Yu Ji-ha was getting ready to enter the Joint Chiefs of Staff bunker when Arma handed him a phone.
“It’s the Japanese prime minister’s office. They really want to talk to you about this incident.”
“They’ll only go with their worries.”
But he had to listen anyway.
Prime Minister Ozawa spoke in a very urgent tone.
“I’m telling you for sure, Chairman Yu, this clash was accidental. The chief of staff messed up.”
“Oh, I see. The patrol plane crash was also accidental. One of the crew members made a mistake.”
He was about to hang up the phone if he raised his voice and said it wasn’t a mistake.
Fortunately, Prime Minister Ozawa was not that stupid.
“The cabinet decided to bury this matter. The maritime self-defense force’s chief of staff and some officers will be stripped of their uniforms and disciplined immediately.”
But he couldn’t be sure that they would obediently accept the punishment.
They might rather expose the incompetence of the Ozawa regime and highlight the patrol plane incident.
The Japanese people already had negative feelings towards Yu Ji-ha.
If they stirred that up well, it would create a public opinion that the Ozawa regime couldn’t ignore.
“Will the people who moved the fleet on their own die quietly?”
“…”
He couldn’t be confident.
If they entered a public opinion war in a situation where the regime’s popularity was hitting rock bottom, they might lose.
In that case, Japan would definitely become more right-wing and that would be a burden for Korea.
Yu Ji-ha decided that he needed to help Prime Minister Ozawa at this point.
He had asked if Korea and Japan could be friends and made several friendly gestures.
It was just because of the unfavorable environment.
Anyway, Yu Ji-ha didn’t want a unified will of Japan.
Japan had to fight among themselves until Megacity was completed and the United Humanity gained power.
His voice became subtle.
“Prime Minister, do you remember the conditions I told you before?”
He said before he finished speaking.
“I remember all three terms.”
“First of all, I have to tell you. The ion beam fusion reactor will start trial operation from the end of this year. It will prove that it’s commercial by running for more than 10 minutes.”
“So soon…”
The criterion for a fusion reactor to reach commercial power generation level was about 300 seconds.
Korea would be the first country in the world to use a fusion reactor for commercial power generation.
Assuming that they won this war without much damage, but he didn’t seem to worry much about that.
“I’ll share the data related to that fusion reactor.”
It might not be the second in the world, but it would be around the fifth.
Of course, it wouldn’t be free.
Before, he could have formed a partnership by accepting three terms, but now the situation had changed.
“Tell me your condition.”
“There are two more conditions to add. Let’s hear what they are later.”
He said it was up to him to accept or reject it, and Prime Minister Ozawa was stunned for a moment.
But he desperately needed the help of an ally.
Especially if it was Yu Ji-ha and Shilla Group.
“OK, I’ll call you back with the best terms possible.”
“I’ll wait.”
…
…
The atmosphere in the Joint Chiefs of Staff bunker had changed a lot from the beginning of the war.
The generals started to look at Yu Ji-ha’s face since he moved Russia.
The soldiers from Choro bowed their heads in front of a 30-year-old congressman and sometimes reported their operational plans to him.
President Jo Hyung-geun was angry about all this, but he endured it for now.
Without Yu Ji-ha’s cooperation, there would be a big problem in the war.
It was also true for the attack on Kaesong City.
He planned to deploy 20,000 improved drones, so everyone was waiting for him to say when they were ready.
He said as soon as he finished the call.
“They’re ready. You can deploy them anytime.”
“Phew…”
“That’s a relief…”
The army generals sighed with relief.
No one wanted urban warfare in Kaesong City with a population of 350,000.
The current Kaesong City was like a fortress, absorbing not only the people but also the People’s Army that had fled from nearby battles.
As soon as the army stuck its head in there, it would turn into hell road.
They took some pictures from Kaesong Industrial Complex and left urban warfare to drones and advanced northward.
This was the final plan that came down.
Some generals showed resistance because it wasn’t in the operation plan, but they collapsed at Yu Ji-ha’s words.
“Then you’ll have to fight urban warfare with 50,000 People’s Army while protecting 350,000 people.”
The reconnaissance photos showed that Kaesong City had low tile-roofed houses clinging to the beach like barnacles.
The landscape was different from Korea, so the soldiers would feel unfamiliar and they couldn’t distinguish the People’s Army from the people.
It could easily become Vietnam War Season 2.
President Jo Hyung-geun made the final decision.
“Leave Kaesong to the drones and the 7th Corps will advance north. The Marine Corps will relieve the pressure on the front.”
As the 7th Corps bypassed Kaesong City, several transport planes spat out containers in a row.
The People’s Army hidden in the city fired rifles and rocket launchers, but the containers themselves were made of black metal, so there was no major damage.
The containers that fell to the ground opened and hundreds of drones flew up in a swarm.
