Damn the World, Ride a Submarine - Chapter 123



Only Krnovel

Episode 123 – OSSel

He was carrying his shady thoughts on his cigarette smoke and letting them drift away in the wind.

Hyein approached and our eyes met, and she responded with a faint smile. She was holding coffee in both hands.

“Iced coffee, before it gets colder… haha.”

“I just had a dry mouth. Thank you.”

“Again, are you lost in thought again? Oppa.”

“Yes”

“I think my brother has a hard time because of his imagination.”

“huh?”

“When most people stub their toes, they think it would hurt…”

“…”

“You can imagine it very specifically, oppa. Even the toenails and ligaments. Hahaha.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“What the heck… is that the fascia between the infraspinatus and teres minor muscles?”

“haha.”

“A bullet that fell vertically… would rip the skin on the top of the foot, rupture the veins under the skin, cause internal bleeding… and the impact on the ligaments would be like that.”

“I’m a bit ···”

“Anyway, he didn’t just express the pain as pain. He looked into it in detail, understood it, and talked about it. At first, I thought he was trying to make me laugh.”

“Yeah, that’s true. I used to get teased about that when I was little too. Haha.”

“But. That older brother who is like a tree and a robot… No, ‘the most human-like robot’ would be low.”

“Not a robot-like person, but a human-like robot?”

“Anyway, I think it’s fortunate that that habit helped my brother develop empathy.”

“What? It sounds like a compliment and an insult at the same time. Haha.”

“But what’s going on? Your expression was serious when I saw you a little while ago…”

“Yeah, that’s because there’s a projection that millions of people will die in North Korea alone this winter…”

“Oh my goodness!”

“Yes. It’s terrible.”

“Then, all the people who are taken to places like Aoji will freeze to death.”

“That’s right. All resources will be distributed last…”

“What should I do···”

“Yeah. These people···.”

“yes?”

“No, I’m just talking to myself.”

“If you put your mind to it, anything will work out. I’ve never seen anything that couldn’t be done. Haha.”

I suddenly realized something during my conversation with Hyein.

People are a burden, but they are also our greatest asset and a measure of strength and understanding.

If we can take out a group that is a burden to North Korea, but could be a great asset to us in the long run.

Then, I thought that even if it wasn’t necessarily beneficial, it would lighten the burden on my mind.

I simulated the interests of each country, including North Korea, in my head.

Among them, I thought about what benefits OSS could take and what would be the best way to save people.

First, I instructed this Vice Minister to figure out what North Korea needs, and I asked Secretary-General Jin Min-gyu to look into the repercussions of North Korea joining ESSO and the reactions of each country.

…

As my worries deepen.

Director Jeong Si-woon brought good news. He had been given a special mission.

“Sir, the negotiation went well.”

“Oh! That went well.”

The task given to Director Jeong Si-woon was to gather all of South Korea’s major defense industry companies and create a consortium.

– Consortium: This refers to an association or union created by a group with a common purpose. It is mainly used in business joint ventures or unions.

“Yes. President Han Kyu-dong of Hanwha Ocean helped me a lot.”

“Really? Okay. Haha.”

“All domestic defense companies related to ammunition and missiles, including Hanwha Defense Business Division, LIG ​​Nex1, and Balloon, have participated in OSSel.”

“It exceeded my expectations. Thank you for your hard work, Director.”

“No. I just did my part. The formation of ESSO, which you promoted, became a great lever for the government and defense industry to cooperate.”

“Anyway, thank you for your hard work. It went well.”

“The first technical team was formed by each company and headed to Kiribati OSS-LAND under the leadership of Director Kim Wan-jun.”

“Yes. Thank you for your hard work. Oh, and Director Kim Wan-jun….”

“Oh, yes. A cruise ship?”

“Haha. Yeah, yeah.”

“Yes. For now, negotiations for the acquisition of four ships in Germany have been completed, and it seems that several more ships can be acquired in Italy, France, etc. We will be flying out with our employees soon.”

“As expected! Director Jeong. You’re so dependable. Haha.”

This is why it was necessary to bring together defense companies and create a consortium.

The goal was to give Kiribati the ability to produce its own shells and missiles, which the OSS would consume.

It was felt that stockpiling was not enough to keep up with the rapid pace at which missiles and shells were being consumed during the war in Ukraine.

We also witnessed a surge in demand for conventional shells and ammunition during multinational wars.

Aside from the high price, I realized that the stock of shells itself could be a strategic option.

OSS was determined to build its own shell and missile production facilities, but the technology and facilities were scattered among several companies, putting it in a difficult position.

In addition, since defense is a sensitive industry, cooperation from government authorities has been sluggish.

Since the launch of ESSO, key positions such as the chairman, secretary general, and commander-in-chief of the defense forces have been filled by OSS alumni. Once Korea joined ESSO, things progressed rapidly. (I concurrently held the position of chairman.)

