Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 12.8 Military Coup (9)
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9 p.m.
The Army had abandoned Army Headquarters and relocated its command post to the Capital Defense Command.
It was due to the threat from the Guard Cavalry Regiment, which had advanced faster than expected.
On top of giving up the Prime Minister's residence and now Army Headquarters, the morale of the suppression forces had plummeted.
Even if the Army leadership was politically prepared to abandon the prime minister, that was separate from how frontline officers felt about it.
In any case, once the Army side abandoned Army Headquarters, the Guard Cavalry Regiment easily seized Nakwon Street, known as the street of government offices.
The Guard units then erected barricades facing the direction from which the Guard Division might attack and deployed troops to key buildings.
These included Army Headquarters, the Republic of Korea Radio Broadcasting Station, and the Imperial Communications Ministry building.
"General, we've secured the broadcasting station."
I glanced at my watch.
It was now 9:20 p.m.
We had plenty of time until morning, but with chaos erupting across the capital, it was uncertain whether we could start the morning broadcast on schedule.
"Locate the announcers, broadcast editors, and any other necessary personnel, and have them report to the station by 4 a.m."
"Yes, sir."
Now the only remaining tasks were to neutralize the Army command that had fled to the Capital Defense Command, along with the Guard Division.
Oh, and the Security Commander and the Provost Marshal.
'Maybe it's time to float a negotiation offer.'
Not something like a ceasefire.
I meant tempting them to switch sides with promises of rewards and promotions.
I picked up the phone.
"Connect me to the Guard Division commander's office."
"You're through."
"You traitorous bastard! Lee Seong-jun, you think you'll get away with this?"
Curses flew the moment I picked up.
Oh Kwang-se seemed thoroughly pissed.
"General, why start with the agitation? If you hear me out, I'm sure you'll understand."
"You stay put. Once our tanks arrive, we'll crush you and those pathetic Guard troops flat."
"General, this is official business. No need to mix in personal feelings. Have Park Han-jin step down, shake hands at an appropriate line, and no more blood needs to be spilled."
"Shut your damn mouth!"
"General, is this really how you want to play it? You really want to see it through to the end?"
"You're the one who pulled a gun and said let's end it!"
Ha.
No point talking to Oh Kwang-se.
Better to bring in someone else.
Maybe the Provost Marshal would listen.
I had them dial again.
"They won't pick up."
Ha. Oh Jung-gu's digging in hard too.
Well, I expected as much.
Still, it was worth a shot on the off chance it hit the jackpot.
I pondered who else to tempt.
That's when the phone rang.
"Captain Lee Seong-myung here, General."
"Yeah, it's you. What's up?"
"We've found the Deputy Chief of Staff."
"What?"
I was genuinely startled by that.
"Where was he?"
"We discovered him just now in the officers' quarters fridge. Looks like he hid there to avoid us and couldn't get out."
Ha. What kind of ridiculous story is that?
Well, better than the Defense Minister from 12.12 who got caught running around in his underwear everywhere.
"Good work."
"Thank you, sir."
As I finished the call and went to hang up, a brilliant idea struck me like lightning.
"Get me Security Command."
If they'd been eavesdropping on our call, they'd know the deputy chief was caught and would be panicking.
Psychologically, this was the perfect moment to break the Security Command officers.
"You're through."
"This is Security Command Chief Secretary Jeong Sun-jin."
Well, well?
Giving his full name and rank to a rebel leader?
He was scared shitless, no doubt.
"This is Major General Lee Seong-jun. I know the other Security Command officers are listening too, so let me make this clear. The Army Minister, Chief of Staff, and Deputy Chief are all in our hands. The tide has turned. Shake off the dirt now, come over to our side, and we'll take good care of your treatment."
There was no response from the other end.
Well, hard to reply with all the Security Command brass listening.
"Anyone who wants to think it over, reach out to us."
I hung up.
That shook Security Command. Now to rattle the officers in other units.
Capital Defense Command, Guard Division, Provost Marshal's direct units.
Plenty of targets.
I ordered the Guard officers to contact every officer they had connections to.
