Chapter 251: War is Imminent

Due to the complicated situation arising from this terrorist attack, I planned to sort things out and reach out to Kim Hak-gwon to discuss the North Korean issue once Hyeon-seong’s wedding was over.

However, the fact that I received a contact first meant they had already communicated with the Blue House from Pyongyang.

“Yes, Mr. President.”

“I see you took your time getting in touch. Did you have a rough time in the U.S.?”

“It was nothing to fuss over. Just a routine trip.”

I checked the clock and realized I still had about an hour before Hyeon-seong’s wedding.

“Out of the blue, I received contact from North Korea saying they’re sending an economic inspection team to Seoul. They also asked that you accompany them back to Pyongyang when they return, and I was wondering if you’ve heard anything about it?”

A sudden contact, huh? Is Kim Jong-il deciding to act unilaterally without consulting his aides? This was a quicker move than anticipated.

“I haven’t heard anything. I did intend to visit North, but I didn’t expect to hear from them this quickly.”

“Can you tell me what this is about?”

“I’m sorry, but it’s a matter of security… If everything goes well, I’ll inform you later.”

Silence hung on the line. When I called him again, I finally got a response.

“…Not really. Anyway, in about two months, the economic inspection team is coming from the North. They can visit Pyongyang together with our economic inspection team when they return.”

“Thank you.”

“I don’t know what it’s about, but I trust it won’t damage our national interests.”

There was a subtle sense of hope in Kim Hak-gwon’s voice.

“Yes, it probably won’t be anything bad for you, Mr. President.”

“You don’t lie, so I’ll take your word for it. By the way, did you hear anything while you were in the U.S.? I understand the U.S. military is still on high alert.”

The U.S. had yet to officially declare war on Afghanistan. Only a small number of special forces were deployed in northern Afghanistan for now.

The only country sharing information was the UK.

“I can only provide the official information that was released; I haven’t heard any details. But perhaps, to maintain its pride, the U.S. may attack somewhere as a show of force?”

“Let’s hope it isn’t the North. Still, I’m relieved that Chairman Kim Jong-il quickly issued a statement of reassurance.”

“He has some awareness, after all.”

After chatting with Kim Hak-gwon about the international situation for about ten minutes, I ended the call.

As I stepped outside, Grandma was waiting for me, all dressed up.

Seeing her, a smile crept onto my face without me realizing.

“Grandma, you look especially beautiful today!”

“Quit the flattery. Have you finished getting ready, Mu-hyeok?”

Grandma chided me, but her face still lit up with a smile.

Her reaction only made me want to tease her more.

“Wow? Our grandma is still a beauty, really! You’re like a youthful beauty, perfectly in your prime.”

“What nonsense is that? It’s late; we should hurry.”

“Alright, I’ll stop. Let’s go, Grandma.”

Embarrassed by my teasing, Grandma playfully slapped my back a few times to hurry me along.

Only then did I stop joking and left the house with her.

Hyeon-seong and Kang Mi-jin decided to hold their wedding at a hotel in Busan.

Since she didn’t have many family or friends, it was more convenient to have the ceremony in Busan, which was full of Hyeon-seong’s relatives and acquaintances.

They rented the entire hotel for several days for the wedding.

It cost quite a bit, but the decision was made for security reasons due to the many guests coming from Seoul.

As we entered the wedding venue with Grandma, I noticed a crowd had gathered.

Many familiar faces showed up, people I had known for a long time from living in the same neighborhood.

I sent Grandma over to where the others were, then made my way to greet Hyeon-seong’s parents and him, who were attending to the guests.

“Father.”

“Oh, Mu-hyeok! Is that you? Thanks to you, this wedding is taking place here. I appreciate it. Where’s Grandma?”

“She’s chatting with her friends. Your wife looks lovely in that hanbok.”

I remarked, looking at Hyeon-seong’s mother. She seemed to be in good spirits, her smile never leaving her face.

I gave Hyeon-seong a congratulatory pat on the shoulder as he stood diligently beside his parents.

“Congratulations on your wedding.”

“Thank you.”

“Where’s Mi-jin?”

Hyeon-seong’s gaze shifted toward the bride’s waiting room.

“She’s in the bride’s waiting room. You should check on her. She might feel lonely since there are no friends around.”