And that wasn’t the end, as if to prove it, parachutes fluttered down in the sky above Kaesong City.
Tatata-
Battles broke out everywhere.
The People’s Army fought back against the drones with their guns in a state of not eating or sleeping properly.
But the drones had improved most of their weaknesses through several battles of data.
They reinforced the parts that were frequently hit with black metal and modified the flight algorithm to reduce the hit probability to the extreme.
Even if a grenade fell, it applied an algorithm that detected the sound and immediately flew into the sky or hid behind a wall.
It was crazy for the People’s Army.
“Comrade officer, they won’t die!”
“Then shoot until they die!”
But in reality, where the casualty ratio was 1:10, or even 1:20, the People’s Army lost its footing.
The front-line command said there was no supply or support and cut it off, and there were too many drones.
On top of that, those drones delivered sweet temptations.
“Kim Jong-un spent $3.7 million to put underwear on his joy group. Do you recognize him as the leader of the people?”
“Drop your weapons and embrace the Republic of Korea. You can eat meat until your stomach bursts, not rice soup with meat.”
“Do you see these South Korean people? They pile up delicious food and eat it, and even throw it away! Do you feel the difference in economic power?”
That was what the drones were propagating as they wandered around the alley.
Some of them even had a projector function and played videos on a white wall.
A girl group showed off their white skin and danced, and delicious foods were packed in a row at the factory and piled up like a mountain.
It also included a scene of the Korean army, who had fought until recently, feasting on a huge meal.
Shamefully, the Korean soldiers in the video said this.
“What’s wrong with this chicken? Why is it so soggy?”
“I have to pass today because I don’t like the rice.”
It was clearly an exaggerated scene.
Of course there would be soldiers who complained about food during the war, but they wouldn’t film and send it out.
But to Lee Cheol-seong, a lower-class soldier of the People’s Army, everything looked real.
Instead of corn rice, white rice with piles of fried chicken, and milk that you can drink as much as you want.
It seemed like he could eat all those things if he reached out right now.
That strange machine also shouted like that.
“Give up now and we’ll provide you with all this for free! Your comrades are already with us!”
The scene of lower-class soldiers who were captured eating rice with their heads buried in plates was decisive.
Lee Cheol-seong, who had not eaten anything for days, made up his mind.
His officer approached him.
“You bastard, if you look at that lie, you’ll fall for the enemy’s trick. Do you know or not?”
“Comrade officer.”
“Get out of here quickly…”
Bang!
The officer fell slowly with an unbelievable expression on his chest.
Lee Cheol-seong threw his gun away and raised both arms in front of the drone.
“Surrender! Surrender!”
“Weapon check. Follow me.”
He followed behind the drone and encountered the Korean army gathered at the assembly point.
He expected to be beaten up, but nothing happened.
The soldiers treated him very businesslike and even provided him with food.
It wasn’t piled up like fried chicken in propaganda, but it was a plate full of rice soup with meat and bulgogi.
“It’s not very tasty, but eat it first. The prisoner collection team will come up later.”
Lee Cheol-seong didn’t listen to what the soldier said.
He remembered what Kim Jong-un said when he inspected the unit.
-I’m sorry for the people who eat barley rice. Now I will feed them rice soup with meat.
He definitely said that, he believed it and endured hunger and lived…
Lee Cheol-seong grabbed his plate and sobbed softly.
The soldier in charge was startled.
Is he crying because there is not enough meat?
He scooped up meat with a ladle and filled his plate.
The crying got louder.
…
The attack on Kaesong City, which was expected to have thousands of casualties in three weeks, ended in three days.
There was almost no damage, and hundreds of drones were broken and dozens were injured.
The media praised the operation for highlighting the difference in economic power.
—For the starving People’s Army, the ordinary meal that the Korean army eats looked very luxurious.
—That’s possible. They filled their stomachs with corn rice with a drop of oil and pickled radish.
—There have been a lot of rumors lately that they don’t even have that to eat.
However, observers from various countries gave slightly different evaluations.
-The Korean army deployed a large number of drones in urban warfare, which was very effective. Kaesong, which has a population of 400,000, was captured without much damage in three days.
-Now, high-tech drones not only fight, but also take charge of propaganda and prisoner delivery. This means that the role of drones is no longer auxiliary.
―The chairman of Silla Group, Yu Ji-ha, is changing the course of the war.
While the western front was in this atmosphere, the eastern front was having a hard time.
It hit a limit as it broke through the rugged terrain of Gangwon Province.
Without proper use of the Dokdo Law, they often fell into ambushes while moving at night, and every time they suffered damage, it was the lower-class soldiers.
It was the result of investing most of the drones in urban warfare.
After the commanders of the Eastern Division protested collectively, newly produced drones were deployed.
However, the problem of casualties did not improve.
There were very few doctors who knew how to treat gunshot wounds, and many died in hospitals.
