Free Web NovelAs the situation in North Korea shifted rapidly, tensions among the countries surrounding the Korean Peninsula had reached a peak. A full week had passed.
During that time, numerous countries mobilized everything they had—not only their intelligence agencies, but even diplomats—in an effort to dig up internal information about North Korea.
However, after getting rid of the satellite phone, I hadn’t contacted Jang Songthaek or Igor.
No—more precisely, there had been no contact from them.
They say no news is good news.
If the situation had reached the point where Kim Jongil had to be killed, then he would already be dead, and Igor would have escaped. After that, he would have contacted me.
So for now, the fact that there’s no contact is actually a relief.
Domestic conditions weren’t easy either.
Three days later, the ROK–U.S. Combined Forces Command downgraded DEFCON from Level 3 to Level 2.
However, the South Korean government maintained Jindogae Level One.
That was because intelligence had come in that the First Corps of the Korean People’s Army had moved. As a result, both the Blue House and the Ministry of National Defense were thrown into an emergency.
But they soon learned that the North Korean troops were heading north, not south, and everyone let out a sigh of relief.
A full week had already passed, yet Korean Central Television still hadn’t broadcast a single statement or piece of news regarding this incident.
Then came word that, for the first time in six years, the 23rd Plenary Meeting of the 6th Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea would be convened in Pyongyang.
Whether this meant Jang Songthaek had won, or whether there was another reason behind it, remained to be seen.
I was inside the Blue House, talking with Yoon Changho, who had summoned me.
“If Jang Songthaek has won...... then at this plenary meeting, he’ll first seize real power, and Kim Jongil will step down.”
“That’s likely. President Kim, that would be good for us too, wouldn’t it?”
Yoon Changho, whom I was seeing again after a week, looked extremely haggard.
He must have been through hell—his lips were cracked dry, and the wrinkles on his face had deepened noticeably.
The constantly convened NSC meetings were a problem, but domestic conditions were probably fueling his anxiety as well.
With the looming sense that war might break out, hoarding of daily necessities had spread through supermarkets, and public security had deteriorated along with it.
Pro–North groups masquerading as progressive organizations were staging protest after protest in Gwanghwamun, and even in the midst of all this, they were calling for the withdrawal of U.S. forces.
On top of that, various civic groups were holding rallies and condemning the government.
To reassure Yoon Changho, I smiled and replied.
“Of course, they need to convene a Party Congress, but North Korea hasn’t held one even once since 1980. Preparation takes a long time, so as they’ve always done, they’ll first convene a plenary meeting of the Central Committee to seize real power, then prepare thoroughly before holding a Party Congress.”
Most communist countries, including China and the Soviet Union, operated under a one-party dictatorship.
And every five years, they held a Party Congress to form the leadership.
China did that. The Soviet Union did that too. But North Korea was different.
Up to now, they should have held a total of six Party Congresses, but that rule was followed only once—between the Third and Fourth Party Congresses.
Time and again, they came up with excuses to avoid holding a Party Congress, instead pushing agendas through plenary meetings.
“Depending on the outcome of this plenary meeting, we’ll know whether Jang Songthaek has taken power, or whether he’s been pushed out. It’s even possible that someone entirely new could emerge.”
Yoon Changho let out a deep sigh and nodded.
“Domestic public opinion isn’t good.”
“Yes. I’m aware.”
“The longer this state of tension drags on, the more South Korea’s economic growth is bound to stall. On top of that, public security has deteriorated quite a bit.......”
I knew exactly what Yoon Changho was worried about.
“Still, you need to respond firmly to illegal protests. You have to show that public authority is alive if you want to maintain order.”
“That’s easier said than done. The general election is just around the corner. Cracking down on civic groups right now? That’s political suicide. The party’s already pushing back hard.”
The 17th National Assembly election was right around the corner.
True enough, there was no time when politicians were more sensitive to public opinion than now.
“I understand. But if you leave it alone, it could turn into a much bigger problem later. You’ll end up trying to block a flood with a shovel instead of stopping it early with a hoe.”
“There haven’t been violent protests yet. Let’s leave it alone for now. More importantly, North Korea’s movements matter more right now. If, as you say, Jang Songthaek takes power and there’s a concrete result before the election, wouldn’t that put us in a favorable position?”
Yoon Changho was being far too complacent.
With debates raging in cyberspace, the fervor of the Red Devils, and the subsequent anti-American candlelight protests, people’s sense of participation had already risen significantly.
Leaving illegal protests alone wouldn’t do the ruling party or the Blue House any good.
“People’s perceptions have already changed. The longer you leave it alone, the larger it will grow. And then it’ll become a massive wave that public authority won’t be able to stop.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Yoon Changho answered with that familiar phrase.
That was probably enough. In the end, the decision was his to make, and my role was simply to stir the wind a little.
“And even if Jang Songthaek takes real power right away, he’ll focus on internal issues before external ones. There won’t be enough time to present tangible results to the public by the time of the election.”
“Hm...... that’s a shame.”
“Jang Songthaek said that even if he takes power, he intends to keep Kim Jongil alive instead of killing him.”
Yoon Changho’s eyes widened at my words. It was a natural reaction.
Every time the power structure shifted in North Korea, bloody purges always followed.
No—there, that was simply everyday life.
If someone suddenly vanished from the center of power, nine times out of ten, they had been purged.
Well, if they were lucky, they might have been sent to a labor reeducation camp to toil away at physical labor.
“Really? That’s unexpected. There was someone like that in North Korea?”
