Chapter 49
Chapter 49
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Discharge
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Discharge.
"Korea? It's a shitty country."
That single remark detonated like a nuclear bomb across South Korean internet communities.
Those watching the live Nuteube stream in real time doubted their own ears.
And soon after, forum boards across various sites were flooded with reactions to his statement.
South Korea's other name: Hell Joseon.
Kim Ji-hoon was one who had successfully escaped Hell Peninsula.
Many felt a cathartic thrill from his blunt, unfiltered words.
But at the same time, a different kind of controversy erupted.
Right after Kim Ji-hoon's shocking remark, reporter Park Hyun-ah's Nuteube stream abruptly cut off.
She had been subdued by hospital security and police who arrived on a report.
The hospital and American media quickly grasped the situation.
A Korean reporter had trespassed into a patient's room without consent and conducted illegal filming.
And in the process, she had hurled provocative questions at a patient whose consciousness had just returned.
This went beyond a mere breach of journalistic ethics—it was blatant criminal activity.
American media outlets immediately began reporting on it.
Separate from the fallout of Kim Ji-hoon's words, the conduct of the Korean media was emerging as an international embarrassment.
The incident was entering a new phase.
The next morning, a main anchor on a major American news channel stared gravely into the camera.
In one corner of the screen, a caption read 'Berkeley Hero Regains Consciousness,' with a small image of Kim Ji-hoon lying in his hospital bed.
"Last night, news swept across America that we had all been desperately awaiting."
The anchor's calm yet weighty voice filled the studio.
"Kim Ji-hoon, the hero who stopped the Berkeley High School terror attack, has finally regained consciousness six days after the incident."
But the anchor's expression was closer to anger and dismay than joy.
"However, this miraculous moment was tarnished by the unethical and shocking reporting practices of a Korean journalist."
The screen switched to footage that appeared to be secretly filmed inside the hospital room.
A shaky camera angle, Lily's terrified face, and the reporter's voice approaching Kim Ji-hoon just as he regained consciousness.
The anchor continued over the video.
"As you can see in the footage, the Korean reporter bypassed hospital controls and trespassed into Kim Ji-hoon's room without permission. She even hurled questions at him the very moment he came to, with no regard for his condition."
The reporter's voice leaked from the video.
"You've naturalized as an American! What do you think of Korea!?"
Followed by Kim Ji-hoon's response.
The anchor paused briefly, letting viewers hear Ji-hoon's words directly.
"To this question, Kim Ji-hoon replied: 'Korea? It's a shitty country.'"
Silence fell over the studio for a moment.
"Of course, we don't yet know what intent lay behind Kim Ji-hoon's words or what his true feelings are. But what we should focus on now isn't the content of his statement. It's the horrific lack of professional ethics from this Korean reporter, who pried into a patient's most vulnerable moment for a scoop."
The anchor grimaced as he spoke.
"Unauthorized entry into a hospital, illegal filming, and aggressive interviewing without regard for the patient's state. This is a clear invasion of privacy and a disregard for the basic principles of journalism. American society is now expressing deep outrage over this rude and unethical act against one of our heroes."
The anchor stared straight into the camera to conclude.
"This incident raises heavy questions for our society about press freedom and responsibility, and human dignity. We wish Kim Ji-hoon a swift recovery and hope such an unfortunate event never happens again."
The American media's focus was less on Ji-hoon's statement itself and more on the unethical behavior of the Korean reporter who elicited it.
The incident was unfolding in an unexpected direction.
As the outrage over the Korean reporter's unethical reporting began to subside somewhat, a new question emerged in American online communities.
"So... why did he call his home country 'shitty'?"
Reddit threads on the related news and various forums filled with speculation about the intent behind Ji-hoon's words.
To most Americans, Korea was just known for K-pop or as an ally nation.
They had little awareness of the complex internal issues encapsulated in terms like 'Hell Joseon.'
So Ji-hoon's blunt statement came as a fresh shock—and an unresolved mystery—to them.
Of course, most Americans focused more on praising him as a hero and praying for his recovery than on his words themselves.
But that short, intense remark left a small question mark in many minds.
What might the hidden reality be like in that small country across the distant Pacific?
Inside cold iron bars.
Reporter Park Hyun-ah sat dazed on the empty floor of the holding cell.
Gone was the glamorous glow of the broadcast studio lighting; only the cold, dim fluorescent bulbs illuminated her.