The United States reluctantly deployed hospital ships, but the situation did not improve.
As the front line rose, casualties increased by tens of thousands, and hospitals across the country were filled with groans.
This was clearly beyond Korea’s capacity.
But even in this situation, President Jo Hyung-geun shouted for northward advancement.
“If we stop here, we will never be able to get up again! We have to move forward!”
It wasn’t wrong.
Once the war started, it had to be won.
If they hesitate here, Korea will suffer unimaginable pain.
Knowing that well, the ROK Army staked its life on the northward advancement of the 7th Division.
Most of the air force’s power and artillery firepower were poured into clearing the 7th Division’s advance route.
Special forces were also deployed to North Korea’s rear through submarines and carried out sabotage operations.
The war was now about how quickly the 7th Division could reach Pyongyang.
The 7th Division easily broke through the resistance of the North Korean Army’s 2nd Division and began to advance northward as if it had revived from that expectation.
This was much faster than China’s 80th Army, which was facing North Korea’s resistance and hesitating.
As both units raced to reach Pyongyang first, a special envoy from China and a general from the People’s Liberation Army visited Korea.
Our wish is northward advancement
President Jo Hyung-geun pondered over the two factors who requested a secret meeting.
Jang Min, who claimed to have seized power in the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party, and Wang Xian, who succeeded in dominating the Central and Northern Fronts.
They could not be called China’s leaders, but they could be called representatives at this point.
The fact that they visited at this time meant that the matter was serious.
But they insisted that Yu Ji-ha must attend the meeting.
Jo Hyung-geun’s concern also stemmed from this part.
It was awkward to hear what he would say at a time when his influence was growing day by day.
‘It’s not like he’s a commander-in-chief…’
It was absurd, but it was actually happening in the Joint Chiefs of Staff or each army headquarters.
The generals of the army or navy acted as if they were his subordinates, and even a few air force generals were no exception.
He had the key to the next-generation unmanned combat aircraft now that KF-X had fizzled out.
Sometimes when reporters came in, they were busy interviewing him rather than the president and generals.
Every word he said became an article and created cheers from the Korean people.
Especially in this Kaesong City attack operation, drones played a big role, and his praise grew louder.
The whole of Korea was like his fan club.
He wanted to send him out of the bunker, but he had such a close relationship with the military that he couldn’t do that.
‘If we just capture Pyongyang…’
It means crossing seven parts of war.
The rest was guerrilla cleanup, refugees, prisoner processing, and annoying administration. Yu Ji-ha had nothing to do with it.
Jo Hyung-geun wanted him to stick to his role as a businessman.
‘Not acting like a president!’
Anyway, it seemed okay to hear what he had to say in person.
It would be better than being hit by Russia without knowing it.
“Okay. Let’s have a meeting with four people including Yu Ji-ha.”
And so they met at a place in Seoul.
More than 20,000 prisoners were taken here, and the logistics support system was creaking.
Because they couldn’t starve the prisoners.
Jang Min, a member of the State Council, drew a line on the map with a sneer.
“Let’s stop the war. I’ll accept it up to here.”
The military demarcation line was raised by 50km, including Kaesong and Geumgangsan National Park.
This is to say, let’s end it here.
President Jo Hyung-geun and Yu Ji-ha both tilted their heads.
Who says they can draw a line and stop it?
“Why should we accept this when only the 7th Division is advancing to Pyongyang?”
The North Korean Army’s 2nd Division came out, but it was far from enough to stop the 7th Division, which accounted for 60% of Korea’s armored power.
They were no match for the 2nd Division in artillery or close air support.
Within a day of contact, the vanguard unit was crushed and now the follow-up unit was cleaning up the remnants.
“How long do you think you can advance north?”
“That would be up to the Duman River, wouldn’t it?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s almost impossible to break through the Capital Defense Corps stationed in Pyongyang.”
“That’s what they said in the Kaesong urban warfare. And we solved it in three days.”
Yu Ji-ha said a word and Wang Xian looked at him.
“Don’t compare Pyongyang to Kaesong.”
“Sure, Pyongyang is bigger. The population is close to 3 million, and there are more troops.”
“That’s right, so…”
But his words were not over yet.
Yu Ji-ha leaned his elbow on the table and spread two fingers.
“We can capture Pyongyang within two weeks. Of course, this includes finding the monster of this war, the Kim family.”
Jang Min shouted in excitement at the absurd remark.
“Nonsense! Do you think the 80th Army will sit still?”
“That great 80th Army is stuck because of supply problems. Isn’t it?”
The advance speed of a mechanized corps depends on supply.
The 80th Army had decent equipment and manpower, but they could not expect supply from the rear.
They sometimes took supplies from the 79th Army, but as the advance route stretched and North Korea’s resistance intensified, their speed slowed down.
