The Chaebol Returns To The Presidency 1967 [EN]: Chapter 194

재벌총수가 대통령으로 회귀함1967 재벌총수가 대통령으로 회귀함 1967-194화(194/225)

194. Let’s Launch a Preemptive Strike

Two couriers from the Security Command, arriving in a jeep, entered the command post.

Though merely officers, they held their chins high with the arrogance of occupying forces.

“Here is a letter from the Chief of the General Staff.”

He handed over the letter.

The gist of the letter was as follows:

– The North Korean People’s Republic has already been taken over by the Revolutionary Security Command. Avoid unnecessary bloodshed and surrender immediately! The loyalty of the Pyongyang Defense Command has been sufficiently verified. Cease resistance here, and you will not be punished. – Chief of the General Staff, Revolutionary Security Command –

The Pyongyang Defense Command commander chuckled.

“Tell them to go back!”

“…….”

“Do you know who these gentlemen are?”

The Deputy Commander of the Escort and the Director were seated there.

The courier was startled.

Setting aside the survival of the Deputy Commander of the Escort, the Director, who should have been in South Korea, was sitting right there.

“Ugh, how is the 1st Director here…?”

“Chief of the General Staff, tell the ringleaders of the Security Command’s treachery that they might be spared if they stop immediately.”

“Don’t you know the situation at the front? This is no longer Jang Song-taek’s power.”

“Is that so?”

The commander communicated with the Premier via satellite radio.

“Comrade Number One, a Security Command courier has come here to demand surrender. Would you like to say hello?”

– Traitors sent a courier! Eliminate them immediately!

“Did you hear that? It seems Comrade Number One is still very much in charge.”

“…….”

The courier, flustered by Number One’s voice, hurriedly said,

“Then I will take it as a refusal and return.”

The courier needed to inform the Security Command that he had direct contact with the Premier.

However, the commander had no intention of letting him return peacefully.

“You came through danger, so I can’t send you back empty-handed. I must carry out Number One’s orders.”

He drew his pistol, released the safety, and aimed it at the courier’s forehead.

“You know too much to be sent back. I’ll send your body to Pyongyang. Your corpse is the answer.”

Bang! Bang!

The two couriers collapsed, blood pouring from their heads.

The commander holstered his pistol, threw the letter on the ground, and said,

“Comrade Number One, orders executed!”

The rebel’s letter, fallen on the ground, was stained red with the courier’s blood.

*

Presidential Mansion, VIP room.

Jang Song-taek said he had something to say, so the Director of the National Intelligence Service urgently came to see him.

Jang Song-taek solemnly said to the Director of the National Intelligence Service,

“I will launch a surprise attack on Panmunjom [the Joint Security Area between North and South Korea] with the 1,000-strong escort unit in the South.”

“With the escort unit? An infantry unit can’t stand against an armored unit. They will be annihilated.”

“I know.”

“…….”

“Attacking the border guards on the armistice line will make the defense of Pyongyang more vulnerable. The news of the engagement during the armistice line breakthrough must be known to spread the fact of my counterattack to the units near the armistice line who have not joined the traitors. My existence must be known in the North.”

“Still, using 1,000 escorts as cannon fodder seems somewhat reckless.”

“The escort’s original mission is to give their lives for the supreme leader, so there’s no need to pity them.”

“Um, I’ll put it on the agenda for an emergency NSC [National Security Council] meeting.”

“Please make a quick decision.”

*

Underground bunker.

Key members of the NSC, including the President, were holding a meeting.

Regarding the agenda proposed by Jang Song-taek, the Minister of National Defense said,

“A battle on the armistice line could lead to an expansion to the entire front. Prime Minister Jang’s proposal is reckless and irresponsible.”

Since the ROK [Republic of Korea] and US military’s advance north was excluded from all operations, most opinions were against it.

The President listened to the opinions carefully, looked at the map, and pondered.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said,

“Your Excellency, the members’ opinions are negative. Unless the ROK military joins and advances north, they will be depleted in just a few tens of minutes. The risk of escalation is also high.”

The President said,

“Considering the risk of escalation, that is certainly true. But thinking in terms of a strategic strike with nuclear weapons, I think it makes sense.”

“…….”

“Now, let’s run a virtual simulation. Let’s assume 1,000 escorts launched a surprise attack.”

“…….”

“The rebels are concentrated here in Pyongyang and the armistice line border guards in Panmunjom and Cheorwon. Even if a fierce battle breaks out in one place, they cannot support each other. The regular KPA [Korean People’s Army] is currently neither on the rebels’ side nor on the Premier’s side, but in a state of indifference. This means that not all troops near the armistice line are rebels.”

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said,

“If the escorts rush north and are annihilated, wouldn’t that change anything? Rather, the rebels would promote their achievements and their morale would rise.”

“We can’t let them be annihilated.”

“…….”

“They will surely engage the escorts. Then shells and bullets will cross the Southern Limit Line [the de facto maritime border between North and South Korea], right?”

“…….”

“This is clearly a provocation against South Korea. We immediately devastate only the North Korean side of Panmunjom, the origin of the fire. If we annihilate only the rebel forces in the North Korean side of Panmunjom with concentrated shelling, the expansion of the front becomes impossible. The escorts can safely go north.”

“So, you’re saying we should use the charging escorts as bait for a counterattack. And the ROK military will not advance north.”

“Yes, that’s exactly it.”

“…….”

The attendees looked at each other.

The Minister of National Defense expressed his concern.

“If we heavily bomb the North Korean side of Panmunjom, will other North Korean troops not join in, Your Excellency?”