*
"The 16th Reserve Division has entered Pyongyang city limits, threatening the flank of Guard Division headquarters. Meanwhile, the 17th Reserve Division is seizing key bridges into the city one by one, while the 12th and 33rd Infantry Divisions focus on blocking their entry routes."
"What about the Guards who've pushed into the city?"
"They're in standoff with the Guard units. The frontline commanders are hesitating to fight, already exhausted from the Loyalty Training."
The rebel 16th and 17th Reserve Divisions were in no better shape, but the Guard units were the exception.
The Guards hadn't been mobilized for the Loyalty Training to begin with.
The mood in Army high command grew even heavier.
"At this point, we just maintain the standoff. Drag it out till dawn, and we'll win in the end, right?"
"Who doesn't know that?"
The generals puffed away on their cigarettes.
Meanwhile, secret contacts buzzed outside headquarters.
With the lines between rebels and suppression forces so blurred, rumors spread uncontrollably.
"If we really side with the general, he'll promote us high up?"
"That's what I said. Lee Seong-jun was the one we should've followed from the start."
Young officers from rural backgrounds strongly idolized Lee Seong-jun.
His ideology, convictions, ideals—they were all role models, guiding lights for them.
They'd only sided with the suppression forces due to the chain of command, but they were ready to flip to Lee Seong-jun anytime.
"So, what do we do?"
"Gather Shin the captain and the guys outside."
"What for?"
"The general's staging a revolution. We lend a hand. Play it right, and we get promoted too."
Officers plotted in the shadows.
These covert movements spread unchecked through provosts, security detachments, guard units, Capital Defense Command, Guard Division subunits—without regard.
Ironically, the Security Command meant to monitor and stop such plots was mired in its own deliberations.
"The Army lost Army Headquarters. Anyone can see Lee Seong-jun's winning now. He's got the prime minister and Army Minister too."
"Major Kim!"
"It's over anyway."
"If this general wins, you think you'll come out unscathed? You investigated around Lee Seong-jun under the Inspector General."
"I was just following orders. What can he say?"
Security Command officers huddled in groups, whispering like this.
Total collapse.
In the midst of it, Security Commander Lee Jung-ju, now at Capital Defense Command, called.
"It's the chief secretary."
"Secretary Jeong. No issues with the unit, right?"
Jeong Sun-jin could have spilled everything then.
But he chose silence.
He didn't even know why he'd answered that way himself.
"No problems, sir."
"Nothing else from Lee Seong-jun's side?"
"No, sir. Nothing."
Once the first lie was out, the rest came easy.
Lee Jung-ju ended the call, oblivious to his subordinate's deception.
"Secretary Jeong. You..."
Inspector General Kim Jin-gyu stared at Jeong Sun-jin in disbelief.
"I don't know why I'm doing this either."
Jeong Sun-jin wore a complicated expression.
Deceiving and misleading a direct superior he served was an unforgivable sin for a soldier.
Yet, deep down, he thought:
Gotta think of the kids.
9:30 p.m.
3rd Army Commander Kang Ki-jeong was unaware of how the suppression side was crumbling inside and out, but he had accurately grasped the Army's state of paralysis.
"If we keep this up, we'll get taken out without firing a shot."
"But, Commander, what can we do in this situation?"
At the meeting in 3rd Army headquarters, Kang Ki-jeong made a firm declaration.
"I'll head to the front and take direct command of the 12th and 33rd Infantry Divisions."
If he let those idiots in the field divisions—who were stupidly handing over the initiative—call the shots, he couldn't save Pyongyang in this dire crisis.
"Yes?"
Naturally, the staff officers couldn't hide their shock.
For a senior Army four-star general to personally command a unit went against all precedent.
But Kang Ki-jeong's resolve was ironclad.
"Bring my helmet and coat. Notify Army Headquarters of my deployment."
Brushing off the remonstrating staff, Kang Ki-jeong donned his helmet and boarded the military vehicle himself.
"Commander, even heading to Pyongyang now, there's no guarantee you'll arrive on time."
Kang Ki-jeong knew that too.
But even so, he had to seize the baton.
'This old soldier is Daehan's last bastion.'