As a result, they were stuck at the Cheongcheon River, whose bridge was broken.
“We can at least get out of the leadership.”
“By land, by sea, by air, how do you plan to get them out?”
“…”
Both Chinese leaders clenched their fists.
He was telling the truth.
At the beginning of the war, North Korea’s power grid went down and the air defense system did not work properly.
The air defense network that was said to be the densest in the world was easily hit by Korea’s air force and missiles, and all runways were destroyed.
They rebuilt as soon as they rebuilt, but Hyunmu missiles flew every time, so they had no choice but to watch.
The West Sea was successfully blocked by reconnaissance ships and escort ships belonging to the 2nd Fleet.
There was no place for the leadership to escape.
The last bastion was a tunnel connected to a bunker, but that was not easy either.
Korea’s intelligence agencies and special forces were looking for places where tunnels might be.
Therefore, it was speculated that Kim Jong-un and his entourage were hiding in a bunker in Pyongyang at this point.
The ROK military leadership was preparing an operation team to search for bunkers as soon as they entered Pyongyang.
On the other hand, President Jo Hyung-geun did not like Yu Ji-ha who said everything he had to say.
If it were like before, he would have admired how well they got along…
Once you start hating someone, you don’t even want to look at their face.
It seems that it is natural for people to do so.
“Don’t fight and sort out your positions. So China’s position is to give up northward advancement and stop?”
Jang Min, whose face was red with anger, revealed his true intentions.
“Let’s divide it.”
“Divide? Do you mean divide North Korea?”
“We’ll take Pyeonganbuk-do, Jagang-do, Hamgyeongnam-do and Hamgyeongbuk-do. You can have the rest.”
“There must be conditions you didn’t say.”
Jang Min glanced at Yu Ji-ha and spoke quickly.
“The condition is that we take out the current North Korean leadership and their entourage.”
“We’ll take them if you pretend you don’t see them.”
President Jo Hyung-geun was troubled.
If they continue to advance northward, they can definitely capture Pyongyang.
But the problem was after that.
Even now, the construction of prisoner camps, the public sentiment in the occupied areas, and the lack of materials paralyzed the administrative system.
They swallowed up Kaesong, which had a population of only 350,000, and a few small cities.
They imported food and necessities from overseas and poured them in, but there was no end.
In the long run, they had to feed 20 million North Koreans, but the staff said it was absolutely impossible.
—It will be much worse in Pyongyang and beyond. If you do something wrong, you might have a lot of deaths.
―There is a shortage of one million tons of food, and the US is pressuring us to intervene with their military if we want to import more.
―We have to issue more than 100 trillion won worth of bonds right away.
―If we occupy the whole of North Korea, the aftermath will be beyond imagination. A moratorium will start at least.
President Jo Hyung-geun, who had earned the nickname of “Mr. Northward” for shouting northward so much, was shaken by the cruel reality.
The reports that the staff members brought up all screamed that they would be annihilated if they continued like this.
If they stopped the northward advance at the line of capturing Pyongyang.
If they left the upper part to China, they could reduce the burden considerably.
As he was pondering like this, Yu Ji-ha started to fan the flames eagerly.
“There is a nursery rhyme in Korea. Do you want to hear it?”
What nursery rhyme in this dire situation?
Without waiting for an answer, he started to sing.
“Our wish is northward. Our dream is also northward. Let’s put all our sincerity into northward. Let’s achieve northward~”
Minister Jang Min and General Wang Xi-an couldn’t stand it and jumped up.
Yu Ji-ha mocked them.
“The day Kim Jong-un and Kim Yo-jong are imprisoned in a Korean prison is the end of the war.”
“That’s a refusal. I understand.”
“Don’t regret it even if Seoul burns.”
They left without a chance to say anything.
President Jo Hyung-geun broke the silence.
“How are you going to take responsibility for this?”
“The one who has the power of decision right now is you, Mr. President. Not me.”
“Isn’t this situation because of what you said!”
He was angry, but Yu Ji-ha opened his eyes wide and asked back.
“What do you think the people will think if we accept their proposal? Will they understand that we are tired and want to stop at a reasonable point?”
“···”
Of course not.
The people were cheering for the continuous victories of the national army and did not doubt that unification would soon happen.
That meant ruling over the entire Korean peninsula.
If they stopped at the line of occupying Pyongyang, President Jo Hyung-geun might not face eggs but assassination attempts.
He couldn’t say anything about that because it was Jo Hyung-geun himself who had pushed for the northward movement in the first place.
“Once we start a war, we can’t stop it. We have to go all the way.”
“···Even if what awaits us at the end is destruction?”
“The future generations will figure it out. Oh, this is what you said before, Mr. President.”
The glass between them shattered.
Yu Ji-ha left without permission and President Jo Hyung-geun guarded the conference room silently.
Something was going terribly wrong.
