The 80th Infantry Division (Part 2)

The drone demonstration ended quickly.

The Dronebot Combat Unit of the 80th Infantry Division conducted flight, coordinate recognition, and strike module tests in a simulated urban combat zone.

A few working-level officials from the Ministry of National Defense were also present, and the atmosphere seemed reasonably positive.

"While there are additional aspects to review regarding the feasibility of deployment beyond today's demonstration, if it proves reasonable, I will formally submit a request to headquarters to designate this as a requirement for our division."

Major General Ham Tae-hwan said as they moved to the division commander's office.

"I will push as hard as possible to fast-track this to the operational suitability review stage. However..."

Now, they were getting to the heart of the matter.

"Mayor, are you by any chance aware of the situation our division is currently facing?"

"Of course I am."

"Then, based on this drone project, may I assume that I can count on your assistance?"

"You mean blocking the civil complaints from the residents, correct?" Yun-hyeok asked.

"...Yes, that is correct."

The division commander swallowed hard. Tension was written all over his stiff face.

Normally, when it came to civil complaints, local government heads sided with the residents. Because of the votes.

After all, the voters were the residents, not the military. The military didn't engage in political rebuttals or public relations battles either. Furthermore, national security was the state's responsibility, so there was no need for local governments to shoulder the burden.

Because of this, during Baek Hyeong-guk's tenure, banners reading [We will push for the relocation of the 80th Infantry Division!] had been hung up to pander to the residents' sentiments.

But Yun-hyeok's judgment was the exact opposite.

"Of course, I will protect this division."

"Why would I kick out over ten thousand young people? They are an incredibly massive asset."

"...But most of them are active-duty soldiers gathered from all over the country, so they don't hold voting rights in Mir City," the division commander pointed out.

"That makes it even better."

"Even better?"

"Public relations are crucial for local governments. If ten thousand active-duty soldiers from all over the country return to their hometowns and tell people how great and wonderful Mir City is, that's the best publicity we could ask for. It's not easy for a regional city like Mir City to acquire that kind of promotional reach."

"..."

"And those soldiers could eventually become citizens of Mir City. Right now, high-tech industries are growing in Durim-myeon."

Yun-hyeok pointed at Dr. Mun Gi-hyeon as he spoke.

"The Innovation Lab has been established in Jungang-dong, and the Smart Farm Innovation Valley is currently being completed in Doma-myeon and Hawol-myeon. Mir City is aggressively fostering various industries. We need a lot of labor. For example..."

Yun-hyeok turned the question to Dr. Mun.

"If a prestigious university student majoring in mechanical engineering who spent a year handling drones here submits a resume to your company, would you hire them?"

"Of course I would. If they've been handling our products for a year, it would definitely be a major plus," Mun Gi-hyeon nodded.

Yun-hyeok nodded along.

"To Mir City, the youth resource of this infantry division is incredibly precious. I will absolutely not lose them."

Usually, military bases are treated in one of two ways by local governments.

One is as a cash cow to bleed dry. Local small business owners overcharge active-duty soldiers on day passes or leave for food and lodging to make a living.

The other is as an eyesore or a nuisance facility. This is usually the case for cities that have grown "quite large," like Mir City is now. Residents complain they can't live with the training noise or dust, or that they are terrified of stray bullet accidents.

But naturally, neither approach reflects the true value of a military base.

Putting aside the ten thousand young people from the outside.

"What are they going to do if a war breaks out?" Yun-hyeok said.

"We are a nation under an armistice, yet everyone is so indifferent to national security. There's a limit to NIMBYism."

The treatment of soldiers in this country is far too harsh.

To treat soldiers—who volunteered or were conscripted to serve while receiving wages at or below the minimum wage—as a public nuisance instead ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of being grateful is absurd.

"But at the same time, a local government head cannot simply take one side," Yun-hyeok said.

"As you know, General, the local elections in a year are also important to me. And regardless of whose fault it is, it is an objective fact that the students at Baekseo Middle School and Baekseo High School are having their right to learn disrupted by the training noise."

"That is true..."

"Have you devised any methods to resolve the noise issue within the base?"

"We want to install soundproofing facilities," the division commander said.

"But the installation cost is too high. The higher-ups argue that since the school moved next to an existing military base, why should the Ministry of National Defense be responsible for the complaints? And..."

Honestly, they weren't wrong.

"The Office of Education asks why they should get involved when the facilities are being built inside a military base."

Formally speaking, this was also true.

Even if they held the Office of Education responsible for this disaster caused by the school's relocation, the Office would simply say, "We're sorry, but our budget is strictly limited to educational purposes, so funding military facilities is legally restricted."

While the Ministry of National Defense and the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education bickered over who was responsible, innocent students suffered, military morale plummeted, and anxious parents flooded every office with complaints.

"How much does it cost to install the soundproof walls?"

"About 2.5 billion won."

For government agencies, that wasn't even a particularly large budget.

It was practically just a pride war between two departments.

"Mir City could simply cover the cost, but let's find a better way," Yun-hyeok said.

Even if soundproofing facilities were built, it would only be a temporary fix.

The 80th Infantry Division would still be treated as a public nuisance. They needed to find a wiser model for coexistence.

"For example..."

"What?!"

Kang Se-jin, the Director of the Education Bureau, had finally caught a break.

"What did Mir City do with drones?"

He rushed over to search for the article.

"This is it!"

Kang Se-jin slapped his knee.