She couldn't comprehend how things had gone so wrong.
The thrill of landing a scoop had been fleeting.
She had been arrested on-site right after being dragged from the hospital room, charged with trespassing and invasion of privacy.
After spending the night on a hard holding cell bench, her whole body ached and her head throbbed.
'Gotta... get out of here quick. The company, or the Foreign Ministry, they'll handle it somehow.'
[Help me!]
The basic passive skill of women.
She naturally believed they would help.
She anxiously stared only at the corridor beyond the bars.
And in that corridor, things were proceeding as she hoped.
A consul urgently dispatched from the Republic of Korea Consulate General in San Francisco was in serious discussion with the duty officer.
"Officer, as I said again, reporter Park Hyun-ah is a South Korean national and journalist."
The consul's voice was polite but firm.
"Of course, we acknowledge there were issues with her reporting methods, but couldn't you show leniency just this once? We'd like to resolve this diplomatically..."
But the American officer's expression was resolute.
"Consul, I'm sorry, but that's not possible. Ms. Park has clearly violated our laws. Trespassing in a hospital, invasion of patient privacy, illegal filming—she's facing all those charges. Especially since the victim, Kim Ji-hoon, is a hero the entire American public is watching. Sneaking into his room and doing that is not something we can take lightly. We must proceed according to law and principle."
"But she's a Korean reporter..."
"That doesn't grant her immunity, Consul."
Their conversation ran parallel, never meeting.
Meanwhile, inside the bars, Park Hyun-ah grew even more confused hearing the exchange.
'No way... In Korea, stuff like this is fine?'
'Why am I the one in jail right now?'
She simply couldn't understand.
In Korea, such reporting methods were tacitly permitted under the banner of journalism and the 'public's right to know.'
Sure, there was criticism, but she never imagined it would lead to detention.
That America's laws and standards for media ethics differed from Korea's.
She hadn't realized it yet.
Utterly unaware of the gravity of her actions, Park Hyun-ah merely stared down at the cold holding cell floor, feeling wronged and frustrated.
"Man~ Seeing you smash that plate with the shovel, my thumbs just shot up on their own. Thought I was watching a Challenger Yorick?"
I was lying in bed after waking up, swapping tales of that day's heroics with Dong-hyun.
War buddies who had shared real combat.
We were excitedly turning the horrific terror incident into an epic saga.
"Dude, watching TV and hearing you say 'Korea? Shitty.'—my face got all hot."
Dong-hyun chuckled.
"Ah, my brain wasn't working, it was just a reflexive slip."
Lily, plastered to my side and refusing to budge.
Her face bloomed with smiles, thrilled that I had woken up.
"Hehe, hubby~ No more dangerous stuff from now on, promise!"
"Yeah, promise. I nearly died, and all I could think of was your face, Lily."
"Hehe, really?"
Lily's mood lifted at my line.
Actually, she had begged her parents not to come to Korea right away, asking them to wait a week.
I'd just managed a call with them earlier, and after swallowing a decade's worth of scolding at once, my ears felt like they were bleeding.
"Lily, it's uncomfortable sleeping here—go home and rest."
She shook her head vigorously at my words.
"Nooo~ I'm staying by my hubby's side!"
From Dong-hyun, I'd heard how much Lily had cried while I was unconscious.
I felt sorry.
"Dong-hyun, when you reopening the shop?"
At my question, Dong-hyun gave me a baffled look.
"You psycho, how with you like this? The staff are all in therapy right now."
Oh.
Forgot about that.
Damn... Was gonna rest just 3 days, but looks like a month at least now.
Fortunately, the surgery went well.
But to walk properly, it'd take at least a month.
My body was already getting itchy.
"Oh yeah, you hear about that?"
Dong-hyun's words piqued my curiosity.
"What?"
"You're getting a medal from the President."
"Huh?"
I was shocked at the mention of a medal.
No way, the leader of the free world personally awarding me?
Ah... Quest completion reward, huh.
Truth was, while I was out, I had no idea what was going on in the outside world.
And...
Three weeks after the incident.
I notified them I'd do outpatient treatment at home and finally prepared for discharge.
As I stepped into the hospital lobby, a massive crowd awaited me.
Spotting me, the citizens erupted in cheers.
"Berkeley's hero!"
"Thank you for protecting America!"
Ahh, a bit embarrassing.
To the cheering crowd, I gave an awkward smile and waved.