The Fractured Nation

The civil war in South Korea. I had finally made contact with Lieutenant General Lee Cheolyong. Choi Jaeyeol’s purge of the military—it was true. The man I had only ever seen as indecisive had finally drawn his sword the moment his own position was threatened. ...Right, people always change once they’re backed into a corner.

I let out a deep sigh and crushed the cigarette butt beneath my boot. Then, I slowly turned around. The division that guarded Sejong City. My direct subordinates. Thousands of soldiers who trusted and followed me. But attempting a coup with only these men? That would be madness. In normal times, or under a normal military chain of command, perhaps. But—the front lines have collapsed, and every available resource is locked in a desperate struggle. We are already standing at the very end of this war. The government has only a few weeks left before it crumbles completely.

I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them, smoothing out my gray military uniform. The reserves. They were soldiers meant to guard the 'rear.' Troops who hadn't become the 'hunting dogs' on the front ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lines. ...And the 'reserve units' formed through emergency conscription. It was time to show those ungrateful bastards how a 'hunting dog' truly behaves.

"Who is the master we 'swear loyalty' to?" I spoke slowly. "Is it our comrades who gave their lives for this country? Or is it the politicians who only care about protecting their own 'seats'?"

The eyes of my subordinates wavered. It was beginning. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠A purge. In other words, 'purging the soldiers who aren't on our side.' But what happens if you purge the ones who are 'doing the purging'?

I curled my lips into a smirk. "If a hunting dog bites its master, it’s no longer a dog."

"So—"

"We shall decide who the 'true master' is."

I felt my fingertips trembling. I tried to pick up the documents on my desk, but my hands wouldn't move as I willed them to. The meetings were endless. Inside the government complex, bureaucrats, assembly members, and aides were living and sleeping without ever going home. The ruling and opposition parties were already 'integrated.' What need was there for political strife during a war? Under the pretense that everyone must move toward the same goal, they argued over the same agenda in the same room, night after night.

But—I knew. Something was boiling over within the military. The generals who graduated from the Korea Military Academy, led by Lieutenant General Lee Cheolyong. They had already crossed the threshold and were on the verge of exploding. Yet, I could no longer 'demand anything' from them.

The Mapo-gu Purification Operation.

The Incheon Encirclement Operation.

The screams of the people who died there—they never left my head. Even when I tried to breathe, my throat felt constricted, and my fingers were turning cold. Are they still alive? The desperate voices that came through the radio back then:

Bang! Bang! Screams, gunfire, shouts. And then—

"The Mapo-gu front has collapsed."

The documents on my desk shook. I realized I was gasping for air, clutching my head with both hands. "Mr. President!" An aide rushed over. I covered my face with my trembling hands, forcing myself to hold onto my sanity. "I'm fine." My voice trembled thinly. "...Is there still no contact with the front-line divisions in northern Gyeonggi-do?"

"They remain cut off."

I stood up with great effort ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and clutched the documents. If I mobilized civilians recklessly in this situation, it would trigger riots, rebellions, or worse. The infection outbreaks occurring continuously in the rear. The volatile public sentiment. We had no choice but to force the soldiers to sacrifice themselves. But would they—the soldiers—accept it? I was asking myself.

"How is the military purge plan going?" I asked quietly. The Minister of National Defense approached and whispered in a low voice.

"Lee Cheolyong and the KMA-affiliated generals around him will all be dispersed and reassigned to the rear in the Busan region by tomorrow."

A cowardly choice. I knew it well. But there was no other way. Lieutenant General Lee Cheolyong was too capable a general. If not for him, there was a high probability that we wouldn't have even been able to protect South Chungcheong Province, and Sejong City would have fallen already. But at the same time, he was too dangerous a figure. We were still a democratic nation, and although martial law had been declared, we couldn't rule out the possibility of the military taking the lead and shaking the regime. Haven't there been precedents already? Lieutenant General Lee Cheolyong—he was at the center of it all. It would be so much better if he just died in action along with his associates. ...That’s what I thought.

But—

Bang! The door swung open. The opposition party leader. A former general who had taken off his uniform. He stormed in with a fierce expression and threw the radio he was holding onto my desk.

Clack. The radio rolled, the sound of metal hitting metal echoing emptily. He stared at me in silence for a long time before opening his mouth.

"Lee Cheolyong. That crazy bastard has caused an incident. Jaeyeol."

"What do you mean..."

His face turned red, and his voice trembled with rage. "Lee Cheolyong has mobilized the military! He’s coming to kick you out!"

It’s dawn. Therefore—it’s the best time for us to move. I held the radio and looked out at the silently flowing Sejong City. The clock read 3:27 AM.

"1st Battalion, road blockade complete. No resistance in front of City Hall. Proceeding."

