Chapter 47: “I’m Sorry... No, My Apologies.” Why the Vice Chairman, Who Always Spoke Down to Others, Completely Changed His Attitude
Office of the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, Pyongyang, North Korea.
“Shh. Keep it down.”
The Director of the General Political Bureau flinched and hurriedly warned everyone nearby to watch what they said.
“Why?”
The First Deputy Director of the Party’s Organization and Guidance Department whispered in surprise.
“It seems his pride was badly wounded by having to call South Korea and apologize recently.”
The Supreme Leader was in an extremely foul mood, like an active volcano on the verge of erupting.
The atmosphere was so murderous that it would not have been surprising if someone were executed as an example.
At that moment—
“Organization Director! Get over here!”
The overweight Supreme Leader called out in a voice thick with anger.
“Yes. Wh-what is it, Comrade Chairman?”
“Do you think I’m a joke too?”
“What? Why would you suddenly say that...? Not at all. I would never think you were a joke.”
Crash!
The overweight man hurled the finest crystal ashtray from his desk and shouted.
“You think I’m a joke too, you bastard!”
Recently, the Chairman of North Korea’s State Affairs Commission had been suffering wild emotional swings.
The terrible humiliation of having to grovel and apologize to the South Korean President over the hotline had driven him half mad.
“That is not true! There is no one anywhere in the Republic who considers Comrade Chairman a joke!”
“What do you mean, it isn’t true? Bring it here.”
“Yes.”
“What? S-Supreme Leader! Please, anything but that! Please...!”
The guards beside him brought over a gleaming golf club.
It was the vile hobby he indulged in whenever he was bored or stressed—
“Playing golf with the heads of old officials.”
“Come here, you bastard.”
He approached, swinging the golf club with bloodshot eyes.
“Comrade Chairman of the State Affairs Commission!”
At that moment, the Director of the Reconnaissance General Bureau ran into the office, panting so hard he could barely breathe.
“Huff, huff... Th-the Chinese Vice Chairman... This time, the Chinese Vice Chairman called South Korea to apologize!”
“What? China did?”
At the shocking news, the Chairman’s rage, which had made him look ready to beat someone to death with the golf club, melted away like snow.
If even the arrogant Chinese leadership was groveling and apologizing to South Korea, then his own act of bowing his head no longer seemed quite so humiliating.
“Ahem. The position of a leader is truly difficult. For the peace of the people, one must know when to set aside petty pride. Wouldn’t you agree?”
As though he had never been angry, he gave a faint laugh and lightly set the golf club down on the floor.
The First Deputy Director, who had narrowly escaped death, sank to the floor and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
However, because of the Chairman’s deranged, uncontrollable tyranny, a strange and dangerous undercurrent was gradually beginning to form even among North Korea’s highest-ranking officials.
The overweight Chairman himself seemed completely unaware of it.
Office of the Vice Chairman, Zhongnanhai, Beijing, China.
The Vice Chairman, the highest authority in China’s military leadership, was speaking with the President of the Republic of Korea over the hotline.
“I’m sorry. I truly knew nothing about it. I did not order them to do it.”
The Vice Chairman hurriedly defended himself as though unfairly accused.
“This is already the second time China has called me over an unpleasant incident like this. Does that make any sense, Vice Chairman?”
“I’m sorry. I will make an example of the ringleaders and execute them without fail.”
“And Vice Chairman, your manner of speaking is rather curt. It is seriously bothering me.”
When the President pointedly criticized his informal manner of speech, the Vice Chairman flinched.
The arrogant Chinese Vice Chairman had never spoken respectfully to anyone except his own Chairman and the President of the United States.
“If... that offended you, I’m sor—no, my apologies, Mr. President.”
In the end, he swallowed his pride and used respectful language.
The attitude of the Vice Chairman of a great power that prided itself on being the strongest in the world had changed.
“What will you do from now on? If necessary, we are prepared to risk a full-scale war.”