I nodded at Hyeon-seong’s concerned words.

Seeing this blunt guy looking after Mi-jin filled me with pride and made me want to smile.

“Okay. I’ll go find Myeong-su and head over with him.”

“Thanks.”

Just then, a familiar voice called out to me.

“Boss!”

I turned to find Eva walking into the venue, dressed brightly.

I waved to Eva, who had arrived just in time.

“You made it, Eva! Let’s go check on Mi-jin. And please stay with me until the ceremony starts.”

“Okay! I’ll go greet Hyeon-seong first and then come back.”

While Eva went to greet Hyeon-seong, I searched for Myeong-su.

I spotted him talking to someone from a distance.

“Myeong-su!”

As I called out to him, he turned his head.

“Oh, Mu-hyeok! Just a moment.”

He chatted a bit longer with the person he was with, then made his way over to me.

“Who’s that? I don’t recognize them.”

“That’s a district councilman. He somehow found out I was coming and showed up before me. See that big flower arrangement at the entrance?”

The flower arrangement at the wedding entrance had a sign that read ‘National Assemblyman Kim Geun-ho.’

“Talk about being quick. Politics isn’t easy. I barely managed to convince the chairman not to come here, you know? It wouldn’t do any good for him to show up here and make waves.”

“Good job. How about the others?”

“I called earlier, and they said they would arrive soon.”

I nodded. Thankfully, they wouldn’t miss the ceremony.

As Eva returned from greeting Hyeon-seong, she greeted Myeong-su.

“Councilman Park, it’s been a while.”

“Representative Eva, it’s been a while indeed.”

“Enough pleasantries; let’s hurry to Mi-jin. When Min-kyung shows up, I should make sure she spends time with Mi-jin. I heard she hasn’t had a single friend here.”

The only family Kang Mi-jin had was her father, who was in prison.

Moreover, because of the stigma of being the daughter of a serial killer, she had hardly made any friends while in school.

Perhaps recalling that fact, Myeong-su quickly nodded in agreement.

“That’s true. Let’s go now.”

I led the two of them into the bride’s waiting room.

Seeing us enter, Kang Mi-jin, dressed in her wedding gown, smiled.

“Mu-hyeok, Myeong-su. Representative Eva, you’ve come too!”

“Oh my, Mi-jin, you look so beautiful!”

Eva sat beside Kang Mi-jin, offering a compliment.

“Anyone would look beautiful in a wedding dress.”

“What are you saying? You’re the prettiest bride I’ve seen so far.”

Eva’s praise caused a blush to spread across Kang Mi-jin’s face.

“Wow! Hyeon-seong has hit the jackpot!”

Myeong-su chimed in, echoing Eva’s excitement. Honestly, Kang Mi-jin looked beautiful even to me in that wedding dress.

Feeling shy about the excessive praise, I decided to break the tension with humor.

“I think so too. Mi-jin, congratulations on your marriage. Hyeon-seong may seem bear-like and frustrating, but you’ll have to take care of him now.”

“Thank you, Mu-hyeok. I’m grateful for the honeymoon house and everything…”

Tears welled up in Kang Mi-jin’s eyes as she spoke.

“Mi-jin, your makeup will smudge. Don’t cry on such a wonderful day.”

Eva comforted her, sending me a look that signaled we should leave.

I got the hint and called out to Myeong-su.

“Let’s go outside, Myeong-su.”

“Huh? Oh, alright.”

After leaving the bride’s waiting room, we sought out a quiet area without anyone around.

“Manager Ma, please ensure no one approaches us.”

“Yes, Boss.”

After directing Manager Ma to keep people away from us, I spoke quietly so only Myeong-su could hear.

“Soon, peace talks will be held between North Korea and the U.S.”

“What?”

Myeong-su’s voice rose in shock at my abrupt declaration.

“No way, are you seriously saying that North Korea and the U.S. are discussing peace accords in this atmosphere? Is that real?”

Hearing something so difficult to believe, Myeong-su asked as if to confirm.

Although there was no one around, I gestured for him to keep his voice down since it was a sensitive conversation.

“It’s true. In a few months, an economic inspection team will first be sent from North Korea. When they return, I plan to enter Pyongyang as well.”

