chang-ho fell silent as he looked at me.
His gaze seemed to ask whether it was okay to speak now. Instead of answering, I nodded.
Only then did Yoon Chang-ho continue.
"North Korea's sudden change."
—"Pardon?"
"Am I being unclear? I said to convene the National Security Council regarding the situation in North Korea."
—"W-What's happened with North Korea?"
"Just gather everyone for now. I'll contact the Minister of National Defense myself."
—"…Understood."
After issuing his command, Yoon Chang-ho dialed another number.
He remained on the call for quite a while. Finally, it connected.
—"Hello?"
His voice carried a hint of sleep, as if he'd just woken up.
"Minister Kim, it's Yoon Chang-ho."
—"Mr. President, what's the matter at this hour?"
"Get to the Blue House right away. And issue a 'Jindo' alert for the West Sea Five Islands and the frontline units."
—"Excuse me?"
The mention of the 'Jindo' alert seemed to jolt the other person awake.
—"Did you say 'Jindo' alert?"
"Yes, Minister Kim Duhyung."
—"What's the reason?"
"Preparation for an unexpected incident in North Korea. They might attempt to provoke us at any moment. I've called the NSC together. One more time, I'll emphasize—issue the 'Jindo' alert now and get to the Blue House. Do it immediately."
A brief silence passed before the Minister's panicked voice came through the receiver.
—"W-What's this about a sudden change in North Korea? Is there a coup? What's going on? We have no information at all, President!"
"If I didn't have credible information, would I be summoning the NSC? So get over here. And activate the 'Jindo' alert!"
—"…I'm on my way right now."
"But first, activate the 'Jindo' alert."
—"Mr. President, issuing a 'Jindo' alert is…"
The Minister of National Defense hesitated.
"This isn't about DEFCON levels; I'm telling you to activate a 'Jindo' alert, which we can handle without U.S. authorization. We're just being cautious. Is there an issue with being proactive? I'll take full responsibility, so just activate it!"
—"Understood."
"Now hurry up and get here."
Yoon Chang-ho finished his order and hung up the phone.
"Ugh. That man is so frustrating."
He clicked his tongue in annoyance. I smiled and responded.
"The 'Jindo' alert is only a localized measure. We've never activated it for the entire frontline and the West Sea Five Islands at once, have we?"
"True. Still, it's the best I can do without permission from the U.S. If it goes above DEFCON 3, the command goes to the U.S. forces."
"Shouldn't we inform the U.S. soon? They need to prepare as well."
"…Is that safe? If they find out you're involved, it could stir up trouble."
"There's no need to explicitly mention my involvement. Let's keep it casual, just like I stumbled upon the information."
A 'Jindo' alert alone wouldn't suffice. We needed to maintain at least a DEFCON 3 level.
If we failed, who knew what Kim Jong-il might do?
"Got it."
Yoon Chang-ho picked up the phone again and made another call.
Meanwhile, as Kim Mu-hyeok and Yoon Chang-ho were conversing in the Blue House,
the CIA's Korea branch picked up on unusual movements in North Korea.
"What? Is that true?"
"Yes. Unusual activity has been detected at the Yeohori Villa via satellite."
"Unusual activity?"
"It seems like a battle has taken place."
CIA Korea chief Smith verified the satellite images brought by his subordinate.
He held two photos up, pointing out the differences with his finger.
"As you can see, all the guard posts have collapsed. And here, this is the second special villa where the Guard Headquarters resides…"
After listening to his subordinate's report, Smith fell silent and asked,
"So, what's your assessment?"
"Assuming Kim Jong-il is at the Yeohori Villa, I'll share my thoughts."
"No one knows his location, right?"
"That's why I'm making my assumption according to that premise."
"Hold on. Let's get the Ambassador in on this. You'll come with me. Grab everything you need."
Smith moved with the CIA agents toward the U.S. Ambassador's residence.
Thanks to prior arrangements, they were able to meet with him immediately.
"What's going on?"
At the Ambassador's question, Smith looked at his subordinate. The subordinate laid out the satellite images just as he had done before and explained.
After finishing all the explanations, he presented the final conclusion.
"If Kim Jong-il is at the Yeohori Villa right now… the probability of a coup is high. This area is restricted to civilians. Given the collapsed guard posts and other anomalies captured in the photos, this conclusion is drawn."
"What? A coup?"
Both Smith and the Ambassador exchanged surprised looks.
"Yes. A coup."
"What do you mean? There hadn't been any unusual military movements from North Korea until now."
"Yes. We haven't detected any large troop movements. But we can't track every maneuver. If a small force is mobilized, it might be off our radar."
The Ambassador's face turned cold.
"Hmm. A coup…"
"We can't ascertain North Korea's internal situation right now. However, the UN sanctions imposed have rendered the borders almost closed. It's highly likely there's significant internal discontent. Thus, the probability of a coup increases."
The Ambassador's expression hardened. Just then, the Ambassador's phone rang.
Checking the caller ID, the U.S. Ambassador answered urgently.
"Yes, President Yoon Chang-ho? This is Ambassador Thomas."
—"This is Yoon Chang-ho."
"Yes. I'm aware. But what's going on at this hour?"
—"The situation in North Korea has rapidly changed."
Thomas glanced at the two individuals in front of him, responding to Yoon Chang-ho.
