Free Web NovelSo everything was ready.
That meant the internal cleanup was more or less finished as well.
“Do we just need to lock onto the target?”
— Yes. Once we secure Chairman Kim Jongil, the rest will fall in line naturally. The most powerful faction within the military... freёwebnovel.com
Jang Songthaek began explaining to me the work he had been preparing all this time.
— And in two weeks, Chairman Kim Jongil and I are scheduled to take a vacation together for about a week at Villa No. 72.
“Villa 72... Where exactly is that? Just a moment.”
Manager Ma quickly brought over a map. I immediately checked the location.
“Is it Yeohori?”
— Yes. That’s correct. We’ll be staying there for a week.
The Yeohori villa was Kim Jongil’s favorite retreat.
South Hamgyong Province.
It was quite far from Pyongyang.
— He usually goes there in the summer. But it’s winter now, isn’t it? Chairman Kim Jongil loves fishing. I persuaded him to come this way under the pretext of winter fishing. The closer it is to Pyongyang, the faster support would arrive, after all.
I nodded at Jang Songthaek’s explanation.
Kim Jongil’s love of fishing was famously well known. Just looking at how most of his villas were located near lakes or the sea made that obvious.
If there wasn’t a lake, he would even have an artificial one built. That was how much he liked fishing.
“What about the escort troops?”
— Around 200 for close protection, and over 2,000 if you include the outer perimeter. Support from nearby military units would take about an hour to arrive.
That meant everything had to be finished within an hour. Once Kim Jongil was secured, military forces wouldn’t be able to move in easily.
And Jang Songthaek could simply order them to stand down.
“That’s quite a lot.”
— He doesn’t trust anyone, after all. The troop numbers are excessive. Most of the outer perimeter troops are units permanently assigned to guarding Villa 72. They know the terrain better than anyone.
“What about the infiltration route for the mercenaries in Russia? Have you decided?”
— Moving around 200 men by ship would be difficult. We’re planning to infiltrate by rail. Train inspections fall under the State Security Department, so there shouldn’t be an issue.
Infiltration by train?
It was bolder than I had expected.
“Is there a train running from Russia into North Korea? Isn’t the border sealed due to the sanctions?”
— It is restricted. But because [N O V E L I G H T] of the sanctions, all the laborers who were working in Russia are being sent back to North Korea. Russia hasn’t blocked that for humanitarian reasons. It runs once a day. If they move in groups, it should work.
Even the workers who earned foreign currency were being driven back to their homeland due to the sanctions.
“I’ll give you a contact. Reach out there and infiltrate through them. Half will assault Kim Jongil’s villa, and the other half will move to secure the nuclear weapon.”
— What? A nuclear weapon?
“Yes. Even if this operation fails, the nuclear weapon must be secured and returned to Russia no matter what.”
— .......
“If this fails, there won’t be another chance. This is a promise to Russia. Once Director Jang seizes power, Russia and China will stand firmly on your side. You understand what that means, don’t you?”
— ...I understand.
A tense voice came back.
I gave Jang Songthaek Igor’s contact information.
“Then let’s meet again alive.”
The moment I ended the call with Jang Songthaek, I contacted Igor.
“Igor. The operation date is set.”
— Is that so?
“Is the training sufficient?”
— Yes. The training condition is at its peak. There will be no failure.
“You’ll be contacted soon. You still have the map I gave you last time, right?”
— Yes. Of course.
“The Yeohori villa in South Hamgyong Province. That’s the operation area. You’ll receive the detailed briefing separately. Adjusting the plan based on the intel is up to your judgment, Igor.”
— Understood.
“I wish you luck. Igor.”
When I hung up, Manager Ma, who had been standing guard beside me, asked,
“Is it finally starting?”
I silently nodded.
There was no turning back now. Jang Songthaek had already moved. Even if we stopped now, Kim Jongil would find out soon enough.
“First, we need to go to the Blue House. President Yoon Changho needs to know.”
“I’ll prepare immediately.”
Manager Ma left at once, and I called Yoon Changho’s personal phone.
— President Kim, it’s been a while. What’s going on?
Yoon Changho answered cheerfully.
“There’s something important I need to tell you.”
— ...What is it?
Perhaps sensing something was wrong, the laughter disappeared from Yoon Changho’s voice.
“It’s urgent.”
— ...Come in immediately. I’ll be ready.
“I’ll be there within an hour.”
I ended the call and stood up. As I picked up my coat and left the study, Manager Ma approached.
“Boss, everything is ready.”
“Let’s go.”
* * *
Just as he said he would prepare in advance, I was able to enter the residence immediately without any procedures.
“You’re here. Sit down.”
As I sat, Yoon Changho poured me a glass of soju and said,
“What on earth is going on? Your face looks grim. Is there a war breaking out or something?”
I downed the soju he poured in one go.
“It’s about North Korea.”
“North Korea?”
Yoon Changho picked up his chopsticks, his eyes widening.
“The situation will change rapidly.”
“What?”
A look of shock pierced my face.