Yu Ji-ha was getting ready to enter the Joint Chiefs of Staff bunker when Arma handed him a phone.
“It’s the Japanese prime minister’s office. They really want to talk to you about this incident.”
“They’ll only go with their worries.”
But he had to listen anyway.
Prime Minister Ozawa spoke in a very urgent tone.
“I’m telling you for sure, Chairman Yu, this clash was accidental. The chief of staff messed up.”
“Oh, I see. The patrol plane crash was also accidental. One of the crew members made a mistake.”
He was about to hang up the phone if he raised his voice and said it wasn’t a mistake.
Fortunately, Prime Minister Ozawa was not that stupid.
“The cabinet decided to bury this matter. The maritime self-defense force’s chief of staff and some officers will be stripped of their uniforms and disciplined immediately.”
But he couldn’t be sure that they would obediently accept the punishment.
They might rather expose the incompetence of the Ozawa regime and highlight the patrol plane incident.
The Japanese people already had negative feelings towards Yu Ji-ha.
If they stirred that up well, it would create a public opinion that the Ozawa regime couldn’t ignore.
“Will the people who moved the fleet on their own die quietly?”
“…”
He couldn’t be confident.
If they entered a public opinion war in a situation where the regime’s popularity was hitting rock bottom, they might lose.
In that case, Japan would definitely become more right-wing and that would be a burden for Korea.
Yu Ji-ha decided that he needed to help Prime Minister Ozawa at this point.
He had asked if Korea and Japan could be friends and made several friendly gestures.
It was just because of the unfavorable environment.
Anyway, Yu Ji-ha didn’t want a unified will of Japan.
Japan had to fight among themselves until Megacity was completed and the United Humanity gained power.
His voice became subtle.
“Prime Minister, do you remember the conditions I told you before?”
He said before he finished speaking.
“I remember all three terms.”
“First of all, I have to tell you. The ion beam fusion reactor will start trial operation from the end of this year. It will prove that it’s commercial by running for more than 10 minutes.”
“So soon…”
The criterion for a fusion reactor to reach commercial power generation level was about 300 seconds.
Korea would be the first country in the world to use a fusion reactor for commercial power generation.
Assuming that they won this war without much damage, but he didn’t seem to worry much about that.
“I’ll share the data related to that fusion reactor.”
It might not be the second in the world, but it would be around the fifth.
Of course, it wouldn’t be free.
Before, he could have formed a partnership by accepting three terms, but now the situation had changed.
“Tell me your condition.”
“There are two more conditions to add. Let’s hear what they are later.”
He said it was up to him to accept or reject it, and Prime Minister Ozawa was stunned for a moment.
But he desperately needed the help of an ally.
Especially if it was Yu Ji-ha and Shilla Group.
“OK, I’ll call you back with the best terms possible.”
“I’ll wait.”
…
…
The atmosphere in the Joint Chiefs of Staff bunker had changed a lot from the beginning of the war.
The generals started to look at Yu Ji-ha’s face since he moved Russia.
The soldiers from Choro bowed their heads in front of a 30-year-old congressman and sometimes reported their operational plans to him.
President Jo Hyung-geun was angry about all this, but he endured it for now.
Without Yu Ji-ha’s cooperation, there would be a big problem in the war.
It was also true for the attack on Kaesong City.
He planned to deploy 20,000 improved drones, so everyone was waiting for him to say when they were ready.
He said as soon as he finished the call.
“They’re ready. You can deploy them anytime.”
“Phew…”
“That’s a relief…”
The army generals sighed with relief.
No one wanted urban warfare in Kaesong City with a population of 350,000.
The current Kaesong City was like a fortress, absorbing not only the people but also the People’s Army that had fled from nearby battles.
As soon as the army stuck its head in there, it would turn into hell road.
They took some pictures from Kaesong Industrial Complex and left urban warfare to drones and advanced northward.
This was the final plan that came down.
Some generals showed resistance because it wasn’t in the operation plan, but they collapsed at Yu Ji-ha’s words.
“Then you’ll have to fight urban warfare with 50,000 People’s Army while protecting 350,000 people.”
The reconnaissance photos showed that Kaesong City had low tile-roofed houses clinging to the beach like barnacles.
The landscape was different from Korea, so the soldiers would feel unfamiliar and they couldn’t distinguish the People’s Army from the people.
It could easily become Vietnam War Season 2.
President Jo Hyung-geun made the final decision.
“Leave Kaesong to the drones and the 7th Corps will advance north. The Marine Corps will relieve the pressure on the front.”
As the 7th Corps bypassed Kaesong City, several transport planes spat out containers in a row.
The People’s Army hidden in the city fired rifles and rocket launchers, but the containers themselves were made of black metal, so there was no major damage.
The containers that fell to the ground opened and hundreds of drones flew up in a swarm.
