Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Shifting Tides
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"Let's turn on the TV."
Lunch was the last thing on my mind, so I rushed into a nearby office.
The office staff already knew we were the working group here to acquire the company.
One of the employees, looking dazed, pointed toward the far wall, and Hyun-cheol and I immediately ran in the direction of the TV.
"[About an hour ago, a skirmish broke out between our forces and North Korean troops at a guard post in Cheorwon. Details of the engagement are still coming in, making it difficult to ascertain the full picture, but it has been confirmed that a North Korean guard post was destroyed by our counterattack. As a result of this incident...]"
Hearing the anchor's report, I was momentarily stunned.
Cheorwon. A skirmish at a guard post.
I vaguely remembered something like this happening in the late '90s.
The strange thing was that, back then, the incident was buried without ever becoming a major issue.
But rumors have a way of spreading.
The story, passed along through word of mouth, eventually leaked to some media outlets after a long time, but unfortunately, too much time had passed for it to garner much attention.
Anyway, that incident definitely happened in the '90s.
So, has the timeline been twisted again?
"Just a moment."
I excused myself from Hyun-cheol and stepped back out into the hallway.
I quickly found a quiet spot and called the Minister of National Defense.
"What's going on?"
Fortunately, my call to the Minister of Defense went through immediately.
It sounded like he was preparing for a press briefing, as a commotion could be heard through the receiver.
"The North fired a stray shell first. We responded with machine-gun fire, and then they fired an 82mm mortar. We retaliated with a 57mm recoilless rifle, but it wasn't enough."
"What happened after that? Did you use the smart shells by any chance?"
"What are you talking about?"
"If not, how was their entire guard post destroyed?"
"Their observation post was destroyed, literally. Not the bunker. And it was taken out by a 40mm guided missile."
"..."
If that was true, both sides had clearly violated the armistice agreement.
When I voiced my concern, I heard a scoff on the other end.
"Both the North and we have had weapons in our guard posts that violate the agreement from the start. They have RPGs and 82mm mortars, and we have 57mm rifles. We've just been tacitly overlooking it. Anyway, let's talk about the details later. I have to deal with the press right now."
The Minister of Defense was trying to end the call quickly.
But I still hadn't gotten the answer I really wanted.
I hurriedly blurted out the question that had been nagging at me.
"Did you know in advance that this provocation would happen?"
"..."
A moment of silence followed my question.
Then I heard a long sigh, followed by words spoken in a self-deprecating tone.
"Yes."
"How?"
"Planting spies within the military isn't something only North Korea can do."
"...So our response was also pre-planned."
"That's all I can tell you right now."
He evaded my last question and ended the call.
But I had already gotten my answer, in a way.
My heart pounded, and the strength drained from my arms.
Damn it, this means the President was the one who gave the final order for this response.
What in the world is he trying to do?
Why now, right before the historic North-South summit?
******
"Please ask Senior Managing Director Im to come to my office."
Having rushed back to the company, I immediately summoned Deputy Manager Im.
As if he had been expecting my call, he arrived in just five minutes and began speaking before he could even catch his breath.
"Apparently, North Korea unilaterally canceled the ongoing North-South talks about two weeks ago. The Director of the NIS went to North Korea to persuade them personally, but it was no use. After that, our military learned of signs of provocation in the Cheorwon area through HUMINT assets planted in the North, and it seems that's what led to today's incident."
"Why did North Korea suddenly break off the talks?"
"I don't know that either. One theory is that it was an attempt to appease their military, which is still furious over the losses from the Yeonpyeong Island provocation, but that doesn't quite add up..."
"So you're saying there's another reason?"
"Honestly, I'm not sure about that. The one suspicious thing is that, starting six months ago, enormous sums of money have been deposited into the overseas accounts of figures close to the Kim family."
"And you don't know who sent the money?"
"So many accounts are involved that it seems they haven't been able to figure that out yet."
I had a feeling something was afoot.
The frustrating part was that it was impossible to grasp the full situation with only these fragmented pieces of information.
My head was starting to throb.
"[Following the North's preemptive violation of the armistice agreement, our military...]"
On the TV I had left on, the Minister of National Defense was holding a press briefing.
Fortunately, both sides exercised restraint, and the situation didn't escalate further.
Even so, the world would be buzzing about this for a while.
'Just how is history trying to change, writhing like this?'
******
"[Our government has announced a strong protest against the North's continued provocations. Unfortunately, the North's response has not yet been clear, though at one point, their Korean Central Television condemned our response.]"
"[The ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command has deemed this incident a serious provocation and has decided to maintain a state of high alert for the time being. In addition, to prepare for any contingencies, they are pushing for the temporary deployment of B-52 bombers stationed in Guam to the Korean Peninsula, which is expected to draw a stronger backlash from North Korea.]"
As expected, the incident at the truce line dominated the news for some time.
The worrying part was that no one could predict how the North, having been humiliated in two consecutive provocations, would try to resolve the situation.
Our military would likely remain on high alert for a while, increasing the fatigue of the soldiers on the front lines.
"[And in our next story, Prince Hassad of Saudi Arabia arrived in our country last night. The purpose of his visit has not been officially disclosed, but some speculate it is to strengthen military cooperation with us in preparation for the unstable situation in the Middle East.]"
The news had shifted to the story of Prince Hassad, who had visited our country yesterday.
A glance at my watch showed it was 3 p.m.
It was about time for me to get moving, too.
"I have an appointment, so I'm heading out. Secretary Kim, you can go home for the day."
"Where are you going?"
Instead of answering, I pointed at the TV.
Prince Hassad was still on screen, greeting our government officials with a bright smile.
Her eyes widened in an instant.
"You were invited?"
"Yes, it just happened."
To be honest, I was surprised myself.
A sudden late-night call from the Director of the NIS.
