Chapter 25: “They’re All Korean Components?” Why America Was Stunned by South Korea’s Technological Capabilities
Chapter 25: “They’re All Korean Components?” Why America Was Stunned by South Korea’s Technological Capabilities
News about Ryu Hyesung spread among intelligence agencies around the world in an instant.
After Russia’s abduction attempt and China’s assassination attempt both failed, the strange rumors already circulating about him—such as that he was a “mad scientist” or a “deranged monster created through neuroscience experiments”—began spiraling further out of control.
A sealed room inside the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the GRU.
“What? What are you talking about?!”
At his subordinate’s brief report, the previously relaxed expression on Officer Alexei’s face hardened.
“What do you mean they failed? Five soldiers went there determined to do it, and they failed to kill one student?”
Their own regular troops had failed to abduct Ryu Hyesung in the past, but Alexei had tried to console himself by insisting that it was only because their operational preparations had been woefully inadequate.
“That... We have no idea how it happened. Recently, the cybersecurity surrounding Ryu Hyesung’s company has become abnormally powerful.”
It was because Hermes, the AI solely responsible for his security, had thoroughly sealed off the external network.
Even the fragmented information that occasionally leaked outside by sheer luck was traced in real time and erased completely. It was vicious to that extent.
As a result, rumors abounded that Ryu Hyesung was not merely an engineer.
“Could the rumor that he’s an alien being hidden by the United States actually be true?”
Unable even to refute his subordinate’s absurd suggestion, Alexei recalled that day.
“Professor Artemy said it would be nearly impossible to abduct or kill him.”
At that moment, the hollow eyes and voice of the deranged Professor Sokolov flashed chillingly through his mind.
How could I not laugh when a man who claims he will kill God stands before me?
“Was that man not actually insane after all...?”
Alexei muttered as though entranced.
“Moreover, the Chinese government executed everyone involved in this assassination attempt with unusual speed.”
“Why?”
“It appears to have been a performative apology to South Korea.”
The arrogant Chinese government was lowering itself and cutting off the tail over a single failed assassination attempt?
It made no sense by ordinary standards.
“The truth is... South Korea’s military power has recently become unnaturally formidable because of Ryu Hyesung, and China’s leadership has begun seriously watching South Korea’s reaction.”
“What?”
Alexei could not contain his shock.
China itself was watching the mood of South Korea, a peninsula nation in Asia?
“According to recently obtained intelligence, China lost a war game against South Korea.”
Alexei felt as though he had been struck in the back of the head with a hammer.
A single high school student.
The mere existence of that one boy was completely overturning the previously stable international order of Asia—no, of the entire world.
“Haah... If only we had succeeded in abducting him back then...”
New Office, Science Facility Factory No. 2
“Are you really all right? Physically?”
When I calmly told him what had happened that day, Taeju asked in alarm, his face turning deathly pale.
“So that’s why you made that dog-shaped robot. Honestly, I wondered whether that thing would really be enough.”
Taeju glanced sideways at the quadrupedal robot dog lying obediently in standby mode in one corner and clicked his tongue in amazement.
“This much is more than enough.”
“I was sure you’d dealt with them using that. You know, that thing...”
“There’s no need to use an axe to kill a chicken.”
At my relaxed answer, Taeju let out a deep sigh and rubbed both hands over his face.
“First Russia, and now China... How did we end up like this?”
“Don’t worry too much. I’ve prepared everything.”
I took a new smartwatch from a drawer and fastened it securely around Taeju’s wrist.
It was a special device directly connected to Hermes, just like mine.
“This will protect you.”
“Hyesung, this isn’t some romantic situation where you can reassure me with a good-luck charm.”
“It isn’t a charm.”
At my unwavering, resolute gaze, Taeju fiddled with the watch around his wrist.
“Haah... I heard Elon Musk travels with a huge security detail because of the assassination risk.”
I had heard that he ranked first among civilians at risk of assassination.
“Do you want to hire bodyguards too?”
At my question, Taeju stared down at the watch before letting out a faint laugh and asking in return.
“What do you think? Will the watch you gave me be enough?”
“I think it will.”
“Then I trust you.”
Taeju nodded with a faint smile.
“But Hyesung, are you all right?”
“Hm?”
“What will you do if more things like this happen?”
At Taeju’s words, I sat in the plush chair and leaned deeply back.
“I’m fine.”
There was something I had been thinking about recently.
I had felt it when the Russian regular army nearly abducted me in the past, and again when the Chinese death-row assassination squad recently stormed the factory...
In those absurd situations where my life was at stake, rather than extreme terror, what I felt was “dopamine.”
“I really... love my work.”
“...What?”
Taeju looked as though he understood absolutely nothing I had said.
Office of the President, Blue House, Republic of Korea
Breaking the heavy silence, the red hotline telephone on the desk rang loudly.
It was an emergency call from the Vice Chairman of China.
“I owe you an apology.”
The voice of China’s second-highest-ranking leader, the Vice Chairman, sounded urgent over the receiver.
“This is not a situation that can be resolved with an apology.”
The President responded in a cold and solemn voice.
“Ryu Hyesung is a Class 1 national security asset of the Republic of Korea.”
“I am aware. Please do not misunderstand. It was the unilateral act of a subordinate.”
“The Republic of Korea will issue a formal and forceful protest over this incident. Whatever the cost—”
At that chilling warning, the Vice Chairman on the other end swallowed dryly and tensed.
The two men on the call knew more painfully than anyone that South Korea’s defense capabilities had become unnaturally powerful beyond comparison with the past.
South Korea could now redirect all the advanced weapons it exported around the world toward domestic use at any moment if it wished, and it could increase production as much as necessary.
That was because all the core components of the weapons Hyesung created were “one hundred percent domestically produced.”
