Chapter 778: The Coup Begins

Choi Ryong-hae, Kim Young-chun, and their fellow coup plotters gathered at the General Political Bureau.

“Before we begin the operation, I think we should secure Kim Mu-hyeok first,” Choi Ryong-hae said.

Kim Young-chun nodded in agreement.

“That’s a good idea. In the end, that bastard is the reason our Republic has changed. If we kill that son of a bitch, many things will change.”

A military map detailing the locations of North Korean units was spread out on the table.

“Wouldn’t it be difficult to capture Kim Mu-hyeok in Pyongyang? We should arrest or eliminate him when he leaves Pyongyang and then move the troops immediately,” Choi Ryong-hae said.

Choi Ryong-hae pointed to a spot on the map.

“We’ll capture him here.”

It was a section of road between Pyongyang and Kaesong.

After confirming the location, Kim Young-chun asked worriedly, “Is the 5th Corps also joining this operation?”

Choi Ryong-hae shook his head.

“No. We haven’t been able to win over the commander of the 5th Corps, but we’ve won over the commander of the armored brigade under his command. They have a big grudge about the military being pushed back because of the Kaesong Industrial Complex. The 4th Infantry Battalion will move with them.”

“I see. The 5th Corps suffered the most because of Jang Seong-taek.”

Because of the Kaesong Industrial Complex—the start of North-South economic cooperation—the 5th Corps not only had to pull back their forces but also saw their size reduced by half.

Jang Seong-taek knew about their dissatisfaction so he dismissed the existing commander of the 5th Corps and appointed his own close aide.

But not everyone under him shared the same views as the 5th Corps commander.

Choi Ryong-hae and the coup conspirators exploited that.

They were targeting the gap created by Kim Mu-hyeok of Korea, the starting point of the drastic changes in North Korea.

“That’s right. After the 5th Corps was cut in half, there was a lot of dissatisfaction. These sudden changes are driving our Republic into the abyss of depravity.”

Those gathered here had sided with Jang Seong-taek’s coup, but they had no intention of giving up their vested interests.

However, Jang Seong-taek did not implement policies for the privileged, but continued to introduce policies for the people.

“Comrade Jang Seong-taek, the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, doesn’t realize what the well-fed people will do later. They will eventually demand more and more, and that will shake the Republic to its core. After eliminating Kim Mu-hyeok, let’s talk to Comrade Jang Seong-taek, the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission.”

“If he doesn’t accept our demands…”

They didn’t need to finish the sentence; everyone knew they would have to remove Jang Seong-taek.

“Everyone listen carefully. This is about returning the Republic to its rightful place. I am here with a heart to save our nation.”

Kim Young-chun, who held the title of Republic Hero, spoke with undeniable weight.

“If this fails, we all must lay down our lives. I will take the lead, so follow me. Can you do that?”

“Yes, Comrade Marshal!”

The others answered loudly.

At that moment a man with three stars on his shoulder asked Kim Young-chun, “Comrade Marshal, what about the units outside of Pyongyang?”

“Don’t worry about them. We’ll finish everything before they arrive. They’ll end up watching and then surrender to us like before.”

Choi Ryong-hae took over Kim Young-chun’s words.

“The core of our revolution is the Pyongyang Defense Command. Comrade Kim Young-chun has taken responsibility for this.”

All the officers inside the command room focused on Choi Ryong-hae’s words.

“The commander will be arrested by officers under our command the moment the revolution begins. Then…”

Choi Ryong-hae explained the operation plan to the officers gathered in the command room for a long time.

To prevent information from leaking, they agreed to gather all the commanders in one place for orders instead of sending them back to the front lines.

Each had a communication device in front of them to issue orders to their respective units.

After Choi Ryong-hae finished speaking, Kim Young-chun checked the time on his wristwatch.

“The operation to behead Kim Mu-hyeok should have started. Everyone, prepare. The moment Kim Mu-hyeok is captured or killed, the operation begins.”

The people gathered in the command room began to pick up their communication devices.

“Wait for the unit to move out!”

The same order was relayed to each unit one by one.

* * *

The officers of the 3rd Guard Unit of the Guard Command Headquarters, who were ordered to escort Kim Mu-hyeok, arrived at the checkpoint.

“Stop there! Stop! If you don’t stop, we’ll shoot! Stop!”

The vehicle stopped before it even reached the checkpoint.

“Get out slowly.”