Not only the economic newspapers, but also the company, the Ministry of National Defense, and Mir City had released press statements.

The company boasted that "nearly 10 billion won in sales was practically guaranteed," the Ministry of National Defense talked about "a collaboration model with a youth-centered city," and Mir City went on about "invigorating the local economy."

"Perfect!"

But there was one thing they had all overlooked: the residents of Baengnyeong-dong absolutely detested the 80th Infantry Division.

"Governor!"

Kang Se-jin immediately called Governor Han Gi-jeong.

Kang Se-jin was actually a prospective superintendent candidate backed by the Liberty Party. Although superintendent elections are technically politically neutral, they are practically proxy wars between the two major parties, making the candidates highly political.

Therefore, he normally should have had a strained relationship with the Governor of Gyeonggi Province, who belonged to a different political faction, but...

"Could we meet for a moment?"

When it came to keeping a common enemy in check, they could easily join hands.

Articles began to flood the internet.

The articles were mass-produced in an instant, and public opinion quickly reached a boiling point.

It was especially intense because Lee Yun-hyeok was at the center of it.

Yun-hyeok was the one who had remodeled Doma Elementary School to save it from closure, and the one who had rescued at-risk youth around Tanseo High School.

He was a patron of students and a protector of schools.

For such a figure to destroy students' right to learn!

Shouldn't Lee Yun-hyeok have listened to the opinions of the parents' associations, faculty, and students of Baekseo Middle and High Schools?

"Relocating ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the unit is impossible."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

His response was as sharp and decisive as a blade.

"Wait, what...?"

The emergency response committee, formed primarily by the parents' associations of Baekseo Middle and High Schools, was taken aback by the Mir City Mayor's unexpectedly stubborn attitude.

"How can you handle administration like this without properly listening to the opinions of local residents?!"

"The training noise keeps happening during the kids' classes!"

"How can you be so one-sided!"

Yun-hyeok smiled.

"Everyone."

Naturally, he had gathered the opinions of all stakeholders to make a democratic decision.

"A local government leader cannot work solely for the benefit of one group just because they shout the loudest. You are precious to me, but at the same time, the officers of the 80th Infantry Division are also precious. A significant number of them are citizens of Mir City, living right here."

"..."

"Just because we don't want to hear the noise of the military base, we blindly tell them to leave Mir City? I cannot tolerate such one-sided administration."

"Furthermore, Mir City's local agricultural producers and small-to-medium food enterprises supply ingredients to the 80th Infantry Division through Public Procurement Service bids. If the infantry division leaves, they will take a direct economic hit. I cannot tolerate an administration that ignores them and unilaterally drives the infantry division out."

The parents' association fell silent.

Although they hadn't mobilized like the parents, there were many stakeholders in Mir City who made their living through the infantry division.

In truth, the parents might have been aware of this as well. They had simply tried their best to ignore it.

"Besides, this is a matter involving trillions of won in national budget. No matter how much of a local leader I am, I cannot allow such an astronomical amount of taxpayer money to be wasted."

"...But what about us?!"

A sighing protest came from the parents' association.

"Are you saying we have to shoulder all the damage?"

"Of course, that would also be unreasonable," Yun-hyeok said.

"But everyone, even if we kick out the 80th Infantry Division, Baekseo Middle and High Schools won't suddenly become prestigious schools. They will just be schools without noise."

"Even if it's just that..."

"That is not enough for me."

Yun-hyeok shook his head.

A hint of madness flickered in the mayor's eyes.

"I want the schools in Mir City to be prestigious, high-performing schools even when compared nationwide."

"Look at the schools in Seoul. During vacations, they go on field trips to research labs at prestigious universities. The children of the Gangnam elite even write research papers."

Even if those papers are just one- or two-page leaflets, they carry weight at the middle and high school level. That is why the final stage of elite private education goes beyond expensive cram schools and reaches university research labs. It provides a massive advantage for early admission to universities.

"But where is anything like that in Mir City? We don't even have a university."

The parents' association fell silent once more.

Indeed, that was the real problem.

They all knew it.

They thought they would be satisfied with just getting rid of the noise pollution, but human nature is to want more once one problem is solved.

Setting Seoul aside, Mir City was incomparable to Gyeonggi Province's prime school districts like Bundang or Suji-gu in Yongin.

Let alone university-linked educational programs—the parents had never even dared to dream of such things.

Because Mir City had no universities, save for a few community colleges.

"But Mir City does have a military base that possesses cutting-edge aviation technology and operates twenty-million-won drones."

"...?"

"We can offer hands-on experience with military training drones, autonomous navigation algorithm education, encryption equipment demonstrations, cryptographic logic training and decryption practice, hacking and security competitions, and AI image analysis algorithm practice right here," Yun-hyeok said.

"These are actually used in part for soldier training, and much of this technology overlaps with what university students learn in engineering or information ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠security departments. Having this kind of hands-on, practical experience on their record will be a massive boost for college admissions. If we coordinate with military doctors to design an educational program, it could even be highly valued by medical schools. Even for unrelated majors, it will serve as a strong competitive advantage."

"W-wait a minute... Then...?"

The parents began to murmur among themselves.

"The City Hall, in cooperation with the 80th Infantry Division, is preparing a non-military STEM education program for local students that issues official certificates of completion as a form of public support."

Yun-hyeok smiled and delivered the final blow.

"Do you still want the unit to relocate?"