“There will be a coup. If it succeeds, Kim Jongil will either die or step down, and Jang Songthaek will take power.”
“Wait. Hold on.”
Yoon Changho shouted urgently and drained his soju in one gulp. Even then he couldn’t calm down, so he drank the water beside him before asking,
“Are you involved in this?”
“Yes.”
“...Why? Is there really a reason to go that far? If we just leave North Korea alone, it’ll collapse on its own. Economic sanctions have already begun, and no one will help them. No matter how insane Kim Jongil is, he won’t be able to endure this. We can just wait it out.”
I shook my head.
“No. He’ll endure it.”
I picked up the soju bottle and poured it into an empty cup.
The soju that had been half full poured out rapidly and ran dry just before overflowing.
Whether it overflows or not, no one knows until it’s poured.
“Kim Jongil has a nuclear weapon.”
“What?”
“Not a crude one. A fully operational nuclear weapon. If that madman is cornered, he could reveal it—or even fire it at Seoul.”
“......”
Yoon Changho was left speechless.
“We believe it’s one of the nuclear weapons that went missing when the Soviet Union collapsed. We have to eliminate it before he does something insane.”
“...Is this your idea alone?”
“Russia knows. We received help infiltrating North Korea. An operation team composed of Black Bear mercenaries and Russian special forces will move. The Russian special forces will secure the nuclear weapon, and Black Bear will secure Kim Jongil. Even if the operation fails, retrieving the nuclear weapon and returning it to Russia is the top priority.”
I couldn’t say that eliminating Kim Jongil was more important.
From President Yoon Changho’s position, the nuclear weapon mattered more than Kim Jongil’s life.
“Ha.......”
Yoon Changho, who had been silent with a dazed expression, let out a deep sigh.
“Why are you telling me this? If I was going to know this late, I’d rather not know at all.”
“Because whether it succeeds or fails, South Korea’s role will be important.”
“South Korea’s role?”
“If the coup succeeds, you need to release an official statement supporting Jang Songthaek’s government. If it fails... you need to keep the military on standby.”
“You’re saying war could break out?”
“Just for preparedness.”
“......”
If Jang Songthaek committed suicide immediately after failure, maybe. But there was no guarantee things would go that smoothly. He wasn’t the type to kill himself.
“Preparation is necessary.”
If things went that way, Kim Jongil would be obsessed with killing me.
“Whew...... If war breaks out, the Republic of Korea is finished. Even if we win, it won’t be a victory. You know what I mean, right? I didn’t understand before. How dangerous war really is. I learned it after becoming president. The moment war starts, Seoul is finished.”
“I know that too. Kim Jongil probably won’t start a full-scale war. But he could certainly carry out localized provocations. Even just to kill me.”
If a full war broke out, North Korea would eventually lose.
The moment war started, the U.S. military would intervene. China might reach out as well, but would it really fight the United States?
Beijing told me clearly that war was unacceptable, but... what about a war started by a North Korean preemptive strike?
Kim Jongil wouldn’t be ignorant of that. Still, enraged as he would be, he would surely try to pressure me somehow.
I was confident I wouldn’t die, but either way, severe damage was inevitable.
“Who else knows about this?”
“Fewer than ten people, including you. In Korea, only you know.”
“What about the Prosecutor General?”
“...He doesn’t know the full plan. I only hinted at what might happen.”
I didn’t tell him everything. It wasn’t something he could handle.
Yoon Changho rubbed his face with his hand as if he had a headache.
“Alright. What’s the success rate?”
“Fifty-fifty. We’ve prepared for a long time, but North Korea is a place with too many variables...”
In just a short moment, Yoon Changho seemed to have aged ten years.
“Every time I meet you, I’m forced to make these difficult decisions. We shouldn’t tell anyone and prepare quietly, right?”
“Yes. The fewer people who know, the better.”
“When exactly?”
“In two weeks, Kim Jongil will go on vacation to the villa with Jang Songthaek. That’s when we’ll strike. The farther from Pyongyang, the higher the success rate.”
“Alright. I understand.”
Yoon Changho knew there was no stopping this anymore.
The trigger had already been pulled. All we could do was hope the bullet hit Kim Jongil.
“Let me know when the exact date is confirmed. No—come to the Blue House that day and wait with me. That’s better. You’ll receive updates directly, won’t you?”
Yoon Changho’s hand holding the soju glass trembled slightly.
I averted my gaze and said,
“I was planning to leave for Russia. Should I stay instead?”
“Leave after everything is over.”
“Understood. I’ll come to the Blue House that day.”
“Good. Let’s have a drink.”
Yoon Changho suggested a drink, but he seemed too distracted to even make a toast, tilting his soju glass again and again.
I matched his pace without a word. It had to be overwhelming.
“But if Jang Songthaek takes power, what changes for South Korea?”
Only now did he ask.
“During your term, economic cooperation between South and North Korea will likely begin. A gas pipeline and oil pipeline connecting Russia to South Korea will be built. You may not see the results, but isn’t the beginning what matters?”
Only then did the shadow on Yoon Changho’s face fade slightly.