And that wasn’t the end, as if to prove it, parachutes fluttered down in the sky above Kaesong City.
Tatata-
Battles broke out everywhere.
The People’s Army fought back against the drones with their guns in a state of not eating or sleeping properly.
But the drones had improved most of their weaknesses through several battles of data.
They reinforced the parts that were frequently hit with black metal and modified the flight algorithm to reduce the hit probability to the extreme.
Even if a grenade fell, it applied an algorithm that detected the sound and immediately flew into the sky or hid behind a wall.
It was crazy for the People’s Army.
“Comrade officer, they won’t die!”
“Then shoot until they die!”
But in reality, where the casualty ratio was 1:10, or even 1:20, the People’s Army lost its footing.
The front-line command said there was no supply or support and cut it off, and there were too many drones.
On top of that, those drones delivered sweet temptations.
“Kim Jong-un spent $3.7 million to put underwear on his joy group. Do you recognize him as the leader of the people?”
“Drop your weapons and embrace the Republic of Korea. You can eat meat until your stomach bursts, not rice soup with meat.”
“Do you see these South Korean people? They pile up delicious food and eat it, and even throw it away! Do you feel the difference in economic power?”
That was what the drones were propagating as they wandered around the alley.
Some of them even had a projector function and played videos on a white wall.
A girl group showed off their white skin and danced, and delicious foods were packed in a row at the factory and piled up like a mountain.
It also included a scene of the Korean army, who had fought until recently, feasting on a huge meal.
Shamefully, the Korean soldiers in the video said this.
“What’s wrong with this chicken? Why is it so soggy?”
“I have to pass today because I don’t like the rice.”
It was clearly an exaggerated scene.
Of course there would be soldiers who complained about food during the war, but they wouldn’t film and send it out.
But to Lee Cheol-seong, a lower-class soldier of the People’s Army, everything looked real.
Instead of corn rice, white rice with piles of fried chicken, and milk that you can drink as much as you want.
It seemed like he could eat all those things if he reached out right now.
That strange machine also shouted like that.
“Give up now and we’ll provide you with all this for free! Your comrades are already with us!”
The scene of lower-class soldiers who were captured eating rice with their heads buried in plates was decisive.
Lee Cheol-seong, who had not eaten anything for days, made up his mind.
His officer approached him.
“You bastard, if you look at that lie, you’ll fall for the enemy’s trick. Do you know or not?”
“Comrade officer.”
“Get out of here quickly…”
Bang!
The officer fell slowly with an unbelievable expression on his chest.
Lee Cheol-seong threw his gun away and raised both arms in front of the drone.
“Surrender! Surrender!”
“Weapon check. Follow me.”
He followed behind the drone and encountered the Korean army gathered at the assembly point.
He expected to be beaten up, but nothing happened.
The soldiers treated him very businesslike and even provided him with food.
It wasn’t piled up like fried chicken in propaganda, but it was a plate full of rice soup with meat and bulgogi.
“It’s not very tasty, but eat it first. The prisoner collection team will come up later.”
Lee Cheol-seong didn’t listen to what the soldier said.
He remembered what Kim Jong-un said when he inspected the unit.
-I’m sorry for the people who eat barley rice. Now I will feed them rice soup with meat.
He definitely said that, he believed it and endured hunger and lived…
Lee Cheol-seong grabbed his plate and sobbed softly.
The soldier in charge was startled.
Is he crying because there is not enough meat?
He scooped up meat with a ladle and filled his plate.
The crying got louder.
…
The attack on Kaesong City, which was expected to have thousands of casualties in three weeks, ended in three days.
There was almost no damage, and hundreds of drones were broken and dozens were injured.
The media praised the operation for highlighting the difference in economic power.
—For the starving People’s Army, the ordinary meal that the Korean army eats looked very luxurious.
—That’s possible. They filled their stomachs with corn rice with a drop of oil and pickled radish.
—There have been a lot of rumors lately that they don’t even have that to eat.
However, observers from various countries gave slightly different evaluations.
-The Korean army deployed a large number of drones in urban warfare, which was very effective. Kaesong, which has a population of 400,000, was captured without much damage in three days.
-Now, high-tech drones not only fight, but also take charge of propaganda and prisoner delivery. This means that the role of drones is no longer auxiliary.
―The chairman of Silla Group, Yu Ji-ha, is changing the course of the war.
While the western front was in this atmosphere, the eastern front was having a hard time.
It hit a limit as it broke through the rugged terrain of Gangwon Province.
Without proper use of the Dokdo Law, they often fell into ambushes while moving at night, and every time they suffered damage, it was the lower-class soldiers.
It was the result of investing most of the drones in urban warfare.
After the commanders of the Eastern Division protested collectively, newly produced drones were deployed.
However, the problem of casualties did not improve.
There were very few doctors who knew how to treat gunshot wounds, and many died in hospitals.
