Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Opportunity (1)
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In early May 1937, right after returning to Pyongyang, I received new orders.
My new position was Army Policy Researcher.
It was a role focused on studying and validating new doctrines, but the real significance of the post was something else.
"Graveyard of the Stars."
It was the perfect spot for someone blacklisted by the Army Ministry.
"Definitely a dead-end job."
The Army Policy Research Office had just three people, including my aide.
But I wasn't disappointed.
Positions can make the man, but the man can also make the position.
Depending on who sits there, even a dead-end post can turn into a power center.
The classic example was Stalin.
The General Secretary position he held was originally just for handling the party's paperwork.
But after the "Stalin era," it became the top job representing the entire communist bloc.
No reason I couldn't do the same.
In any department, all you need is results.
I saw the policy researcher role as an "opportunity."
With all the free time, I could keep writing my Galactic Heroes Legend essays steadily.
As I wrote, I brainstormed some solid achievements I could rack up from this post.
"For the Korean Army in this world, this has to be it."
Armored trains.
Sounds unfamiliar, but they exist.
Simply put, it's a train armored up to function like a makeshift tank.
You might think, what's the point of something stuck on rails? But surprisingly, they've racked up serious battlefield results.
From the American Civil War all the way to World War II, armored trains saw action nonstop.
Even major powers—and mid-tier ones like Poland or Czechoslovakia—were running them.
Right now, our main rival China was operating them too.
Of course, the Korean Army had armored trains as well.
But ours were mostly focused on troop transport.
I proposed deploying a new model optimized for independent combat and firing on the move, in preparation for the coming Korean-Chinese War.
We didn't even have decent tanks anyway—if we had proper armored trains, at least we could defend occupied territory.
Unexpectedly, my proposal got serious review.
Put "China" in the premise, and these guys' eyes and ears suddenly sharpen.
Starting with the armored train, I steadily fed them ideas for mechanized warfare.
It was my effort to avoid ending my military career in this policy researcher role.
"It would be great if we could assign air force liaisons to army units going forward."
"What's the reason?"
"If the army advances too quickly, the artillery can't keep up. For bombers to fill in as air artillery then, close coordination between army and air force is essential."
I presented this doctrinal reform through the Cadre Brigade, demoing it in front of the top brass.
And in practice, my reforms worked.
It was a "proven method" the Nazis used in World War II—of course it worked.
Heh heh.
Contrary to the Army Ministry's intent in dumping me here, the Army Policy Bureau chief had no choice but to give me a glowing evaluation.
As long as I kept getting top marks, this policy researcher gig was pure gold.
Because it let me freely mingle with the Cadre Brigade, one of the capital's key combat units, without suspicion.
In fact, I used doctrinal research as an excuse to frequent the Cadre Brigade.
"General, I read your latest article. Truly, every time I read your words, I see the path forward for our nation."
"Thanks for saying so."
Even the famous general who pops up in the papers all the time played along and responded smoothly.
My followers started multiplying among the Cadre Brigade's young officers.
My influence, now rooted in the military, reached an undeniable level.
Not enough to launch a coup yet, but way past the point where the Army Ministry could mess with me casually.
Now, this Lee Sung-jun was the godfather of the army's young colonel faction, representing the empire's junior officers.
"Feels less like a Young Turk party and more like the head of an Imperial Way Faction."
I started feeling the need to build real organization.
"Time to prepare recruiting key-post officers."
Of course, not right now—that'd be risky.
Recruitment should start after Korea and China actually went to war.
Tensions between Korea and China were already escalating anyway.
Economically alone,
"Fellow countrymen! Don't buy, wear, or eat anything from those filthy gaoli bangzi! We must never forget that the goods we buy from the bangzi become bullets and shells that kill our sons and daughters!"
Outraged by the Korean government's invasive behavior—invading Chinese soil and plundering interests—Chinese citizens launched massive boycotts.
For Korea, dependent on China for 40% of its exports, this was a thorn in the side.
Politically,
"The Northeast is inherent Ming territory, stolen illegally by Koreans. We must build our strength and reclaim Manchuria from the Koreans."
Han Chinese nationalists agitated domestically for recovering Manchuria, poking at Korean nerves.
Militarily, Korea eyed China's arms buildup with wary concern.
"Over the past decade, the Nationalists have nearly quintupled their military spending. Why would Chinese trash only good for fighting warlords or communist bandits need that kind of arsenal? The reason's obvious. We're the target."
The Korean military claimed China's buildup was aimed at Pyongyang and preached the need for preemptive war.
With tensions piling up, Pyongyang was steadily losing patience with the Nanjing government.
"Just need one good excuse to hit them."
The mood was set—any spark would ignite war.
And inside our empire, we had pyromaniacs itching for trouble.
The military.
In the webtoon, the military sank their own ship to create a pretext for the Korean-Chinese War.
What about here?
I figured they'd pull something similar.
Sure enough.
On August 15, 1937—Korean Independence Day—a Korean patrol ship, the Ryujin, docked in Tianjin, exploded under mysterious circumstances.
115 dead.
The Korean military immediately pressured the government to act.
"War! No more talk—just war!"
They rejected China's investigation results, shot down joint probes with a Korean team.
An attack on a Korean ship is an attack on Korean soil!
Therefore, punish China!
The Korean military parroted this like parrots.
"War, huh."
I watched and waited.
Just because war happened in the webtoon didn't guarantee it here.
I stayed cautious, but the military solved my dilemma.
"Advance!"
Before the cabinet even decided on war, the Korean Army launched its invasion of China.
These guys had what it took to replace the Imperial Army.
Well, "replace" is rude.
They're stronger than the Imperial Army.
On August 21, 1937, the Korean Army crossed the Liao River and struck like lightning.
Once the offensive began, the Chinese Army crumbled without resistance.
By August 29, they crossed the Daling River and pushed right up to Beijing, China's old capital.
"Breakfast in Beijing, lunch in Shijiazhuang, dinner in Jinan."
The Korean Army chanted cocky slogans.
Newspapers blared that the "China Subjugation War" would end in six weeks.
Idiots.
Do they think China's that small?
Even puny France—ten times smaller—only fell in six weeks due to luck and enemy incompetence.
And even then, at the point Germany secured victory, they'd only taken 3% of French territory.
Let alone China.
A continental giant whose landmass dwarfs France by ten times easily.
The idea of toppling it in six weeks was insane.
Anyway, war was my opportunity.
As the front expanded, capital garrison units like the Capital Armored Division, 2nd Guard Division, and 7th Mountain Division—loyal to the regime—moved out en masse.
The remaining regime protection force: just the 1st Guard Division.
In their place, two freshly mobilized reserve divisions filled in around Pyongyang.
These reserve divisions were scraped from rural areas—full of my followers, essentially.
From a coup perspective, reserve divisions far from the capital still couldn't match the Guard Division.
Bad positioning, inferior organization and combat power.
But their value wasn't small, given I could fully take them over.
"Time to move at last."
I shed the mask of General Lee Sung-jun, loyal servant of the Imperial Army.
From now on, it was time for the ambitious Lee Sung-jun, seizing the regime.