“Do not misunderstand. Have we not demonstrated that the Party’s will was not involved at all?”
The usually overbearing Chinese Vice Chairman’s voice was clearly anxious.
“We severely punished everyone involved in this affair, including those caught in the act, by executing them.”
Even the President had nothing further to say in the face of China’s extraordinary action.
“Understood. However—”
The President did not miss the opportunity and issued an order as though driving in a wedge.
“Remove every one of your illegal structures in the West Sea. And never cross into the territorial waters of the Republic of Korea again.”
(Translator’s Note:West Sea — The Korean name for the Yellow Sea, the body of water between the Korean Peninsula and mainland China. The naming reflects the sea’s geographical position west of Korea.)
Until now, China had looked down on South Korea and engaged in constant provocations.
It had brazenly constructed illegal Chinese military and economic structures in South Korean waters, while Chinese fishing vessels crossed into Korean seas in black swarms and swept them clean through illegal fishing.
But the balance had now changed.
“Understood. I will have it done immediately.”
The call ended.
It was the first historic case of arrogant China lowering its head and bowing before the Republic of Korea.
It was merely the overwhelming difference in defense capabilities created by a single boy.
Nothing more.
“And...”
The Vice Chairman agreed to the President’s final demand.
After ending the call, the Vice Chairman was furious beyond measure.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
“You couldn’t even deal with one child, and you reduced the country to this state!”
Before him knelt the Director of the Equipment Development Department, who was supposedly already dead.
“I apologize. Please give me just one more chance.”
“Shut up. There are plenty of others who can do your job.”
The Director of the Equipment Development Department would soon be executed.
The only reason he remained alive was that the Vice Chairman had been too enraged to have him killed immediately.
“These documents sent by the South Koreans. What are they?”
The Vice Chairman waved the documents with trembling hands, even stammering as he spoke.
“How the fuck did you let them steal all of this?!”
He finally hurled the documents into the man’s face.
“I-I don’t know. The security was definitely flawless...”
At that moment, the Chief of the Inspection Team whispered to the Vice Chairman.
“There were no locations with security lax enough to constitute a genuine vulnerability.”
The Vice Chairman felt a chill.
He could not understand how South Korea possessed all of this information.
The incomprehensible phenomenon filled him with fear.
Highly advanced science felt like magic.
“I... I truly don’t know. Vice Chairman, please spare me just this once. I have a wife and children.”
The Vice Chairman gave the Chief of the Inspection Team a look.
Bang—
The Director of the Equipment Development Department died on the spot.
The documents created by Hermes looked genuinely “authentic” even to China.
There were slight differences when compared with the originals, but even the inspection team failed to find them.
“From now on... do not provoke or antagonize South Korea. And...”
The Vice Chairman carried out the final demand made by the President of the Republic of Korea.
“Lift the Korean Wave ban as well.”
“What? The Korean Wave ban?”
The Korean Wave ban.
It was a retaliatory measure imposed by China after South Korea deployed THAAD in 2016.
(Translator’s Note:THAAD and the Korean Wave Ban — THAAD is the American Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile-defense system, deployed in South Korea beginning in 2016. China strongly opposed the deployment and subsequently imposed unofficial restrictions on South Korean entertainment, tourism, and commercial activities, commonly called the hanhanryeong or Korean Wave ban.)
It restricted all Korean Wave content popular in China.
“The Chinese people are already watching Korean content on their own anyway.”
“But...”
“Keep it lifted for as long as Ryu Hyesung remains alive in South Korea.”
CIA Headquarters, Langley, Virginia, United States
Inside a dimly lit secret conference room, test footage of the new “reconnaissance drone” created by Ryu Hyesung played repeatedly across a massive projection screen.
“This is test footage of the South Korean reconnaissance drone that we recently obtained through top-secret channels.”
Victoria Chase, Head of the Technical Operations Division, pointed at the screen with a laser pointer and continued the briefing.
“As you can see, its maximum speed in a straight line is so high that it is difficult to estimate.”
“It has eliminated every weakness of the previous model...”
CIA Deputy Director Samuel Huntington let out a quiet, heavy sigh as he watched the bizarre flight patterns on the screen.
“It can remain stationary in midair and make abrupt turns along trajectories that are impossible for conventional drones.”
“Does that mean it intends never to be shot down?”
Deputy Director Huntington asked Philip Whitaker, Director of the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology, who was seated beside him.
“With performance at that level, how much do you think each unit would cost?”
Whitaker, one of the world’s foremost military-technology experts, tapped his fingers against the table as he considered it before speaking.
“They would have to charge at least five hundred million to one billion won per unit. An astronomical amount of research capital must have been invested, so they would probably reach the break-even point in about five years.”
“That sounds right. The development costs must have been enormous.”
Huntington nodded in agreement.
“Director Chase. What do we know about the internal components?”
Whitaker asked with interest.
“They must be using American- or Chinese-made core components such as the chipset anyway.”
Huntington made a prediction within the bounds of conventional common sense.
Victoria’s answer, however, was completely unexpected.
“Well...”
Victoria pressed the remote with an awkward expression and advanced to the next chart.
“There is an extremely high probability that every internal component is one hundred percent South Korean.”
“What?”
“South Korea has succeeded in independently localizing all the core components.”
“You’re saying that was possible in such a short time?”
“...”
Huntington’s voice rose in disbelief, but the conference room fell silent before the unmistakable analytical data displayed on the screen.
“...Take it apart first. Contact the South Korean government immediately and purchase one.”
Ryu Hyesung’s new weapon was something the Director of the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology had solemnly declared would cost at least five hundred million won per unit because of its immense development expenses.
But the drone’s actual production cost was only 2.5 million won, and its internal software was merely a downgraded, repurposed version of Hermes.