Chapter 333
Chapter 333
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Sabotage
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The first step in the sabotage operation against the overseas operations division was to figure out the 'operation' Korea was currently running.
Every morning, I spread out the Anglo-American newspapers and carefully examined them for traces of the operations being conducted by the Koreans.
After groping around like that for a week, I spotted signs of a media operation.
There was the telltale scent of the tactics I favored in an ad subtly attacking the US government.
Once I found one trace, the rest came easily.
It wasn't long before the full picture of the ANSP's scheme came into view.
Since this Lee Sung-jun was the 'creator' of the ANSP operation, piecing together the framework was no trouble at all.
'A pretty entertaining picture they're painting.'
As soon as I read the full scope of the ANSP's prepared operation, I started thinking of ways to disrupt it.
How?
By showing the Americans an operation similar to what the ANSP bastards were doing, but executed in a somewhat clumsy manner.
Once they saw one example like that, wouldn't the Yankees quickly see through the ANSP's operation too?
To carry out the disruption, I first submitted a proposal to send a few media operations room staffers on long-term assignment to the US.
"If we pick up on the latest US ad trends, it'll help with future media operations."
Kim Dae-gyu didn't doubt my words.
"If that's what Director Bae thinks, then make it happen. I'll talk to the General Affairs Bureau about the budget."
"Thank you, Deputy Director."
I called in Section Chief Eom Ji-won, who had been assigned to the trip, and explained the task.
Unlike with Section Chief Oh, I couldn't be too direct, so I beat around the bush a bit.
"While you're there, look into ad trends, handle this one job as written in the mail, and come back. It's nothing major—just testing out an operation we'll run in Korea later."
"I understand perfectly."
Eom Ji-won took my instructions as just normal business.
And so, Eom Ji-won headed off to the US with three subordinates in tow.
After sending them off, I called in Colonel Park Heung-sik and told him I wanted to create an incident at the US Embassy in Korea.
"An incident, sir?"
"There's no hot topic right now to drown out the opposition voices domestically. Don't we need to whip up something big at a time like this?"
"That's true, but the US is a different story."
"We don't need anything huge. Just something like a paint terror attack that we instigate, as long as our involvement stays hidden."
"Pardon?"
Of course, this was still big.
It was no wonder Park Heung-sik was flustered.
"Director, we don't need to worry about anyone else. Just think about our organization."
Once I reminded him who he owed his loyalty to, Park Heung-sik straightened up.
"If that's what you want, Director, I'll prepare it."
And was that the end of it?
Hardly.
There was preparation for me and Section Chief Oh too.
Namely,
'Leak ANSP operations from the Lee Sung-jun era.'
Not everything, but several fairly substantial ones.
After coordinating a tight alibi with Section Chief Oh, I sent an anonymous package to the US Embassy in Korea.
Naturally, this was a package meant to be discovered.
A few days later, the entire ANSP was in an uproar.
"What the hell is this doing sent to the US Embassy!"
ANSP Director Kim Jeong-nam slammed the package I'd sent onto the table, his rage on full display.
The 4th Deputy Director didn't dare lift his head in the face of the director's fury.
"Investigate this incident thoroughly. If you don't bring me proper results, you'll bear the responsibility too, Deputy Director."
"I'll keep that in mind."
The 4th Deputy Director replied with a face full of tension.
And so the investigation began.
The 4th Deputy Director tore through the entire ANSP, interrogating every suspect who raised any suspicion.
Of course, I wasn't even in the ballpark of a suspect.
Since all the leaked operations dated back to the Lee Sung-jun era, the culprit had to be a veteran from the overseas operations division.
That was the logical assumption.
'But the culprit's me.'
When the 4th Deputy Director came up empty after grilling the wrong people, he even went after the Yangji Association.
In the process, he clashed with Kim Dae-gyu, who had the Yangji Association as his backing.
As ANSP executives engaged in power struggles, the whole agency descended into chaos.
'If this is all it takes to cause a ruckus, what a mess.'
My personnel moves were only just getting started.
Not long after, the homeless guys hired by Park Heung-sik carried out the paint terror attack on the US Embassy.
The incident soured relations between the Korean and US governments to the point of finger-pointing.
"Thanks to this sudden paint incident exploding, we buried the opposition issue."
