21st century Goguryeo

Chapter 314: Season 2 Book 13, Chapter 1-1 New winds – 1-1 An expected threat

 

September 1st, 2023, 10:00

The special patient’s ward at the Pyeong-yang General Hospital (the old Josun-Goryeo Hospital) Daedong River County, Pyeongyang, North State

The presidential palace in North Korea, also known as the Kumsu Mountain Solar Palace, was once used as Kim Jong-un’s office and displayed the permanently preserved bodies of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jung-il. After Corea was unified, it became a famous tourist attraction in Pyeong-yang, and an unending line of tourists still visited the palace.

The bodies of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jung-il were all obviously moved to a park near the Baek-du Mountain in June 2021.

Many of the citizens in Pyeong-yang protested the decision, but thanks to Vice President Kim Yo-jung’s persuasion, the move went smoothly.

One man was watching the transition of the presidential palace into a tourist attraction with a heavy heart. That man was Kim Jong-un, the former supreme leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

He had been unconscious for eight years since the Pyeong-yang terrorist bombing on August 15th, 2015. After hearing about the changes that had happened over the past nine years, his sense of reality was shaken and the shock was severe for him. He did show signs of mental illness at times while throwing fits, but through medications and therapy, his mental health slowly recovered.

“Downtown Pyeong-yang has changed beautifully.”

Kim Jong-un wanted to deny it, but Pyeong-yang had changed dramatically compared to eight years ago, and he uttered the words without even realizing it.

“The Ryugyong Hotel especially,” Kim Jong-un once again muttered to himself after seeing the hotel designed in a pyramid fashion past the Daedong River.

The hotel was a joint project with France that began in 1987, but North Korea’s financial issues and delayed payments put a halt to the project and it became an eyesore. It had the depressing honor of being featured in the ‘Top 10 ugliest buildings in the world’ in 2009. Construction was continued again through the investment of the public Egyptian Orascom company, but after being unable to raise over 3 billion dollars, it was delayed once more. Once the terrorist attack occurred in 2015, all construction was completely halted and the hotel had been abandoned.

However, after the reunification in 2021, the Department of Northern State Recovery Industry started a bid for the hotel’s construction as a priority, and the project was underway once more. The hotel was finally finished in September 2023, and it had now become the number one hotel tourists and visitors of Pyeong-yang wanted to stay in.

Other high-rise buildings 50 stories high were built around the area alongside the Ryugyong Hotel, and the roadways built with concrete were now cleanly covered with asphalt. Floating cars never before seen were flying along the roads.

Kim Jong-un was unconscious for eight years, but the city seemed to have made 50 years of advancements in technology.

“When is my sister Kim Yo-jung coming?” Kim Jong-un, who had been watching downtown Pyeong-yang for 10 minutes, turned around and asked the man in a black suit standing behind the doctors and nurses following him 24 hours a day. Kim Jong-un who was used to wielding absolute power still spoke in a commanding tone to everyone.

“She is scheduled to visit you at 1:00 pm tomorrow.”

The man in the black suit wanted to call him an evil pig.

“I see. Where are you from? Are you from the security department?”

“The security department no longer exists. Also, I can’t disclose that information because it is confidential.”

“What’s so amazing about that that you need to keep it a secret?”

“Sorry.”

“Well, I suppose it can’t be helped, I would like to ask for a favor.”

“Wha-what is it?”

“Please get me Kim Gi-nam, La Dong-il, and Kim Hyung-chul. I’ve woken up but they haven’t even visited me yet.”

The men Kim Jong-un spoke of were the highest-ranking government officials from the North Korean government.

“I’m sorry, but you are unable to have visits with them.”

“What? Why?”

“Orders from up top.”

“You bastard, who do you think I am? Call them over now!” Kim Jong-un shouted so loudly that his cheeks started to shake.

“He was quiet for a while and now he’s at it again! I am sick of hearing that pig squealing.” Assistant Manager Ahn Kang-soo from the NIS ACS department was stationed here after Kim Jong-un regained consciousness, and he responded to him in a dry tone as if he was used to his tantrums. “I’m sorry. As I have said before, I have been ordered by my superiors, so even if you yell at me, there’s nothing I can do.”

“Really? Then get me your superiors.”

“They will arrive with Senator Kim Yo-jung tomorrow. You should speak with them then.”

“All right. Get out of here. I’m sick of you hovering over me!” Kim Jong-un shouted and walked back into his bedroom.

Ahn Kang-soo, who was now in an awkward position, waved at the other agents to leave. Meanwhile, the doctors and nurses from the northern state were all shaking from fear and couldn’t do anything but listen while standing near a wall. The world had changed in over eight years, but to the minds of the citizens in the Northern state, Kim Jong-un was still feared by many.

“Doctor, nurse, please stay here, and if something comes up, please let us know. There’s no need to be anxious. That man is just an ordinary citizen. Understood?”

Assistant Manager Ahn Kang-soo must have felt pity for the doctors and nurses quivering in fear and walked out of the patient’s room.

“God, I just want to beat the crap out of that pig, Assistant Manager Ahn, sir!” Chief Oh Tae-gyu, who was the first to be stationed here from the ACS, started to swear at the door of the room.

“Leave him be. Every day must be a living hell for that fat bastard. The whole world turned upside down after he got up, didn’t it?”

“Exactly, sir. He still thinks and acts like he is a king from the Kim family line.”

Chief Kim Myung-gyu, who was standing next to chief Oh, started to complain as well. “He should have died, but now he is back and causing trouble for everyone.”

“Quiet. If that fat pig hears, then we will be in trouble. So be careful.”