"Changed? What do you mean…"
—"I've heard an unidentified group raided the Yeohori Villa, where Kim Jong-il is. We've convened the NSC regarding this. We've also activated a 'Jindo' alert for the West Sea Five Islands and frontline units. Do you know anything?"
"…How did you find out?"
—"I happened to learn about it. Did the U.S. know and not inform us?"
Thomas felt uneasy with President Yoon's probing tone.
"No. We just saw the satellite images a moment ago and became aware of the situation."
—"Is what you say true? The U.S. had no prior knowledge?"
"Yes, that's true. But President, you seem to know more than we do. Do you happen to know who is leading the coup?"
—"I don't know the details. According to the Russians, they suspect it was orchestrated by Jang Seong-taek."
"Russia? Did they contact you?"
—"Yes."
At President Yoon Chang-ho's firm response, Thomas momentarily hesitated and then asked.
"…Did you receive contact from President Kim Mu-hyeok?"
Silence filled the line as Thomas narrowed his eyes.
"Mr. President."
—"I received contact from Russia regarding President Kim Mu-hyeok, and he reached out to me directly."
If the Russians pointed to Jang Seong-taek, and leaked that information to Kim Mu-hyeok,
then the likelihood of that information being true was significantly high.
"Is President Kim Mu-hyeok with you?"
—"Yes."
"Can you pass me to him?"
Moments later, Kim Mu-hyeok's voice came through.
—"This is Ambassador Thomas. Who am I speaking with?"
"Charlie. Long time no see."
—"Indeed. It's been quite a while."
Thomas finished with pleasantries and got straight to the point.
"Did you acquire any information regarding this situation from Russia?"
—"Yes. I received contact from the Kremlin stating that there has been an incident in North Korea. They mentioned that not only the Yeohori Villa but also the Seoho Rest House in Hŭngnam has been attacked."
"Seoho Rest House?"
Thomas jotted down a note regarding the satellite photos of the Seoho Rest House.
Smith quickly instructed his subordinate beside him, and the agent hurriedly left with the phone.
—"Yes. Russia also claims not to know much. They have no idea what the attackers aim for, whether it's the removal of Kim Jong-il or a loyalist coup. They only know that Jang Seong-taek is behind everything."
"Are you certain?"
—"Well, we have to be prepared. Why would the Kremlin give me false information to create chaos? But does the U.S. really know nothing at all?"
At the query about why Russia seemed informed, while the U.S. did not, the Ambassador's lips trembled.
"…We detected unusual movements at the Yeohori Villa, but nothing this detailed was known."
—"I see. Then I'll put you back on with the President."
Yoon Chang-ho's voice came through again.
—"Ambassador. We need to issue DEFCON 3."
"DEFCON 3? Is it that serious?"
—"Regardless of success or failure, chaos is inevitable in North Korea. We can't predict how their military will act under those circumstances. Being proactive is our best strategy to prevent damages."
"I'll report it to Washington immediately. Please wait a moment."
—"I will wait."
The call with Yoon Chang-ho ended, leaving Thomas staring blankly at the disconnected phone.
Seeing his expression, Smith urged,
"What did he say?"
"They're saying Jang Seong-taek is on the move."
"Jang Seong-taek?"
"Yes. They received contact from the Kremlin. Besides the Yeohori Villa, the Seoho Rest House was also attacked."
"Ah. That's why you asked for satellite photos of the Seoho Rest House."
Smith nodded in agreement.
"For now, you should dig further. We can't afford to be caught off guard while Russia has the upper hand."
"Understood."
"I need to call Washington."
Ambassador Thomas and CIA Korea Chief Smith both lifted their phones and began calling somewhere.
* * *
"Let's start with a missile strike."
At Igor's command, ten men stepped forward.
Igor gestured for them to clear the area behind them.
The mercenaries split into two groups, armed with U.S.-made anti-tank missiles, the Javelin.
Though all were former Soviet mercenaries, they carried American missiles.
Once Igor confirmed everything was ready, he picked up the radio and said.
"Beta. This is Alpha. We're starting with a missile strike."
—"Leave it to me."
"I'll contact you once we're set."
—"Understood."
"Team 5. This is Alpha. The moment the Javelin is fired, that will signal you to go. Make sure you nail every target without us getting shot at."
—"Leave it to us! We're all set!"
"Good. I trust you."
Igor checked his watch, waiting for Ivan to call him.
—"This is Beta. We're all set."
"Hold on for a moment."
Igor raised one hand, signaling silence.
A hush and tension enveloped the area.
Then, moments later, Igor lowered his hand and instructed over the radio.
"Fire!"
In synchrony, ten Javelins roared to life, shooting into the sky.
Igor's team targeted the guard posts, watchtowers, and vehicles held by the Guard Headquarters.
Another team was homing in on the second special villa.
The launched missiles raced rapidly toward their targets.
The mercenaries who fired the missiles immediately began reloading the launchers.
Igor focused on the missile's trajectory, gripping his rifle tightly.
As the nearest guard post was struck, a thunderous explosion obliterated it without a trace.
That marked the beginning, as explosions erupted across the area.
"Keep firing as soon as you're able."
To avoid friendly fire, they focused on areas presumed to contain Kim Jong-il, unleashing missiles everywhere.
Team 5 opened fire, and with barely a sound, people fell, blood streaming from their brows.
Having launched three missiles, Igor took the lead.
"Everyone, follow me!"
Igor shouted as he dashed up the hill, with the mercenaries trailing behind.
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