The United States reluctantly deployed hospital ships, but the situation did not improve.
As the front line rose, casualties increased by tens of thousands, and hospitals across the country were filled with groans.
This was clearly beyond Korea’s capacity.
But even in this situation, President Jo Hyung-geun shouted for northward advancement.
“If we stop here, we will never be able to get up again! We have to move forward!”
It wasn’t wrong.
Once the war started, it had to be won.
If they hesitate here, Korea will suffer unimaginable pain.
Knowing that well, the ROK Army staked its life on the northward advancement of the 7th Division.
Most of the air force’s power and artillery firepower were poured into clearing the 7th Division’s advance route.
Special forces were also deployed to North Korea’s rear through submarines and carried out sabotage operations.
The war was now about how quickly the 7th Division could reach Pyongyang.
The 7th Division easily broke through the resistance of the North Korean Army’s 2nd Division and began to advance northward as if it had revived from that expectation.
This was much faster than China’s 80th Army, which was facing North Korea’s resistance and hesitating.
As both units raced to reach Pyongyang first, a special envoy from China and a general from the People’s Liberation Army visited Korea.
Our wish is northward advancement
President Jo Hyung-geun pondered over the two factors who requested a secret meeting.
Jang Min, who claimed to have seized power in the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party, and Wang Xian, who succeeded in dominating the Central and Northern Fronts.
They could not be called China’s leaders, but they could be called representatives at this point.
The fact that they visited at this time meant that the matter was serious.
But they insisted that Yu Ji-ha must attend the meeting.
Jo Hyung-geun’s concern also stemmed from this part.
It was awkward to hear what he would say at a time when his influence was growing day by day.
‘It’s not like he’s a commander-in-chief…’
It was absurd, but it was actually happening in the Joint Chiefs of Staff or each army headquarters.
The generals of the army or navy acted as if they were his subordinates, and even a few air force generals were no exception.
He had the key to the next-generation unmanned combat aircraft now that KF-X had fizzled out.
Sometimes when reporters came in, they were busy interviewing him rather than the president and generals.
Every word he said became an article and created cheers from the Korean people.
Especially in this Kaesong City attack operation, drones played a big role, and his praise grew louder.
The whole of Korea was like his fan club.
He wanted to send him out of the bunker, but he had such a close relationship with the military that he couldn’t do that.
‘If we just capture Pyongyang…’
It means crossing seven parts of war.
The rest was guerrilla cleanup, refugees, prisoner processing, and annoying administration. Yu Ji-ha had nothing to do with it.
Jo Hyung-geun wanted him to stick to his role as a businessman.
‘Not acting like a president!’
Anyway, it seemed okay to hear what he had to say in person.
It would be better than being hit by Russia without knowing it.
“Okay. Let’s have a meeting with four people including Yu Ji-ha.”
And so they met at a place in Seoul.
More than 20,000 prisoners were taken here, and the logistics support system was creaking.
Because they couldn’t starve the prisoners.
Jang Min, a member of the State Council, drew a line on the map with a sneer.
“Let’s stop the war. I’ll accept it up to here.”
The military demarcation line was raised by 50km, including Kaesong and Geumgangsan National Park.
This is to say, let’s end it here.
President Jo Hyung-geun and Yu Ji-ha both tilted their heads.
Who says they can draw a line and stop it?
“Why should we accept this when only the 7th Division is advancing to Pyongyang?”
The North Korean Army’s 2nd Division came out, but it was far from enough to stop the 7th Division, which accounted for 60% of Korea’s armored power.
They were no match for the 2nd Division in artillery or close air support.
Within a day of contact, the vanguard unit was crushed and now the follow-up unit was cleaning up the remnants.
“How long do you think you can advance north?”
“That would be up to the Duman River, wouldn’t it?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s almost impossible to break through the Capital Defense Corps stationed in Pyongyang.”
“That’s what they said in the Kaesong urban warfare. And we solved it in three days.”
Yu Ji-ha said a word and Wang Xian looked at him.
“Don’t compare Pyongyang to Kaesong.”
“Sure, Pyongyang is bigger. The population is close to 3 million, and there are more troops.”
“That’s right, so…”
But his words were not over yet.
Yu Ji-ha leaned his elbow on the table and spread two fingers.
“We can capture Pyongyang within two weeks. Of course, this includes finding the monster of this war, the Kim family.”
Jang Min shouted in excitement at the absurd remark.
“Nonsense! Do you think the 80th Army will sit still?”
“That great 80th Army is stuck because of supply problems. Isn’t it?”
The advance speed of a mechanized corps depends on supply.
The 80th Army had decent equipment and manpower, but they could not expect supply from the rear.
They sometimes took supplies from the 79th Army, but as the advance route stretched and North Korea’s resistance intensified, their speed slowed down.
