Chapter 41: Why North Korea Believes Ryu Hyesung Must Die
Naegok-dong, Seoul. Office of the Second Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service.
“Is this the officer responsible for releasing the spies this time?”
[Inspector Kim Gicheol of the Security Division at Jongno Police Station in Seoul.]
“This wasn’t the first or second time either....”
The more Deputy Director Jang Seokjin flipped through the report displayed on his tablet, the more absurd incidents came pouring out one after another.
[During a previous investigation of a spy, he also deliberately sent the suspect a document containing the informant’s name and address.]
“I see. The informant was so frightened that he even considered moving and changing his name....”
Deputy Director Jang Seokjin could not hide his disbelief.
“He even made major news headlines at the time. Why hasn’t someone like this been removed from his position yet?”
Deputy Director Jang let out an incredulous laugh. The complete transfer of counterintelligence investigative authority to the police was troublesome enough, but the thought of them voluntarily releasing top-level spies whom the NIS had gone to the trouble of catching and practically spoon-feeding to them made his stomach turn.
“Director Choi, can you come to my office?”
He spoke as he roughly pressed a button on the intercom.
“Yes, Deputy Director. You called?”
“Immediately launch an internal investigation into Inspector Kim Gicheol of Jongno Police Station for aiding a violation of the National Security Act, and place him under emergency arrest.”
(Translator’s Note:National Security Act — South Korea’s National Security Act was enacted in 1948. It criminalizes activities judged to threaten the state, particularly cooperation with or support for North Korea, and remains politically controversial because of concerns over freedom of expression and association.)
“What? But he’s an active-ranking police officer. The National Police Agency will strongly object.”
“No. A bastard like this isn’t a police officer or anything else.”
Deputy Director Jang’s gaze turned as cold as ice.
“He’s just a traitor wearing a uniform. Arrest him and throw him in a cell immediately.”
VIP suite at the Armed Forces Capital Hospital of the Republic of Korea.
Dozens of medical staff stood around reviewing charts. Ian looked worriedly at me as I sat on the hospital bed.
“Hyesung, were you doing something dangerous?”
“No. It was nothing serious.”
“You almost died. How is that nothing serious?”
Ian had believed until now that I only ran a toy business, so I confessed that I was also involved in the weapons business. Even for me, this incident was too big to conceal. The news had been covering it extensively every day.
“It’s fine. I got to evaluate the performance of the new product at the same time anyway.”
Ian gave me an incredulous look at my response.
“You were thinking about business in the middle of all that? Hyesung, are you really all right?”
Taeju was equally dumbfounded.
“Sometimes, you really do seem like a lunatic.”
“Oh, right.”
I took out the smartwatch I had tossed into a shopping bag and brought with me, then fastened it around Ian’s wrist.
“What’s this?”
“A present. The watchbands are a matching set for the two of us. Look.”
I raised my wrist to show her.
“You brought me a present in the middle of all this?”
“Never take this off. You have to wear it at all times. Got it, Ian?”
“...Fine. Stop worrying about me and worry about yourself first. What are we going to do if you keep this up and we never get the chance to use that stroller?”
Taeju flinched at Ian’s pointed complaint, then looked back and forth between us in disbelief.
“You two really are perfect for each other.”
Creak—
At that moment, Secretary Seo Dojin opened the door and entered the hospital room.
“Sir, are you feeling all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I really didn’t suffer so much as a scratch. Nothing happened to me.”
“Twenty elite special forces soldiers attacked you while heavily armed. There is no way nothing happened.”
“It’s true. I stayed in the safe zone the entire time.”
That was a lie. There had been a little movement required for the operation, but what did it matter?
“Even so, these are mandatory procedures, so please bear with them. However, sir....”
Secretary Seo hesitated.
“The Director of El Salvador’s State Intelligence Agency, the OIE, said that he would like to purchase the Zero Report System.”
“He wants to buy that?”
Not drones or weapons, but the crime-prediction system?
“That system wasn’t made for sale.”
It was simply a system I had created to survive. Its function was to calculate and quantify the probability of my death each day.
Science Facility’s Factory No. 2.
The Director of El Salvador’s State Intelligence Agency sat before me. He was the first government official to visit regarding software rather than military supplies.
“Our president has declared war on crimes such as drug trafficking, so he faces considerable threats of assassination.”
“That must be even harder than what I deal with.”
“And I’ve heard that it can predict crimes in advance?”
“Yes. It can predict crimes that are going to occur.”
“How accurate is it?”
I handed him the report displayed on my tablet.
“In South Korea, it’s 93.2 percent. The accuracy is continuing to improve.”
“How can it be so high? It is almost as though the future has already been determined.”
There were, in fact, scholars who argued that the future was predetermined.
“This isn’t magic or precognition that allows us to see the future. It is predictive data based entirely on big data.”
“For example?”
“The moment a criminal organization shares the date or method of a crime by phone, social media, a report, or some other means, the algorithm’s accuracy rises dramatically.”
Only then did the director nod in admiration.
“To be honest, El Salvador has far too many criminal gangs. Our crime rate is also shamefully high compared to developed countries.”
“...”
“We would like to purchase this system.”
“Are you sure? Even on days when the predicted crime rate is high, there are many cases where no circumstantial evidence can actually be presented.”
For example, if a murder occurred, it would be murder. But if big data allowed us to prevent it in advance, the charge would be attempted murder at most. And what if it was a day when there was not even a weapon or any other evidence of the planned crime?
“We are not in a situation where we can afford such restraint. We must reduce the crime rate first, by whatever means necessary.”
“If you use this, you’re going to be... severely lacking in prison space.”
“The world’s largest prison is currently under construction.”
Despite my concerns, the director from El Salvador decided to introduce Zero Report.