"Not your handiwork, was it, Director Bae?"
"I'm not reckless enough for that."
Pretending to leverage the paint terror for media operations, I checked on the progress of the bigger picture.
Soon after, Eom Ji-won returned from the US trip.
"How'd it go? Did the picture take?"
"Of course."
Eom Ji-won reported that the 'test' operation had succeeded.
But I saw it differently.
'The Yankees aren't blind. No way they wouldn't spot the ploy after seeing my clumsy bait.'
My thinking proved right soon enough.
The Yankees, already pissed from the paint incident, traced the breadcrumbs I'd dropped straight back to the overseas operations division.
The fallout immediately blew up the 4th Deputy Director's office.
I didn't know the details, but it seemed one operation led by that office had been completely smashed.
The consequences were enormous.
"The 4th Deputy Director got fired?"
It wasn't even a voluntary resignation.
His head just rolled.
And was he the only executive to lose his?
Of course not.
Heavyweights like the vice operations deputy director (ministerial level) and the 1st-grade overseas operations division chief—six big shots in total—got their heads chopped off.
With all those vacancies opening up, promotion opportunities bloomed wide.
One came my way too.
"Director Bae."
"Yes, Deputy Director."
"Don't you want to play in bigger waters than the media operations room?"
"Bigger waters, you say?"
"How about chief of the counter-intelligence investigation office?"
The counter-intelligence investigation office chief was a 1st-grade executive position.
It was a seat I couldn't even dream of at this stage.
"Me, chief of counter-intelligence?"
Counter-intelligence was nominally about catching reds, but in reality, it handled core domestic operations—a key division.
It came with real power and influence.
"Why? Want somewhere else?"
"No, that's not it. I hesitated because I'm not from intel and worry if I can handle such a heavy responsibility."
I showed Kim Dae-gyu the mask of a humble subordinate.
He laughed heartily at my words.
"You're bold as hell usually, Director Bae, but so timid at times like this. What makes intel so special? Even the hotshots from intel couldn't get shit done as cleanly as you."
Of course not.
With all my experience, who could?
"Give it a shot. To rise in the ANSP, you gotta take on big roles."
I stood, bowing at the waist.
"I'll repay the faith you've shown me with results."
"Good. Your success gives me strength too. Go knock it out of the park."
"Thank you."
In the year-end personnel shuffle, I transferred to counter-intelligence investigation chief.
As I moved to counter-intelligence chief, I brought my loyalists along.
I take care of my own to the end.
By building this image, I planned to give my recruitment even more momentum.
Of course, I left a thread in the media operations room too.
Park Heung-sik, the unit chief, stayed behind to serve as my eyes and ears.
My ANSP faction now looked like this:
2nd-grade director Bae Sung-jun, counter-intelligence investigation chief.
Under him: counter-intelligence investigation office, 4 units.
Media operations room: 3rd-grade unit chief Park Heung-sik and 1 unit below.
Now my faction wasn't small compared to your average 1st-grade director.
If there was another division I wanted to grab, it was the planning and analysis office.
The planning and analysis office oversaw domestic intel collection units and produced policy reports—a core ANSP division.
It wasn't an overstatement to call it the ANSP's 'think tank,' influencing not just agency direction but government policy too.
Given its power, landing that seat wasn't easy.
You needed to be at least a 1st-grade exec first.
'Grabbing it directly is tough—better to sway someone from planning and analysis.'
Counter-intelligence had frequent business with planning and analysis due to its nature.
I envisioned planting seeds through those contacts.
"That's why Section Chief Oh's role is crucial."
"I understand."
I planned to deploy my media operations loyalists—who knew zilch about counter-intelligence work—for outreach to planning and analysis.
"Don't skimp on making it worth their while."
At my elaboration, Section Chief Oh frowned slightly.
"You're not telling me to take them to a hostess bar, are you?"
"Not a hostess bar—something even classier. That's how we turn them into our people."
If we're doing it, go big.
"Spending cash like this will burn through the slush fund."
"Don't worry. Money's easy—we'll make more."
Where there's intel, money follows.
That was common knowledge in the 21st century.
I patted Section Chief Oh's shoulder, then turned my gaze beyond the ANSP.
It was time to extend my feelers into the outside world.