Chapter 35 Japan in Turmoil Over South Korea’s Ultra-Gap Technology, More Than Five Years Ahead
Chapter 35 Japan in Turmoil Over South Korea’s Ultra-Gap Technology, More Than Five Years Ahead
Tsugaru Strait.
(Translator’s Note:Tsugaru Strait — The waterway separating the Japanese islands of Honshu and Hokkaido and connecting the Sea of Japan with the Pacific Ocean. It is strategically important for both commercial and military shipping.)
Bridge of a Maya-class Aegis destroyer belonging to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
(Translator’s Note:Aegis combat system — An integrated naval radar, command, and weapons-control system originally developed in the United States. It is used aboard destroyers and cruisers to detect and engage aircraft, missiles, and other threats.)
“Captain! A joint Russian-Chinese fleet has passed through the Tsugaru Strait and entered Japanese territorial waters.”
“Are they trying to start a war with Japan…?”
Chinese and Russian vessels floated several kilometers ahead, close enough to be faintly visible to the naked eye.
It was no different from a lunatic next door cracking open your front door and stepping inside.
The situation was dangerously volatile. If either side fired first, it could immediately escalate into war.
“Please, let nothing happen….”
The captain unknowingly voiced his thoughts aloud.
“Captain! Something like… drones are pouring out of their ships!”
At that moment, the gunnery officer holding the binoculars shouted urgently.
“What? Are they attacking us?”
“I don’t know. This situation was never covered in the training manual…. What should we do, Captain?”
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force had never once trained for a naval battle in which dozens of drones flew toward one of its ships.
After all, naval combat using swarms of small drones was a concept that had only recently emerged.
“Shoot them down! Activate Aegis immediately!”
Japan would have to expend missiles costing billions of won to shoot down drones worth barely one million won each.
It was already as good as losing the war.
“Captain…. The drones are too small to appear on radar.”
“What?”
If they could not even be detected by radar, the Aegis system became a useless idiot.
It was nothing more than a gigantic mass of scrap metal worth 1.5 trillion won floating on the sea.
“What about the CIWS?”
(Translator’s Note:CIWS — Short for Close-In Weapon System, a ship’s last layer of defense against nearby missiles, aircraft, drones, or small boats. Such systems normally combine automated sensors with rapid-fire guns or short-range missiles.)
“Captain, the CIWS radar is the same. It cannot acquire the targets.”
“What?”
The captain was dumbfounded.
Did that mean they could do nothing but stand there and watch as those unidentified drones crashed into the ship?
“Captain, what about the 12.7-millimeter heavy machine guns on deck?”
“Fire those, then! Hurry!”
However, with the accuracy of a manually aimed machine gun, hitting drones smaller than geese as they flew rapidly through the air was nearly impossible.
In the end, the captain was forced to abandon the interception attempt with tears in his eyes.
Japan’s most advanced Aegis destroyer suffered an unprecedented humiliation, allowing dozens of foreign reconnaissance drones to photograph every corner of the vessel.
Science Facility’s Factory No. 2.
“What? They’re really going to do it?”
I had already heard from Hermes that it would probably be approved, but I still shouted without realizing it.
The President had granted our request.
“Yes. The Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, and the President have all approved it.”
With those words, Secretary Seo Dojin ended the call.
My mind was going blank.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
“The government is supporting us.”
“What? They really agreed? Thirty trillion won? For us?”
“…Yeah. They said they’re entrusting the national industry to us.”
“Wow, I thought there was no way, but it actually worked. What’s the interest rate? Five percent? Three?”
“No….”
“No? Don’t tell me it’s over fifteen percent.”
“No, they said it isn’t a loan. It’s essentially a subsidy.”
It did not mean they were depositing thirty trillion won in cash directly into our bank account.
However, the government would provide the semiconductor-factory site free of charge, fully fund infrastructure such as electricity and water, and grant unprecedented tax credits.
Taken together, the massive package was worth thirty trillion won.
“What…? Support worth thirty trillion won? Without even passing it through the National Assembly?”
Even Taeju froze.
It was like applying for a loan only for the bank to simply give you the money.