The soldiers guarding the checkpoint ordered them while aiming their guns.

Shim Woong, who was in the passenger seat, got out and walked towards the checkpoint.

“Stop! Don’t come any closer. Which comrades are you? State your affiliation.”

Shim Woong stopped at their warning.

“I am Senior Colonel Shim Woong of the Guard Headquarters.”

Shim Woong was the person in charge of Kim Mu-hyeok’s escort. He stared at the checkpoint soldiers and said,

“We haven’t received any reports. Which unit do you belong to?”

“We belong to the 5th Corps.”

“Why are you doing this checkpoint?”

“We received intelligence that a reactionary was heading to South Korea. That’s why we set up this checkpoint…”

The soldier couldn’t finish his sentence because Shim Woong shouted furiously.

“What? A reactionary? What nonsense is that? Open the road immediately. The Chairman of the State Affairs Commission’s guest is in the car.”

“We cannot do that. We have our orders. We are soldiers.”

“Move it! Are you the reactionaries? Do you all want to die?”

Shim Woong yelled as he pulled out his pistol.

“Insubordination is subject to summary execution!”

At Shim Woong’s actions, the soldiers from the Guard Headquarters behind him drew their guns and aimed.

The two forces pointed their guns at each other with fierce gazes.

Then, a general-level officer with two stars on his shoulder walked out from behind the checkpoint.

“Hey there, are you Shim Woong?”

“Yes. I am Senior Colonel Shim Woong of the 3rd Bureau of the Guard Headquarters.”

“I am the commander of the armored brigade under the 5th Corps.”

At the mention of the armored brigade commander, Shim Woong paused.

“Put your weapons down. Should we shed our own blood? We received orders.”

“Where did the orders come from?”

“The orders came directly from the Director of the General Political Bureau. So, drop your weapons.”

At the mention of the Director of the General Political Bureau, Shim Woong’s heart sank.

“…The Director of the General Political Bureau gave the orders?”

“Yes. So, follow our orders.”

Shim Woong barely composed his trembling heart and calmly responded, “We are escorting Boss Kim Mu-hyeok, who came from South Korea, per the orders of Chairman Jang Seong-taek of the State Affairs Commission. Is the Director of the General Political Bureau superior to the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission?”

“…”

“We must carry out the orders of the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission. Please step aside.”

After a moment of silence, a low sigh returned. The armored brigade commander massaged his temples and asked Shim Woong,

“Senior Colonel, do you really have to do this? Do you not value your life? This is a lost battle. Drop your weapons and give up.”

“I cannot do that.”

The more their argument continued, the higher the tension rose.

“There’s no choice. Don’t blame me. Arrest them all.”

After issuing the command the armored brigade commander turned around and walked away.

Shim Woong bit his lip at the sight.

‘If this goes on, Boss Kim Mu-hyeok will be arrested.’

Their troop numbers were more than double.

Moreover, if the armored brigade commander had moved, there would surely be tanks waiting nearby.

He needed to buy time before the tanks moved.

“You reactionary bastard! Die!”

Having made his decision, Shim Woong fired his gun.

Bang!

The armored brigade commander was shot and fell, and with that shot, the battle between the two groups began.

Bang, Bang!

Gunfire filled the air in an instant.

Shim Woong was shot in the arm and hid behind the military vehicle.

“You bastards! Kill them all!”

“Don’t back down! Kill one more!”

People on both sides were falling, but as time went on, Shim Woong’s side began to be pushed back.

It was an inevitable result of the difference in troop numbers.

* * *

Kim Manager shouted at the sudden sound of gunfire.

“Boss! Duck your head! You, turn the car around immediately. We need to get out of here!”

I quickly ducked my head at Kim Manager’s instructions, while rapidly trying to think.

‘Are they trying to get rid of me first?’

This was an official visit after crossing the DMZ.

Because of that, the security personnel I personally brought were not even ten.

I received permission from Jang Seong-taek to provide pistols to the security personnel, but we couldn’t possibly fight them with just pistols.

‘I was too naive.’

I acted too predictably against these madmen.

Kim Manager who hurriedly turned the car around, pulled out his pistol and said, “Please keep your head down. It’s dangerous.”

Two military vehicles from the Guard Headquarters followed behind us.

Gunfire continued to ring out, but the sound was getting further away.

I slightly lifted my head and looked behind. There were no cars chasing us yet.

Were the Guard Headquarters officers holding them off well?