He hadn't given a specific reason, only asking me to attend a dinner banquet being held tonight, but I had a pretty good idea of what he was after.
HVP.
The Saudis weren't the type to sit idly by after seeing it exported to the UAE.
What was surprising was Israel's silence.
Considering how they had been the first to jump in during the Yeonpyeong Island shelling incident, this was an unexpected turn of events.
"I apologize for being late."
When I arrived at the hotel, the banquet was already in full swing.
The tables were laden with halal food emitting the scent of various spices, and out of consideration for their customs, there wasn't even a single bottle of wine.
"You're not that late. We only started a little while ago."
The first person to greet me was, as expected, the Director of the NIS.
His expression was quite meaningful as he led me to a private area, as if he had something important to say.
"What happened with the guard post provocation?"
Before he could speak, I asked about the current situation.
He paused for a moment, then spoke with a troubled expression.
"Didn't you hear anything from Deputy Manager Im—no, Senior Managing Director Im?"
"I heard the gist of it, but I have more than a few questions."
"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you any more than that. This incident is not a simple matter."
"..."
From his reaction, it seemed the situation was definitely more complicated than I had anticipated.
But given his firm stance, I wouldn't be able to get an answer.
I tried probing at the edge of what he might be able to answer.
"So, are the talks really off the table?"
"How could talks be possible in this situation? The tension will likely remain as it is for the time being. Oh, and one more thing. The Minister of National Defense will be stepping down soon."
So that's how things were going to play out.
At this rate, we were entering a tunnel with no light at the end.
With this, the history I knew regarding North-South relations had become meaningless.
"By the way, why did you call me here today?"
I changed the subject, intending to set aside the troublesome issue for a moment.
As if on the same wavelength, a faint smile crossed his face, and he quickly drew near to whisper.
"What else could it be? Prince Hassad insisted on meeting you, Chairman Jin, so I invited you."
"Is it because of the HVP?"
"That's part of it, but he also showed interest in the newly upgraded K9."
My eyes widened in an instant.
I was actually supposed to be the one seeking him out to persuade him to buy.
Didn't this save me the trouble?
Calming my racing heart, I asked.
"The procurement quantity?"
"Well, I don't know the specifics, but I think it will be at least a hundred units."
"That many?"
"I was surprised, too. I hear the self-propelled howitzers they're currently using are still in great shape... Anyway, there's no other explanation than Saudi Arabia's weapon-collecting enthusiasm flaring up again."
I agreed with Saudi Arabia's hodgepodge arms procurement policy.
As long as the performance was guaranteed, they wouldn't hesitate, regardless of which country it came from.
They were the kind of group that would even pay extra to modify fighter jets to their liking before acquiring them.
That was actually one of the main reasons I had considered Saudi Arabia as the first export destination for the K9, and it seemed my thinking hadn't been wrong.
"Prince Hassad, this is Chairman Jin Hyun-seung of Jaewoo Group."
The NIS Director led me to Hassad, who was in the middle of a conversation with some distinguished guests.
He looked much older than a man in his forties.
But his gentle impression was charming, and when our eyes met, he gave a broad smile and extended his hand.
"I have heard much about you, Chairman Jin. I was told you were more of a scholar than a businessman, but seeing you in person, it seems that wasn't quite right."
I responded with a smile to his words, unsure if they were a compliment or something else.
I stated my name and title again and bowed my head slightly. His eyes flashed as he took a step closer to me.
"I know this may be rude, but let me ask one thing first. What is the current exportable quantity of HVP from Jaewoo?"
"...Excluding the quantity our military will be additionally procuring, we have about six radars available. As for the launchers and projectiles, you can order as many as you need."
"Are those already spoken for?"
"Not yet. Of course, many parties have expressed interest, but arms procurement isn't that simple. Any country looking to introduce a new weapon needs public consensus and parliamentary approval."
"That's true for most. But not for us."
"..."
Right, that's true.
Saudi Arabia was, after all, a peculiar country in many ways.
"So, to that end, how much would it cost to establish an additional five batteries, including the current inventory?"
Oil money truly is magnificent.
To think he wanted to order more, as if six batteries weren't enough.
I suppressed my uncontrollable excitement and quickly ran the numbers in my head.
"That would depend on the quantity of projectiles you wish to secure. If we base it on roughly 1,000 projectiles per battery, the total cost will be around 3 billion dollars."
"Hmm... Then if we were to procure the K9 along with it, is there a possibility of a lower price?"
"I'm afraid that would be difficult. The self-propelled howitzer and the HVP are two entirely separate matters."
Hassad narrowed his eyes at my words.
In times like these, a reality check is the best approach.
I pitched the K9's greatest advantage to him.
"The price of the PzH 2000, which has similar specifications, is exactly double that of the K9. You must consider that."
"I am aware of that. In fact, that's one of the reasons I'm considering the K9. However, when we are procuring a quantity as large as 200 units, we can't help but be sensitive about the price."
"Two hundred units?"
In that case, the story changes.
An increase of just 100 units is more than enough reason for a price reduction.
Besides, self-propelled howitzers are rarely exported alone.
At least 100 ammunition supply vehicles would be exported along with them.
That creates a factor for at least a 10 percent price drop.
I immediately leaned in and whispered in Hassad's ear.
Only then did he show a satisfied smile and raise his glass, which was filled with a beverage, toward me.
"Then let's start by ordering a few chassis for our own testing."
I nodded readily and looked at the NIS Director.
A man as perceptive as him couldn't possibly have missed what was being discussed.
As expected, just as he gave a slight twist of his lips, Prince Hassad suddenly spoke again.
"Ah, there is one more thing I'm curious about. If we procure the K9, would it be possible to purchase the smart shells as well?"
"...Of course. As many as you'd like."