I made sure to include a clause in advance stating that the system’s data could be collected on our servers for maintenance purposes.
Seoul Detention Center, Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province.
The twenty spies charged with violating the National Security Act and conspiracy to commit murder were gathered in the intake waiting room, talking loudly among themselves.
“Would you look at that? Whatever our Supreme Leader said to sweet-talk them, these South Korean bastards can’t do a thing to us.”
“The prison guards are perfect gentlemen. They’re meeker than the wife I have at home.”
“Puhahahaha!”
“And why are these lunch boxes so luxurious? They even give us meat side dishes. Perhaps they’re treating us as heroes of South Korea?”
When the lunch boxes provided in the waiting room turned out to be more luxurious than the meals they ate even during North Korean holidays, the twenty special forces soldiers began to form a strange misunderstanding. They mistook South Korea’s correctional system, which adhered strictly to the protection of human rights, for fear and reverence toward them.
“You there, stop making so much noise and eat quietly.”
A prison guard on patrol restrained them with a troubled expression.
“Hey, you little bastard. Why the fuck do you care if we talk among ourselves?”
“Want us to beat you half to death, you South Korean bastard?”
Despite being subjected to their humiliating insults, the prison guard merely sighed deeply and stared helplessly at the ceiling. Because of laws protecting criminals’ human rights, he could not use force recklessly.
“Hey, hold it in. Keep this up and you’ll get reported to the Human Rights Commission.”
The senior prison guard beside him hurriedly restrained him and led him away.
“Look at him leaving without even being able to say anything, Team Leader.”
“Looks like South Korea really is filled with nothing but pathetic idiots now.”
“Puhahahaha!”
At that moment, someone called out to Baek Taecheon, who had been sitting silently to one side.
“Mr. Baek Taecheon. Mr. Baek Taecheon, come out.”
He slowly raised his head. It was a prison guard.
“Someone from the National Human Rights Commission is here to see you.”
(Translator’s Note:National Human Rights Commission of Korea — An independent South Korean national institution established under legislation enacted on May 24, 2001, and formally launched on November 25, 2001. It investigates human-rights violations and discrimination, recommends policy changes, and promotes human-rights education.)
“What?”
He asked again in confusion, but the prison guard merely gestured silently for him to come out.
Special visitation room at Seoul Detention Center.
“North Koreans have human rights too, so what’s with the handcuffs?! I’m filing a complaint immediately!”
A sharp-faced woman shrieked at the prison guard on the other side of the acrylic partition.
“And what is this? You’ve dressed him in clothes that look like they belong on a beggar! What the hell is this?!”
“Everything is being done according to regulations and procedure.”
“Procedure? Which article and clause of the Constitution? Tell me. I said tell me!”
As the woman shouted theatrically, the prison guard frowned without realizing it.
“Did you just frown at me? What’s your name? State your department!”
As the situation began to take a bizarre turn, a senior prison guard hurriedly entered and calmed her down.
“All right, all right. Your visitation time is thirty minutes, so go ahead and talk.”
The prison guard grumbled as he stepped aside, and the woman dropped into the chair, still huffing angrily.
“God, this is unbelievable.”
Thump—
On the other side of where she sat, Baek Taecheon was watching her with cold eyes.
“Who are you?”
He asked in a low voice.
The irritable expression the woman had worn until that moment vanished as though she had removed a mask. Her gaze turned cold, and while avoiding the prison guard’s eyes, she quickly pushed a crumpled note through the small document slot beneath the acrylic panel.
“What is this?”
“Check it after you return inside. Did you successfully infiltrate the factory?”
“Who sent you? I won’t answer until you tell me.”
“I am Kim Jina, an officer of the South Korea Operations Bureau under North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau.”
Only after hearing her affiliation did Baek Taecheon speak.
“We got inside the factory.”
“What about Ryu Hyesung? Did you see him?”
“I did.”
“Impressive. As expected of Director Baek Taecheon. The Chinese assassins who were dispatched couldn’t even see his face.”
“I was the only one among us who saw his face.”
“I’m asking for intelligence purposes. Were the rumors about Ryu Hyesung true?”
“That he’s an insane psychopath and the world’s most powerful arms dealer? Things like that?”
“Yes. I heard they were baseless rumors. Apparently, he goes around denying them himself.”
Officer Kim Jina began determining whether the rumors were true. If Ryu Hyesung really possessed the monstrous abilities described in the rumors and was some kind of secret weapon hidden by the United States, it would place the Republic in a very difficult position.
“In my opinion, those rumors....”
Baek Taecheon fell into thought as he recalled the horrific memories of that night.
“Underestimated him.”
“What?”
“He isn’t someone who can be described by something as trivial as ‘an insane psychopath.’”
“That’s absurd. I expected you to say he was an ordinary student.... Then what is he?”
“That bastard... could have killed all twenty of us that day without leaving a single trace if he had wanted to.”
“What?”
“And... there is something like a ghost attached to him.”
“A ghost?”
“During the infiltration operation that day, a robot I destroyed warned me.”
“What did it say?”
“It said that while I was in the detention center, a woman would come to see me, and that I should tell her this.”
“...What?”
“It said he would let us live this time, but the next time, he would kill our Supreme Leader.”
“I don’t quite understand. Doesn’t the sequence of events seem wrong?”
“I heard that warning before I had even met Ryu Hyesung. At the time, I had no idea what that hunk of metal was babbling about, but now I think I understand perfectly.”
Baek Taecheon looked directly at the woman, whose face had gone deathly pale.
“If that man remains alive, South Korea will continue growing stronger without end. China had already realized it too.”
“...”
“If the Republic is to survive, Ryu Hyesung is someone who must be killed, no matter what.”
The woman swallowed dryly.
“Understood. I will report exactly that to the Director of the Reconnaissance General Bureau.”