From South Korea’s perspective, having all of its military production facilities concentrated on the Korean Peninsula was a major concern.

The fact that all the strategic facilities were gathered in a small area was a major strategic handicap.

This was because, in the event of an emergency, if the ammunition production facilities were to be shut down due to shelling or air raids, a serious power loss would be unavoidable.

In addition, OSS was to shoulder all the capital to build a defense industry production complex in Kiribati, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It was a difficult offer to refuse, one that would benefit everyone in the long run.

It was decided to build a large-scale ammunition and missile production facility on OP4 (Outpost 4), one of the five islands surrounding the main island, OSS-LAND.

Various bullets and shells made by Poongsan, including rifle bullets, 155mm self-propelled artillery shells, mortar shells, and naval gun shells.

All guided missiles made by Hanwha and LIG Nex1, such as the Hyunmoo, Cheongung, Shingung, Haegung, Cheongung, and Hyeongung, as well as the Blue Shark, White Shark, Hong Shark, and Tiger Shark torpedoes, were needed by the OSS fleet and the ESSO defense force.

The goal was to have facilities capable of producing all the ammunition, shells, and missiles needed by the OSS.

As a result of such efforts, a consortium called OSSel was established.

– OSS (Ocean Science Security)

– OSSel (Operational Support Systems + el) – el is a suffix for kernel, pixel, etc.

This meant that shipyards, research centers, and ammunition factories were all built around OSS-LAND in Kiribati.

If any force were to attack Kiribati, it would have to travel at least 10,000 km and penetrate the US surveillance system centered around Hawaii, as well as the defense and air defense networks of the OSS.

Even if you were planning something like the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in World War II, it would be a target with no cost-effectiveness.

However, because they felt that they could not neglect Kiribati’s defense and security, they organized a separate OSS-LAND defense squadron and sent it to Kiribati. For them, it meant two things: ocean navigation training and vacation.

…

Chief Lee of the Information Department, who had been assigned a mission related to North Korea, requested a secret communication for intelligence reporting.

“Sir, I sent the information report via secure email and contacted you for the verbal report.”

“Yes, sir. I’m curious about the situation in the North.”

“The North’s demands and the reactions of neighboring countries do not seem to differ significantly from what you expected.”

“I see. What exactly does North Korea want?”

“In short, it’s energy resources and food.”

“Then what did you offer in return?”

“The biggest thing is that, starting with joining ESSO, we have made it clear that we intend to cut ties with Russia.”

“And?”

“That we can deploy three or more divisions or a corps-sized ground force to the ESSO Defense Force. And.”

“…”

“If necessary, we can dispatch North Korean labor to wherever we want.”

“Hmm… I expected that, but neither of them really have anything we need.”

“Yes, that’s true. And South Korea is resolutely opposed to North Korea sending ESSO defense forces.”

“That’s right. I don’t really like that part either. And the North Korean authorities will intercept the salaries of the dispatched workers….”

“That’s right. Looking at past cases, a significant portion of the wages paid to workers were taken by the North Korean authorities.”

“Boss!”

“Yes. Do you have any ingenious method? Haha.”

“Well. It’s not like it’s anything new. I just thought about it.”

“Tell me anything. Hasn’t everything you’ve ever thought about come true? Hahaha.”

“To put it simply, I understand that there are about 100,000 political prisoners and their families in North Korea’s political prison camps.”

“It’ll be around that much. At least 80,000.”

“It’s about relocating them permanently to where I want them to be.”

“yes?”

“Wouldn’t it be a difficult situation if we suddenly withdraw the workforce one day, like we did with the Kaesong Industrial Complex or the Geumgangsan tourism project in the past?”

“Yeah. Those guys, that’s true, but…”

“So, it’s not just about sending labor. It’s about permanently relocating people from North Korea’s troublesome political prison camps to distant places like Kiribati to secure labor.”

“That may sound plausible, but for North Korea, even if they are political prisoners, it is like handing over their own citizens…”

“The justification is to increase the labor force. But when winter comes, North Korea will have a hard time managing them. They will probably just let them die.”

“I understand your humanitarian heart, sir, but this is not an ordinary matter.”

“Yes, I know. There must be various difficulties. So I look forward to your skills, Chief. Please do your best to help the North Korean authorities accept this.”

“But where are you going to accommodate so many people?”

“First, we plan to house them on one of the OP islands in OSS-LAND, and after they have had a period of adaptation, we will deploy them as workers on the main island and in the production facilities. If that’s not enough, we can just buy one or two more islands.”

“Oh, I understand. We have no regrets, so let’s give it a try.”

“And. Please make sure to inform the North Korean authorities that if any trickery is discovered, all support can be cut off in an instant.”

“all right.”

Once again,

I was practicing my delusions to ease my mind.

…