“Yes, sir.”

* * *

September 1st, 2023, 21:00

The South State, Seoul, Kangnam-ku, NIS (the top-secret document archives)

“How is the target’s status?” Director Na Bong-il from the NIS, who had served the longest term since the newly unified government was founded in 2021, had retired, and Director Lee Young-jin was speaking covertly with another agent at the most secretive place in the entire building.

“He has completely regained consciousness and can now move short distances without the aid of a wheelchair. These are the documents that outline his health.”

Department Head Youn Soo-gil from the ACS had started to move after emergency code 1 was declared. He was promoted to department head in January of this year from being Intelligence Team 1’s manager since 2013.

“What about Kim Yeo-jung?” Vice President Kim Yeo-jung had finished her term of two years and ran for the position of senator on February 10th, 2023. She was elected and now working as a senator at the Senate in Yeoui Island.

* After the reunification, Corea now consisted of 7 states and 1 self-governed state. The government had disbanded the original congressional system, and started to use the two-party system from the U.S. Elections for congressmen started on April 11th, 2021, and congressmen in relation to the region’s population were allotted a total of 350 seats and a term of 4 years. Elections for senators were also held on April 11th, 2021, and 14 seats for the 7 states and 2 for the self-governed state were allotted regardless of the population with a total seat of 100 and a term of 4 years.

“Yes, she will attend to political affairs in the morning and then attend ceremonies in the countryside this afternoon. She is scheduled to visit Kim Jong-un at 1:00 pm tomorrow.”

“Nothing can be left out while watching Kim Yeo-jung, do you understand? She is on the top watchlist. You are keeping tabs and recording all conversations during hospital visits, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good! Was there anything notable about him?”

“There were no signs of outside contact, but he did ask for his three closest government officials recently.”

“Who?”

“Kim Ki-nam, the chairman of the people’s congress, Ra Dong-il, the director of the security command, and Kim Hyung-chul, who used to be the deputy director of the general political bureau. Everyone except Kim Hyung-chul has retired from politics.”

“Kim Hyung-chul?”

“It’s the same Kim Hyung-chul, who is now the deputy director of the central investigative bureau founded in 2022.”

“Hmm, I’m concerned about Kim Hyung-chul.”

Director Lee Young-jin placed the documents he was checking into his briefcase. Despite the fact there were only two people in the room, he leaned in and whispered, “Chief Youn! Place Kim Hyung-chul under 24-hour surveillance as well.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Make sure Kim Hyung-chul doesn’t catch wind of our activities! If word gets out about intelligence agencies spying on each other, that can cause headaches for us!”

“No need to worry, sir.”

“The Blue House is highly concerned! They are worried about damaging the peaceful reunification that we achieved. You understand, right?”

“Yes, sir. I am completely aware.”

“Great! Let me know if you need more manpower or budget.”

“Yes, sir.”

Inside the secret archives that were only accessible to department heads, the two men were discussing dangerous topics about spying on a politician, but Director Lee Young-jin and Department Head Youn Soo-gil were already on the move silently to prevent the worst from happening once Kim Jong-un was awake.

* * *

September 2nd, 2023, 09:00

The South State, Seoul, Jongro-ku, the Blue House (the President’s office)

To the Choo Un-hee administration of the unified Corean government, Kim Jong-un was a volatile piece on a chessboard. He legally held no position or power, but he was once the supreme leader of North Korea with the firm support of the people. His influence was something that could be ignored. In truth, the scope of influence he held was unknown.

North and South Korea were unified through the agreement with Vice-chairman Kim Yeo-jung, but in reality, Kim Jong-un was the one who held the power and final say in the matter. Kim Yeo-jung had acted as his proxy during the time he was unconscious, but if he had demanded a renegotiation of the unification or demand North Korea’s independence, then it would have no legal binding and could cause controversy within the international community.

The Corean government had prepared a few road maps for what do to if Kim Jong-un woke up before the reunification took place.

The solution was ACS (Around-the-Clock Surveillance). The ACS was the 24-hour surveillance department that usually would be tasked with the same jobs for intelligence departments, but once a national emergency took place, they would spring into action. This department’s existence was only known to NIS department heads or higher.

Once Kim Jong-un woke up, the ACS was immediately deployed to watch him.

At the 10th floor ward of Pyeong-yang General Hospital (the old Josungoryeo Hospital) where Kim Jong-un was, 12 ACS agents would keep watch in 6-hour shifts around the clock. 20 additional supporting agents were also present near the hospital. On top of that, 100 policemen were deployed from the Pyeong-yang police department to bar all entrances to the special ward on the 10th floor. There was now double the number of guards from before Kim Jong-un regained consciousness.

Once the ACS was active, President Choo Un-hee received a report about Kim Jong-un’s status every morning from Director Lee Young-jin.

“Is that true?”

“Yes, that’s right, madam president! Kim Ki-nam and Ra Dong-il have retired, but Kim Hyung-chul is the current central investigation bureau’s deputy director, and we have ordered round-the-clock surveillance on him just like we did for Senator Kim Yeo-jung.”

“Director Lee! I would like to have the remaining two men go under 24-hour surveillance as well.”

“Even the retired men?”

“Director Lee!” The president raised her voice when Director Lee Young-jin questioned her.

“Yes, madam president!”

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“I don’t want to leave a single shred of threat untouched. The peaceful unification was achieved through the efforts of the previous government. How could you be so lax at a time like this?”

“I apologize.”

“If there’s anything you need, just ask. You have my full support. Please do your best since the future of our nation is on the line. I beg you, Director Lee!”

“Yes, I was short-sighted. I apologize, madam president.”