“Wow…. I just got chills. We started out making toys for fun, and now it’s become something this huge….”
I had never imagined it would grow this far.
As I stood there in a daze, Taeju suddenly grabbed my shoulder.
“Hey, Ryu Hyesung. Get a grip. You’re the chairman of a conglomerate now.”
“I’m a chairman? No…. I’m a high school student with a mediocre Grade Three academic ranking.”
Bzzzz.
At that moment, my smartphone, which had only just stopped ringing, vibrated again.
It was Secretary Seo Dojin once more.
“Oh, it’s Secretary Seo. Don’t tell me he’s calling to cancel what he just said.”
“No way…. Please don’t say something so unlucky, Chairman.”
Gulp.
I swallowed once and answered the call.
“Yes, hello?”
“CEO Ryu, this is urgent.”
“What? No matter what, canceling what you just approved would be going too far.”
“What? No. That isn’t it. Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs has contacted us and urgently wants to meet you.”
Office at Science Facility’s Factory No. 2.
A special working-level official from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs sat before us, sweating profusely.
Across from him sat Taeju, Secretary Seo Dojin, and me.
“If it becomes known that Japan reached out to South Korea for help, the entire Japanese archipelago will erupt…. We ask that you maintain strict confidentiality.”
The Japanese official repeatedly wiped away his sweat with a handkerchief as he explained.
At that moment, Hermes secretly provided me with information through my watch.
[This official is an extreme anti-Korean nationalist.]
Hermes had compiled and summarized everything from his personal social-media accounts to his blog and online-community posts.
He was a disgusting human being.
Taeju checked the same information through the watch I had given him and said,
“Damn…. Then do you really need to buy from us?”
Taeju stared at him with an expression that clearly asked, What the hell is wrong with this guy?
“Ha ha…. Couldn’t you possibly overlook that?”
This was the first time in the history of the Republic of Korea that Japan had attempted to purchase Korean weapons.
“Japan currently needs your HPM drones and reconnaissance drones. Quite a lot of them, in fact….”
“Well, why insist on buying Korean products…?”
Taeju replied sarcastically.
“Why not buy them from wherever you normally do?”
“Those filthy Kore— Ah, no. That is not what I meant. Couldn’t you please make an exception?”
“Well, there are already quite a lot of European orders backed up….”
At that moment, Secretary Seo Dojin spoke.
“Sir, the South Korean government cannot authorize weapons exports to Japan.”
“Wouldn’t this be a good opportunity to normalize relations between South Korea and Japan?”
The official spoke with an awkward smile.
“If Japan wishes to purchase Korean weapons….”
Secretary Seo lifted a prepared document and began reading.
The government had already finished reviewing the conditions.
“First, disassembly and independent maintenance are prohibited.”
“Yes….”
“Second, relocation and transfer are prohibited. This means that even within Japan, they cannot be moved from the bases we authorize to any other base.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Lastly, naturally, we cannot provide the source code.”
“Yes…. Those kinds of restrictions are natural when importing weapons from another country. Yes….”
“In addition, our National Intelligence Service agents will conduct unannounced inspections to ensure that you are complying with the conditions I just mentioned.”
Secretary Seo was cold and uncompromising.
This was the humiliation endured by countries that had to purchase and use foreign weapons.
It was precisely why every nation struggled desperately to domestically produce its own weapons.
“South Korean NIS agents will need to enter Japanese bases and inspect everything. Are you truly comfortable with that? We are not allies.”
Would it really be acceptable for Japanese military facilities to be exposed to South Korea?
“Yes…. The Prime Minister has authorized it.”
When the Prime Minister was mentioned, Secretary Seo spoke again.
“Since you brought up the Prime Minister, public sentiment has worsened again because of the recent Dokdo provocations.”
The official continued sweating as though sitting on a bed of thorns.
“Stop provoking South Korea over Dokdo and officially recognize it as South Korean territory.”
“…That is not something I have the authority to decide.”
“If Japan cannot accept that condition… there will be no weapons.”
Even the official, who had looked willing to do almost anything, appeared troubled by that demand.