“So you’re saying the schedule for the economic inspection team’s visit to Seoul has been moved up? It was originally planned for later this year or early next year.”

I nodded slightly and continued speaking.

“I heard it directly from Kim Hak-gwon this morning. Anyway, I’m puzzled about why the U.S. suddenly wants to proceed with the peace agreement with North Korea that they had previously rejected. What do you think?”

“Hmm…”

No matter how much I thought about it on the flight to Korea, I couldn’t find an answer.

I posed the question, hoping Myeong-su, who was involved in politics, might have more insight.

“Without solid information, I can’t say much either. But their decision most likely signals that a peace deal with North Korea is more beneficial for the U.S. However, as I see the current U.S. sentiment, there seems to be no reason to reconcile with the North.”

I shared Myeong-su’s viewpoint.

Since I was tasked with managing this issue, I felt compelled to take action, but it was frustrating not to fully understand the intentions of the Neo-Conservatives in the ruling Republican Party.

I felt like a chess piece moving on a board set by others.

“War is imminent.”

“Do you think so? With the Republicans in power and the fact that the U.S. was attacked on President Bush’s inauguration day, they will need to channel that anger somewhere. I have to return to Seoul quickly after this wedding; we have become busy with this situation too.”

Myeong-su’s face grew serious. Living in Korea, the weight of the word ‘war’ was heavy.

“Don’t tell anyone about the North-U.S. peace talk and try to guide the party’s stance towards cooperating with the U.S. as much as possible.”

“Definitely. Now is not the time to go against U.S. interests.”

“The U.S. may propose troop deployments to South Korea as well. Whatever decision the government makes, the Moderate Party must accept the deployment proposal without fail.”

“Hmm… You should discuss that separately with Chairman Yoon. That’s a matter he should decide, not me.”

Myeong-su shook his head in disbelief. It was unusual to see him so cautious.

“You’ve become quite the politician.”

“I’ve just gained enough experience at this point.”

Seeing Myeong-su joking around made me smile without realizing it.

Manager Ma called out to us in a low voice.

“It’s almost time for the wedding to start.”

Checking the clock, I realized the ceremony was about to begin.

I reentered the venue with Myeong-su. I spotted Oh Hyeon-woo and some of our friends greeting Hyeon-seong.

“Hey, Hyeon-woo!”

Myeong-su called out warmly. The friends turned and smiled upon spotting Myeong-su.

Oh Hyeon-woo and Yoon Jae-ha finished greetings and walked over to us.

“Where’s Min-kyung?”

“She went to greet the bride. But all the guests are from the groom’s side.”

Yoon Jae-ha remarked quietly as he glanced around.

“It can’t be helped; you all know that, right?”

Everyone nodded in agreement. When Mi-jin announced her engagement to Hyeon-seong, she openly shared her past with the guests.

“I was surprised when Hyeon-seong announced his wedding, and I was even more shocked that the bride was the daughter of that person.”

“She’s a good person. That’s all that matters.”

“Exactly. Mi-jin is Mi-jin, after all, not the daughter of that man.”

As I said this, I couldn’t help but look toward the bride’s waiting room. The empty seats on the bride’s side worried me.

Contrary to my worries, thankfully, Hyeon-seong’s wedding went off without a hitch.

Everyone had made an effort to come down to Busan, and we decided to meet up again in Seoul sometime in the future.

Time flew by after Hyeon-seong’s wedding.

Before the U.S. started its war with Afghanistan, it demanded the Taliban regime surrender bin Laden and al-Qaeda.

However, the Taliban flatly rejected the proposal.

Once the Taliban refused, the U.S. deployed aircraft carriers and numerous naval forces to the Indian Ocean as though they were fully prepared for war.

Witnessing this, all countries surrounding Afghanistan subordinated themselves to the U.S., offering portions of their territories.

The U.S. also warned Pakistan, a nation with close ties to Afghanistan.

“If you don’t clear the way, I’ll drag you back to the Stone Age.”

That chilling warning caused Pakistan to betray the Taliban and opened its airspace to the U.S.

After completing all preparations, the U.S. launched its war against Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, South Korea was preoccupied with welcoming the first high-ranking official from North Korea since the Korean War.

Finally, the economic inspection team, led by Park Nam-ki, departed from Pyongyang and arrived in Seoul.