As a result, they were stuck at the Cheongcheon River, whose bridge was broken.
“We can at least get out of the leadership.”
“By land, by sea, by air, how do you plan to get them out?”
“…”
Both Chinese leaders clenched their fists.
He was telling the truth.
At the beginning of the war, North Korea’s power grid went down and the air defense system did not work properly.
The air defense network that was said to be the densest in the world was easily hit by Korea’s air force and missiles, and all runways were destroyed.
They rebuilt as soon as they rebuilt, but Hyunmu missiles flew every time, so they had no choice but to watch.
The West Sea was successfully blocked by reconnaissance ships and escort ships belonging to the 2nd Fleet.
There was no place for the leadership to escape.
The last bastion was a tunnel connected to a bunker, but that was not easy either.
Korea’s intelligence agencies and special forces were looking for places where tunnels might be.
Therefore, it was speculated that Kim Jong-un and his entourage were hiding in a bunker in Pyongyang at this point.
The ROK military leadership was preparing an operation team to search for bunkers as soon as they entered Pyongyang.
On the other hand, President Jo Hyung-geun did not like Yu Ji-ha who said everything he had to say.
If it were like before, he would have admired how well they got along…
Once you start hating someone, you don’t even want to look at their face.
It seems that it is natural for people to do so.
“Don’t fight and sort out your positions. So China’s position is to give up northward advancement and stop?”
Jang Min, whose face was red with anger, revealed his true intentions.
“Let’s divide it.”
“Divide? Do you mean divide North Korea?”
“We’ll take Pyeonganbuk-do, Jagang-do, Hamgyeongnam-do and Hamgyeongbuk-do. You can have the rest.”
“There must be conditions you didn’t say.”
Jang Min glanced at Yu Ji-ha and spoke quickly.
“The condition is that we take out the current North Korean leadership and their entourage.”
“We’ll take them if you pretend you don’t see them.”
President Jo Hyung-geun was troubled.
If they continue to advance northward, they can definitely capture Pyongyang.
But the problem was after that.
Even now, the construction of prisoner camps, the public sentiment in the occupied areas, and the lack of materials paralyzed the administrative system.
They swallowed up Kaesong, which had a population of only 350,000, and a few small cities.
They imported food and necessities from overseas and poured them in, but there was no end.
In the long run, they had to feed 20 million North Koreans, but the staff said it was absolutely impossible.
—It will be much worse in Pyongyang and beyond. If you do something wrong, you might have a lot of deaths.
―There is a shortage of one million tons of food, and the US is pressuring us to intervene with their military if we want to import more.
―We have to issue more than 100 trillion won worth of bonds right away.
―If we occupy the whole of North Korea, the aftermath will be beyond imagination. A moratorium will start at least.
President Jo Hyung-geun, who had earned the nickname of “Mr. Northward” for shouting northward so much, was shaken by the cruel reality.
The reports that the staff members brought up all screamed that they would be annihilated if they continued like this.
If they stopped the northward advance at the line of capturing Pyongyang.
If they left the upper part to China, they could reduce the burden considerably.
As he was pondering like this, Yu Ji-ha started to fan the flames eagerly.
“There is a nursery rhyme in Korea. Do you want to hear it?”
What nursery rhyme in this dire situation?
Without waiting for an answer, he started to sing.
“Our wish is northward. Our dream is also northward. Let’s put all our sincerity into northward. Let’s achieve northward~”
Minister Jang Min and General Wang Xi-an couldn’t stand it and jumped up.
Yu Ji-ha mocked them.
“The day Kim Jong-un and Kim Yo-jong are imprisoned in a Korean prison is the end of the war.”
“That’s a refusal. I understand.”
“Don’t regret it even if Seoul burns.”
They left without a chance to say anything.
President Jo Hyung-geun broke the silence.
“How are you going to take responsibility for this?”
“The one who has the power of decision right now is you, Mr. President. Not me.”
“Isn’t this situation because of what you said!”
He was angry, but Yu Ji-ha opened his eyes wide and asked back.
“What do you think the people will think if we accept their proposal? Will they understand that we are tired and want to stop at a reasonable point?”
“···”
Of course not.
The people were cheering for the continuous victories of the national army and did not doubt that unification would soon happen.
That meant ruling over the entire Korean peninsula.
If they stopped at the line of occupying Pyongyang, President Jo Hyung-geun might not face eggs but assassination attempts.
He couldn’t say anything about that because it was Jo Hyung-geun himself who had pushed for the northward movement in the first place.
“Once we start a war, we can’t stop it. We have to go all the way.”
“···Even if what awaits us at the end is destruction?”
“The future generations will figure it out. Oh, this is what you said before, Mr. President.”
The glass between them shattered.
Yu Ji-ha left without permission and President Jo Hyung-geun guarded the conference room silently.
Something was going terribly wrong.