“For now…. I will convey South Korea’s request to the Japanese government.”
The Japanese official left looking close to tears.
This was what it meant for a country that had failed to achieve domestic production to beg for weapons.
Secret Testing Ground, Air Systems Research Institute, Ministry of Defense, near Tokyo, Japan.
One reconnaissance drone and one HPM drone created by Ryu Hyesung were present at the site.
“These aircraft were acquired by the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office.”
“They must have been difficult to obtain. How did you acquire them?”
“We purchased them at an auction on the Ukrainian black market.”
There were always rotten people during wartime.
Some even secretly sold weapons supplied by foreign countries.
“Is our drone ready?”
When Inspector Kuroda asked, Captain Sato prepared the drone made in Japan.
“Japan’s greatest engineers created this model based on his product.”
Captain Sato spoke confidently.
Whirrrrr.
As the comparison test began, the researchers started measuring the performance of both drones.
“You said Japan’s greatest geniuses created this?”
Inspector Kuroda stood with his hands clasped behind his back and spoke with a pathetic expression.
“Yes….”
“Its maximum straight-line speed and evasive maneuvers…. It cannot even be compared to the Korean model.”
“This is only an early prototype, but within two years, we will certainly….”
“In two years, the Korean model will be even faster, Captain Sato!”
Sweating profusely, Sato answered,
“Yes…. I apologize.”
“How much does the one we built cost?”
“Yes. Two hundred million yen per unit. Since Ryu Hyesung’s drone costs one billion, ours is sufficiently competitive internationally….”
“You fool!”
Kuroda roared.
“One billion is its price on the Ukrainian black market. That aircraft currently costs fifty million won in South Korea!”
“What?”
Sato hurriedly looked through the report again.
Kuroda was correct.
“Captain Sato.”
“Yes!”
He froze.
“Take these test results to the Prime Minister and ask whether she is willing to give up Takeshima.”
Underground Secret Conference Room, Agency for Defense Development, Republic of Korea.
Amid a heavy silence, the Minister of National Defense and the President handed a confidential document to the Director of the Agency for Defense Development.
“Project Gyeryong? What is this?”
“Develop a new explosive for us.”
“A new explosive?”
When the director frowned and asked, the Minister of National Defense answered in a grave voice.
“Since we cannot possess nuclear weapons… we need a powerful non-nuclear explosive.”
“What level of performance are you requesting?”
“At least forty times the explosive power of TNT.”
The Minister of National Defense spoke with a serious expression, but the director let out a disbelieving laugh.
“That is pure fantasy.”
Tap.
The director dropped the stack of papers he had been reading onto the table.
“CL-20, known as the holy grail of explosives, is only about twice as powerful as TNT.”
(Translator’s Note:CL-20 — A high-energy nitramine explosive also known as hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane. It was first synthesized in the United States in the late 1980s and is regarded as one of the most powerful non-nuclear military explosives, although its cost and sensitivity limit widespread use. The U.S. Army has described it as the military’s most powerful explosive.)
“I know.”
“Hexanitrogen is approximately twenty times as powerful.”
“It only needs to be twice as powerful as that.”
“Good grief…. Something that powerful would also be extremely difficult to handle. It would be no different from a nuclear bomb.”
When the director expressed his reluctance and insisted it was impossible, the President, who had remained silent until then, spoke.
“Is there truly no way?”
When the President asked in complete seriousness, the director’s expression also darkened.
This was not something that could be solved immediately simply by pouring government funding into it.
Even if dozens—no, hundreds—of South Korea’s finest scientists were worked to the bone, would it be possible?
It belonged to the realm of dreams, where success was uncertain even then.
At that moment, one person suddenly flashed through the despairing director’s mind.
“Will that boy be participating in this project?”
“You mean Hyesung?”
“This is a strategic weapon of mass destruction. He is a civilian, so he cannot participate.”
The Minister of National Defense drew a firm line.
“We cannot do this without him.”
The director answered just as firmly, refusing to yield even an inch.
“Mr. President.”
Faced with the director’s desperate yet confident gaze, the President finally nodded heavily.
“I will consider it.”