My mind was a mess. This can’t be the end, right?

Bang!

Sure enough, one of the military vehicles following us was shelled and overturned.

“Move in a zigzag pattern! Don’t stop. Increase the speed!”

Kim Manager shouted urgently and the driver pressed the accelerator to the floor. I could feel the car speeding up with a roaring engine.

“Boss, we’ll go back to Pyongyang for now.”

I shook my head. There was no way this would be the end.

It was basic for an ambush to have another plan in case the first failed.

“No. It’s dangerous to go back to Pyongyang. Give me the satellite phone.”

Going back to Pyongyang in this situation would be suicidal.

I extended my hand and Kim Manager passed me the bag containing the satellite phone.

“Kim Manager, can you make it to the Russian border?”

“If there’s enough fuel, I can.”

We did fill up the tank with gasoline when we departed from Pyongyang. Kim Manager glanced at the gauges and said with a sigh.

“However, the road conditions aren’t good around there…”

Kim Manager trailed off without finishing his sentence.

I looked at him and opened the bag.

“Then, let’s go towards Rajin first.”

“Yes, Boss.”

The route toward Pyongyang was likely blocked already.

I couldn’t say for sure that other places were safe, but I had to move towards the least dangerous direction first.

Meanwhile, I tried to contact Jang Seong-taek with the satellite phone, but I couldn’t reach him.

I tried connecting multiple times, but it was the same. I unconsciously bit my lip.

‘Did Jang Seong-taek also get hit? No, that can’t be.’

The worst-case scenario popped into my head but I quickly shook it off.

A coup was all about security. A coup that’s already been exposed cannot succeed.

Then, what I could infer from this situation was the priority of the targets.

The coup forces seemed to be planning to eliminate me first and then Jang Seong-taek.

If not they wouldn’t have moved so quickly.

I put Jang Seong-taek who I couldn’t contact behind me and contacted Russia.

― This is Medvedev.

“Medvedev. It’s Kim Mu-hyeok.”

― Ah, Boss Kim. You’re calling on the satellite phone. Are you still in North Korea? You were supposed to be in Korea today…

Medvedev spoke at length, but I interrupted him urgently.

“I am still in North Korea. I was attacked, Medvedev.”

― What are you saying?

“There’s no time to explain. I’m moving towards Rajin. So, please prepare the border so I can cross…”

I asked Medvedev to prepare troops at the border.

As if he understood what was going on with just the short explanation, Medvedev answered immediately.

― Understood. Contact me again in 10 minutes.

After hanging up, I made another call.

“Igor.”

― Yes, Boss.

“You are in Vladivostok, right?”

― Yes, Boss. What’s the matter?

I ordered Igor to deploy immediately. Without a lengthy explanation, Igor seemed to have sensed the emergency.

― Understood. You have to be safe, Boss.

Igor should arrive by the time we reach Rajin.

I tried contacting Jang Seong-taek again. From the shelling just now, it seemed like they didn’t care whether I lived or died.

‘Those bastards!’

They were going to kill me if they couldn’t arrest me.

I didn’t expect them to go to such an extreme.

After trying several more times, I finally got in touch with Jang Seong-taek.

“Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, are you safe? Why haven’t you been answering your calls?”

― I’m sorry. I also received the report and urgently returned. By the way, are you safe Boss Kim?

“I turned the car around quickly when the Guard Headquarters soldiers you assigned started engaging in combat.”

― That’s a relief. It’s really a relief.

Jang Seong-taek sighed in relief, but it was still too early to be relieved.

“What about Pyongyang? Is Pyongyang safe?”

― We are confirming the situation. There’s no movement in Pyongyang. We’ll start the arrest operation with the standby troops immediately.

The original plan was to take down the coup forces after I arrived in Korea.

But that plan had already failed so, we had to move first.

“Start moving immediately. Arrest all the ringleaders.”

― Will you come to Pyongyang?

“No. They probably blocked that route already. I plan to break off and move toward the Russian border. And please allow the Black Bear mercenaries to cross the border.”

I made many other requests to Jang Seong-taek, and he agreed to all of them.

“I will never forget this.”

With those words, I ended the call with Jang Seong-taek.

I glared at the checkpoint while grinding my teeth.

I had to survive first. I needed to live to take revenge, and do whatever else needed to be done.

If I were to die, I couldn’t predict how many others would move for me.

The car that left the highway began to race down a rough unpaved road.