“M-Mr. President, why would you say something so frightening? A full-scale war over the unilateral actions of a mere subordinate?”
Cold sweat ran down the Vice Chairman’s back.
He had absolutely no desire to become a punching bag for South Korea, which had grown absurdly powerful beyond all common sense.
If someone had to become the punching bag, he believed it should naturally be Japan.
“Tell me what you want, Mr. President. I will do what I can.”
“Immediately stop the Northeast Project, through which you claim that our history belongs to you.”
(Translator’s Note:Northeast Project — A Chinese state-sponsored historical research program conducted from 2002 to 2007 under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. It became highly controversial in South Korea because its treatment of ancient kingdoms such as Goguryeo and Balhae was viewed as incorporating Korean history into Chinese national history.)
“What? Th-that has been a national policy we have maintained for decades....”
“Can’t you do it?”
“N-no. That is not what I meant.”
“That also includes the cultural appropriation campaigns insisting that kimchi and hanbok belong to China.”
(Translator’s Note:Hanbok and kimchi cultural disputes — The chapter refers to recurring disputes in which Korean commentators accuse Chinese media or online users of presenting traditional Korean clothing and food as inherently Chinese. Hanbok is traditional Korean dress, while kimchi is Korea’s best-known fermented vegetable dish.)
“H-hanbok is an inherent part of Chinese—”
“Can’t you do it?”
“N-no. We will withdraw those claims immediately.”
“What I have mentioned so far is merely the obvious minimum. From now on, fully open your market so that South Korean products and South Korean content can be distributed freely within China.”
“Have we not already done that?”
It had been one of the conditions imposed after the previous assassination of five Chinese death-row prisoners.
“No. I mean that South Korean content must now be broadcast as a mandatory requirement.”
“What?”
“Can’t you do it?”
“N-no! We will make the broadcasting of South Korean content mandatory.”
“...Good. This time, I will be satisfied with that.”
Click.
The President hung up without hesitation.
“V-Vice Chairman. Are you all right?”
The Minister of National Defense, who had been holding his breath nearby, cautiously asked while watching his mood.
“Haa....”
The Vice Chairman let out a deep sigh, his face suddenly looking much older.
“If we were going to do it, we should have done it properly. South Korea may become a hegemonic power now.”
The Vice Chairman had already known in advance that the operation to assassinate Ryu Hyesung was being conducted under the Director of the Operations Bureau.
He had merely pretended not to know because he hoped it would succeed.
“Would it not be better to become friendly with South Korea in advance?”
The Premier of the State Council, who served as the Vice Chairman’s strategist, cautiously offered the suggestion.
“How?”
“By forming a military alliance.”
The Vice Chairman snorted at his words.
“What if we gave them North Korea as a gift?”
“North Korea?”
Secret conference room at CIA Headquarters, Langley, Virginia.
Ryu Hyesung’s face filled the main projection screen.
Images of Blue CL-20 detonating and photographs of humanoid robots fighting Baek Taecheon were displayed across it.
“How did the MIT faculty react?”
At the Director’s question, the Director of the CIA Directorate of Science and Technology shook his head in disbelief.
“They say every one of these technologies easily surpasses what the United States currently possesses.”
“How long would it take us to catch up?”
“For development... five years? No, many professors estimate twenty.”
“The MIT faculty said they would need twenty years to reproduce something that one Korean made by himself?”
“They said they could not guarantee success even within twenty years.”
The Director shook his head in disbelief.
“It seems we have no choice but to bring that young man to the United States.”
“Would that be possible? I hear he has no interest in money whatsoever.”
“Director!”
An intelligence analyst rushed in, panting.
“What happened?”
“The recent factory explosion at South Korea’s Science Facility... It does not appear to have been a simple accident.”
“What do you mean, not an accident?”
The analyst handed him a report.
A blurry photograph that was difficult to make out was attached to it.
“What is this?”
“According to information obtained through unofficial channels, it appears to be that young man’s new weapon.”
The report listed the weapon’s staggering estimated specifications.