“It’s not because Jang Songthaek is soft. He’s taking North Korea’s unique nature into account. It’s practically a monarchy. You can’t change that overnight. To force rapid change, you’d need bloody purges, but Jang Songthaek wants to seize real power while killing as few people as possible.”
“That’s strange. If this were your plan, you wouldn’t have suggested such a moderate approach.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Yoon Changho knew me too well.
“That’s true. But they’re not moving the way I want. Still, if he can pull it off, that approach is better. It also looks better to the international community.”
Jang Songthaek wanted openness rather than isolation. And I wanted North Korea to open up as well.
For that to happen, not only the United States, but Europe and China would all have to enter North Korea.
But the biggest beneficiary had to be me. And the one enjoying the leftovers had to be South Korea.
“For now, let’s watch and see what Jang Songthaek does.”
What choice would Jang Songthaek make?
Not only South Korea, but the entire world had its eyes fixed on the Workers’ Party plenary meeting being held in Pyongyang. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
* * *
Pyongyang.
People were gathering one by one in the large conference hall of the Central Committee headquarters.
“What’s on today’s agenda?”
“How would I know?”
They exchanged opinions in hushed voices.
Unusually, the summons had come down without any prior information about the agenda.
Normally, it was customary to announce the agenda in advance through Rodong Sinmun or Korean Central Television before convening a meeting.
“Could that rumor be true? The one about Marshal Ri Ulsol launching a rebellion?”
“How would low-level people like us know......? Be quiet. You’ll get dragged away without a trace.”
The man who spoke glanced around with anxious eyes before continuing.
“All we have to do is clap our hands. So don’t take an interest in pointless things. Understood?”
Most of the people gathered in the hall were those who had drifted far from the center of power.
The farther back their seats were, the farther they were from power—mere fillers of the audience with no right to speak.
Officials from cities and counties, as well as responsible executives from major factories and enterprises, were all in attendance.
But those seated in the front were different.
At the front sat the members and alternate members of the Central Committee.
The closer they were seated to them, the closer they were to power.
Before long, the Central Committee members and alternate members arrived and took their seats.
Now, there were two chairs and desks placed on the podium.
One was Kim Jongil’s seat.
As for the seat beside it, most people still didn’t know who its owner would be.
Meanwhile, at that same time—
In Kim Jongil’s office inside the Central Committee headquarters, Kim Jongil and Jang Songthaek were seated, talking.
Jang Songthaek held out a single sheet of paper.
“Chairman Comrade. This is today’s personnel reshuffle plan.”
In just a week, Kim Jongil’s face had grown noticeably gaunt.
“Is that so? Once this is done, can I finally rest?”
“Yes. You may spend the rest of your life with your family wherever you wish.”
“.......”
“Do you have lingering regrets? Or are you thinking of something else?”
At Jang Songthaek’s question, Kim Jongil gave «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» a weak smile.
“Listen, Jang Songthaek.”
“Yes.”
“What if I am thinking of something else?”
“In that case, I can’t guarantee the safety of your family at the Yeohori guesthouse. Of course, I won’t go down quietly either. I’ve already secured control over the Guard Command and the State Security Department. The troops guarding this headquarters are already following my orders.”
What Jang Songthaek had done after arriving in Pyongyang ahead of Kim Jongil was to take control of the city.
Then he convened the plenary meeting of the Central Committee.
Only after all preparations were complete did Kim Jongil arrive in Pyongyang.
“You bastard. You’re not even trying to hide it anymore, are you?”
“It’s already over. You know better than anyone that all of this is just a formality. I want less bloodshed. I want to use that time for the Republic.”
“You sure do talk at length about selling the Republic. In the end, you’re just handing it over to a pack of wolves, aren’t you?”
“Whether it’s the United States, China, or Russia, I won’t be dragged around by anyone. The Republic’s standing in the international community will grow even stronger. I’ll make it so.”
At Jang Songthaek’s firm words, Kim Jongil curled the corner of his lips.
“Really? Then I’ll watch and see whether that resolve changes or not.”
Kim Jongil picked up the paper lying in front of him.
It contained a personnel reshuffle plan in which all of his close aides were removed from key posts and replaced by Jang Songthaek’s people.
“First Secretary? What’s this?”
At the very top of the list was Jang Songthaek’s name.
“The General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea Central Committee will remain your title, Chairman Comrade, but beneath it, a new position called First Secretary will be created.......”
Jang Songthaek explained his plan.
There was no way to strip Kim Jongil of all his titles in such a short time.
So he chose this method.
After hearing the entire plan, Kim Jongil let out a hollow laugh and looked at Jang Songthaek.
“You’ve come up with the perfect way to turn me into a scarecrow while you take real power. This isn’t something you can put together in a few days. Since when?”
“The Republic I dream of is a system of collective leadership. For now, the Republic’s situation isn’t strong enough to endure such a drastic change. So first.......”
Kim Jongil cut him off.
“That’s enough. Seems I raised a tiger cub. There’s no point in listening to this now. Let’s do it this way. But keep your promise. Understood?”
“Yes, Chairman Comrade.”
Kim Jongil continued to review the list. Only after quite some time did he rise from his seat.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes. I’ll escort you.”
Jang Songthaek moved to support him, but Kim Jongil brushed him off.
“I can walk on my own.”
Kim Jongil opened the door and stepped out, with Jang Songthaek following behind him.
A short while later—
Kim Jongil and Jang Songthaek entered the conference hall together.