"2nd Battalion, Sejong Station secured. Control established."

"3rd Battalion, power and water facilities seized. Commencing communication blackout."

I slowly lowered the radio. The plan was proceeding as expected. Sejong City was already ours. The main roads crossing the city center were blocked by combat vehicles. Now, only one thing remained. The Government Sejong Complex. I was about to let out a sigh of relief, but I suddenly shook my head.

"Don't be satisfied too early, Lee Cheolyong."

The final obstacle still remained. — The Presidential Security Service. They were highly likely to hold out here until the very end.

I gripped the steel handle of the K-21 infantry fighting vehicle next to me. Anxiety surged from the tips of my toes. We had shed too much blood. We had lost too many soldiers. But—if we don't do this now, this country is finished.

I picked up the radio. "All troops, move to the target point."

Dozens of combat vehicles began to race toward the government complex, cutting through the night sky.

The Presidential Security Service was preparing to defend somehow. But it was obvious that it would be insufficient. Looking out the window of the temporary National Assembly building, the flashing warning lights in the distance were staining the area around the Sejong Complex red. The urgently mobilized security agents and the police special forces inside the complex were desperately setting up defensive positions in their respective spots, but it was a wall that would crumble anyway.

"Mr. President! Let’s go out and fight too! We must take up arms and stop them!"

Several agitated ruling party lawmakers shouted. Even the opposition leader stood up, swallowing his anger. But I raised my hand to stop them.

"Stop it."

"...Mr. President?"

I inhaled quietly. And one by one, I looked at the faces of all the assembly members. Faces wet with tears. Expressions distorted by anger. Gazes that couldn't accept defeat. But—they knew it too. This fight was already over.

"If we fight like this, it will be a meaningless death."

"...But..."

"We..." I paused for a moment and looked down at my hands. "We did our best."

A lawmaker sobbed and bowed his head. — Let’s give up. That one phrase lingered in my mouth. I inhaled slowly and tried to open my mouth. And—at that moment.

"Mr. President!!"

The Chief of the Presidential Security Service ran in with all his might. His eyes were hollow, and his face was drenched in sweat. He handed me the radio with trembling hands.

"...A, a radio signal has been caught..."

"A radio signal?"

He swallowed dryly and his voice trembled. "Some of the troops extracted from the front-line divisions..."

"...What?"

"They are coming by helicopter right now!!"

I froze. And in the distance—the sound of helicopter rotors began to be heard.

"Crazy! Where are the attack helicopters coming from!" I shouted, gripping the radio tightly. The sound of rotors was deafening. A formation of over a dozen helicopters approached, cutting through the air. My troops below were desperately trying to advance, but the Hellfire missiles passing over them in an instant smashed the middle of the road.

Kwoooong—!! Hellish flames rose, staining my vision red. At that moment, a staff officer screamed, "Lieutenant General! If we go on like this, we’ll be annihilated! We must retreat!"

If we were pushed back like this, it was over. But—infantry facing attack helicopters and infantry fighting vehicles? That wasn't a fight; it was a massacre. I looked around desperately. Could I push through even now? Or should I attempt a final stand? But the helicopter formation flying in from afar was already preparing to land. At that moment, I made a decision.

"All troops retreat! Pull back to the rear immediately!"

"Lieutenant General...!"

"I said pull back! If we fight any more now, it’ll be worse than a meaningless death!"

"All troops! Retreat! Retreat!"

Desperate responses from the commanders came over the radio. Vehicles began to turn around, and gunners remained to provide covering fire. However—even as I watched the dozen or so helicopters land on the road in front of the Sejong Complex and fly away with the troops, I could only watch.

"...Damn it." I bit my lip.

"We will escort the VIPs to safety. We have completely secured the northern Gyeonggi-do region and the area near the armistice line!"

The report from the front-line unit commander came over the radio. I quietly closed my eyes.

"...In the end, a civil war is happening."

A bitter laugh escaped. Not a fight between politicians, but a fight between the military and the military. This country we tried to protect had now become a battlefield where we pointed guns at each other. I looked to the side. The assembly members looked at each other with faces mixed with relief and fear, and the opposition leader dropped his lighter while trembling as he tried to smoke a cigarette. The security agents were repeatedly clenching and unclenching their hands on their guns. I suppose I had the same expression as them.

"...This is the result we chose." The Minister of National Defense sighed. "Now the country will be divided."

I nodded slowly at those words. "Lieutenant General Lee Cheolyong will not give up."

"Yes, Mr. President. But now we have a military of our own."

I tapped my fingers in silence. At that moment, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I looked at the transport helicopter formation visible outside the window. We are heading north. The ROK military that has secured the northern Gyeonggi-do region near the armistice line. And the rebel army that tried to occupy Sejong City. Now, we must regard each other as enemies.