“I repeat, the other North Korean troops are currently completely standing by. If they confirm that the ROK military is not advancing north, they will not risk initiating a full-scale war.”

“…….”

“If a fierce battle breaks out on the armistice line and only the escorts advance north, the North Korean troops near the armistice line can be turned to Prime Minister Jang’s side at once. At least, we can prevent them from joining the rebels. It would be even better if Prime Minister Jang himself crossed over to the North and took the lead.”

The Director of the National Intelligence Service said,

“I think timing is important. I hope we can secure the nuclear missile base in the North and then start.”

“Good idea. If nuclear warheads are not secured, breaking through the armistice line is meaningless.”

The attendees agreed with the Director of the National Intelligence Service’s opinion.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said,

“I’m worried about whether the US military will agree.”

Although the United States was an ally, it was more of a hindrance to independent operations like this one.

The President said,

“Although wartime operational control is currently with the United States, responses to provocations can be sufficiently countered with the right of self-defense. If we only carry out a defensive counterattack without invading the North, and do not engage further, we are not violating the rules of engagement. There is no need to inform the US military in advance. We can notify them after the fact as an accidental engagement.”

“Yes, I understand!”

“Instead, we must completely annihilate the rebel forces in Panmunjom in one strike. We only have one chance.”

The ROK military concentrated its firepower assets on the North Korean side of Panmunjom.

They also prepared for a full-scale war in case of emergency.

*

Firing range, a certain unit in Korea.

The instructor shouted through a megaphone.

“Fire!”

Soldiers in the firing positions pulled the triggers of their AK rifles.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The soldiers undergoing infiltration training were none other than Jang Song-taek’s 1,000-strong escort unit.

*

North Korean military airfield (night).

Four rebel tanks were lined up.

It was the rebels’ shift change for sleep.

At that moment, a roar became the signal flare.

Phew- Phew-

Four RPGs (rocket-propelled grenade launchers) were fired almost simultaneously at the rebel tanks, trailing long tails of flame.

Kwang!

The tank hit head-on burst into flames, with fire erupting from the turret.

Pyongyang Defense Command forces had launched a surprise attack on the military airfield occupied by the rebels.

RPGs continued to rain down, successively smashing armored vehicles and escort trucks.

Pung! Puh-pung~

Ttururuk!

Tatang! Tang-tang!

The rebels, caught in the surprise attack, were almost completely annihilated by the concentrated fire from three sides, and fled in utter disarray.

*

North Korean Air Force Headquarters.

The Deputy Commander of the Escort, the Air Force Commander, and the Escort Director received instructions from Jang Song-taek via satellite radio and planned the operation to seize the nuclear missile base.

“The underground base is locked, so the traitors cannot enter and are entrenched outside. Let’s eliminate the rebels’ armored units with fighter jets.”

“Since it is a major stronghold, if it is attacked, the enemies will send more reinforcements. Because we have to defend both the military airfield and the missile fortress at the same time, aerial bombing alone cannot sustain control unless infantry provides follow-up support.”

At this time, an operative from South Korea interjected.

His role was to supply satellite radios and connect them to South Korea, so he accompanied them at all times to report the situation to South Korea.

“The nuclear missile fortress should be recaptured by now.”

“What do you mean? The bombing hasn’t even started yet.”

“Currently, a large number of operatives from the South have infiltrated and are fighting to recapture the missile base.”

The Director was surprised and asked,

“Are there infiltration teams besides us?”

“Of course. I can’t reveal everything, but special forces are fighting in key strongholds.”

The Director nodded.

“Ah, they wouldn’t have left such sturdy tunnels unused with only four people.”

The Air Force Commander asked,

“What tunnels are you talking about?”

When the Director explained the route of defection, their eyes widened.

“The South was also preparing tunnels to the North?”

“Tit for tat.”

Chijik~

A call came in on the satellite radio.

– This is Eagle, we have taken over the Fireball (nuclear missile base).

“Taken over! Good work, Eagle!”

The dark expressions of the North Korean generals brightened.

The operative who had cut off the radio said,

“As you heard, we have recaptured the nuclear base. If the Air Force and the South Korean operatives block the enemies who are additionally entering, and the Air Force bombs the entry points, we can hold out long enough to launch the missiles.”

“Hmm, let’s cut off the bridge leading to this missile base with bombing!”

“Ah, I didn’t think of that. I didn’t think about bombing our own structures. We will execute it as soon as we cross.”

The Air Force soldiers and the group boarded trucks and jeeps and crossed the bridge.

The Air Force Commander instructed his country’s radio.

“Bomb the bridge!”

Shortly after, three fighter jets appeared.

Shushuk-

The pilot aimed at the bridge and pressed the launch button.

Kwaa~

The air-to-surface missile trailed a long tail and rushed towards the bridge.

Kwang!

Flames and dust rose from the bridge.

It was a strike that made it impossible for vehicles to pass through the large hole in the middle of the bridge.

Following that, another plane fired an air-to-surface missile.

Kwang!

The waist of the bridge snapped.

After confirming the destroyed bridge, the fighter jets turned their noses towards Pyongyang, where the rebels were coming from.

Indeed, the outside of the nuclear base had already been pacified by South Korean special forces.

The next step was to enter the interior.

The Deputy Commander of the Escort and the Air Force Commander, who arrived at the entrance of the nuclear missile base, explained the whole story to an insider, and only after confirming Jang Song-taek’s voice via satellite radio, the heavy door opened.

Seureureung~

Jang Song-taek and the Director of the National Intelligence Service, who received the satellite radio message that the missile base had been secured, immediately took action.