“...Contact the White House immediately.”
“The White House?”
“If this report is true... we can no longer pursue an isolationist policy that turns our back on our allies. The entire global order may shift to center on South Korea.”
“Will the President accept that?”
“This is not a matter of whether he accepts it.”
A classified document for the CIA to send to the President of the United States was being prepared.
“South Korea may become the world’s police power.”
Hijiudai Training Area, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Oita Prefecture, Japan.
“Japan will completely abolish the existing Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and begin selling Japanese-made weapons to the world in earnest!”
(Translator’s Note:Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology — Japan’s framework regulating overseas transfers of military equipment and technology. Adopted on April 1, 2014, it replaced the more restrictive Three Principles on Arms Exports and established rules governing prohibited transfers, permitted cases, and control over subsequent use or retransfer.)
The Japanese Minister of Defense proudly shouted from the platform in the viewing stand.
“We will not simply stand by and watch South Korea grow into a global hegemonic power through arms exports.”
The Minister leaned over and whispered to the Chief of Staff of the Ground Self-Defense Force beside him.
“Chief of Staff, is it true? That South Korea is expected to surpass China and become the strongest country in East Asia?”
“We must make sure it does not become true. That is why we are abolishing the three principles on arms exports now.”
Rumble-rumble-rumble.
As a Type 10 tank appeared, the Minister shouted into the microphone.
(Translator’s Note:Type 10 Tank — A Japanese main battle tank developed for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It entered service in 2012 and was designed to be lighter and more strategically mobile than Japan’s earlier Type 90 tank.)
“Today, we will clearly demonstrate that weapons created through Japan’s craftsmanship are in no way inferior to South Korean products!”
Soon afterward, suicide drones and reconnaissance drones developed by Japan began flying through the sky.
However, something about the demonstration looked crude.
“Are those being controlled manually?”
“The South Korean models used AI for autonomous flight....”
Officials from other countries attending the demonstration whispered among themselves.
Dozens of operators holding controllers were sweating heavily as they piloted each drone individually.
The head of the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency wiped the sweat from his forehead and gave an awkward smile.
“Th-the AI control technology is still under development. But surely the precision of direct control has its own appeal.”
At that moment—
Rumble.
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s latest main battle tank, the Type 10, maneuvered into position for live-fire training with the heavy clatter of its tracks.
Boom!
Boom!
The Type 10 fired its 120-millimeter smoothbore cannon toward the target, kicking up clouds of dust.
“Look at that! The proud Type 10 tank, the culmination of Japanese technology, is breathing fire!”
The Minister hurriedly shouted, as though trying to change the subject after the humiliating drone demonstration.
However, the target was only a few hundred meters away, so close that it was embarrassingly inadequate for demonstrating the tank’s true capabilities.
“Isn’t the target far too close?”
Military officials from the attending countries folded their arms and whispered with disappointed expressions.
At that moment—
Boom!
The Type 10 tank conducting the demonstration suddenly exploded on its own and was engulfed in enormous flames.
“Wh-what happened? Call a fire engine! Hurry!”
“Put out the fire first! The fire!”
A catastrophic accident had occurred when a shell detonated inside the gun barrel.
“What about the crew inside?”
“We don’t know! The flames are too intense!”
The demonstration ground instantly descended into chaos, filled with screams and sirens.
“What in the world happened? Was that a real accident?”
Officials from various countries stared in horror at the burning tank.
During that day’s demonstration, an unprecedented disaster in the history of the Japan Self-Defense Forces occurred when two of the three crew members inside the tank died at the scene.
“With safety this appalling, this can never be used in actual combat.”
Military officials from around the world shook their heads and clicked their tongues.
“We have mountains of weapons we need to purchase immediately. What are we supposed to do...?”
A British official offered advice to an Indian military representative who was voicing his concerns.
“There is one remarkable company in South Korea.”
“South Korea?”
“Look into it. I think you’ll like what you find.”
That day, the Indian military representative heard about a certain mad genius in South Korea for the first time.