Damn the World, Ride a Submarine - Chapter 133



Only Krnovel

Episode 133 – 3 Years

Let’s quote the line from the movie “The Villainess”: “Don’t trust people, trust the situation.” The manager nodded slowly as if he understood my true intention.

The background of this report by Chief Lee, the former colonel Jeong I-seong, was as follows.

It was said that, because of his family background, where his ancestors were landowners in Hamgyeong Province, it was impossible for him to be promoted to the rank of left-hand officer in North Korea.

However, the director said that he was a self-made man who rose to the position through tremendous effort and ability.

“Sir, since there isn’t anyone particularly suitable for the position at the moment, I don’t think Lieutenant Jeong I-seong would be a bad choice.”

“…”

“The chief has examined him closely, so I will appoint him as a division commander. I will give him shoulder straps and other things.”

“When you say that, I feel a heavy sense of responsibility.”

“Boss.”

“Yes, sir.”

“People continue to change in one way or another. The guides to that change are the environment and people. Once I’ve decided, it’s out of your hands, Manager.”

“Yes, I understand, sir.”

The Jeong I-seong seat may also be changing, and we have also been changing endlessly.

I thought that rather than forcing beliefs, an environment where you have no choice but to keep your promises strengthens your faith.

“But… the representative’s visit to the founding ceremony of the Free Division… is also for the sake of boosting morale….”

“Why are you making that statement so difficult? Haha.”

“I am cautious because I think the CEO is uncomfortable with such events.”

“Even if it’s uncomfortable, I have to go. They dragged people from far away and dropped them in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. If I go, it will help put the residents at ease.”

“Thank you, sir. I will call in Lieutenant Jeong I-seong first.”

“yes.”

We looked into the status of the troops in connection with the creation of the Free Division.

As head of the OSS and commander-in-chief of the ESSO Defense Forces, I commanded over 220,000 ground troops, and over 350,000 combined in the Navy and Air Force.

The regular army of South Korea, ranked 6th in the world in terms of conventional military power, had 500,000 soldiers, and the NRF, which was directly under NATO’s control, had about 50,000 soldiers.

– NRF (NATO Response Force): NATO Rapid Response Force

Three years ago, I founded the security company OSS with two team members: Team Leader Kim Jun-myeong and Deputy Team Leader Park Il-rim.

What started out that way led to the creation of an international organization called ESSO, which now commands hundreds of thousands of troops.

I remembered my visit to Corsica on the Sognatre, and standing in front of the statue of Napoleon in Ajaccio, I thought of him as a dreamer who never gave up on his dreams.

It seemed like my pace was faster than his, who started out as a lieutenant and rose to become emperor.

He took military command in Italy three years after his first participation in the siege of Toulon in 1793, and eight years later he was crowned emperor. Ten years later he was deposed.

Not only Napoleon, but also Alexander and Hitler all walked the path to downfall.

Looking back on that incident, I thought that I should prepare for the downfall that may come someday.

But there was a person who did not suffer such a downfall.

Ironically, that person was Kim Il-sung.

‘What is this feeling of awkwardness…’

…

With the creation of the OSS Free Division, I instructed Director of Strategy Coordination Jae-seong Yoo to write a report on the status of troops, not equipment.

***Summary of OSS and ESSO Troop Status***

* OSS Direct Ground Forces *

OSS Special Task Force Brigade – 2,000 men / Shinheung Camp

OSS Artillery Brigade – 2,500 men / Shinheung Camp

OSS Drone Brigade – 3,500 / TMSH

OSS Crimean Brigade – 3,000 men / Ukraine

OSS Freedom Division – 7,000 men / Marshall Islands

OSS Far East Corps – 50,000 men / soldiers from the Far Eastern Republic)

* ESSO Defense Force **

ESSO Korean Forces – 30,000 men

ESSO Far East Forces – 70,000 men

ESSO Northern Forces – 40,000 men / Deployed from North Korea

ESSO Philippine Army – 10,000 (stationed in Mindanao)

** Sea, Air Force **

OSS Navy – 70,000 (including air force)

ESSO Far East Fleet – Approximately 15,000 people

OSS Air Force – 10,000 (including OSSAC)

ESSO Air Force – 10,000 people

* * * * * * *

…

Not long after, Colonel Jeong I-seong came to the Shinheung Camp. It was for a promotion ceremony.

His first impression was that he had a tanned face and a skinny build, but his determined eyes gave off a military vibe.

A small promotion ceremony for Colonel Jeong I-seong was held in the Shinheung Camp auditorium.

I gave him two stars and green epaulettes on his shoulders and gave him an M1911 pistol with my name and OSS engraved on it.

“Your Majesty! I will be loyal to you.”

It felt awkward to hear the word loyalty shouted out loud by Chief Jeong I-seong in a conversational tone rather than as a salute.

“Yes. Please take care of it, sir! I hope the soldiers and the residents think of me as their own.”

“all right.”

“I hope you take good care of the soldiers of the division as well as the residents who immigrated from the North.”

I lightly patted Chief Jeong I-seong on the shoulder as I released his handshake. Then he straightened his back and brought his heels together.

“The people who escaped North Korea follow the Marshal like a father.”

“Father! I am just a commander. That expression makes me uncomfortable.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I will correct it.”

“Haha, it’s okay. I guess I’m just not used to it yet. I understand.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“But you don’t speak Northern dialect. Haha.”

“I practiced hard to meet you, my lord.”

“Oh, you didn’t do that on purpose… Anyway, I’ll be going to the founding ceremony soon, so please take good care of the people until then.”

“Is the enemy coming?”

Director Jeong I-seong seemed surprised and continued speaking in his usual tone.

“Of course. A new unit is being created. As the commander, I should congratulate you. And I should also hold a division commander appointment ceremony in front of the unit members. Haha.”

“If the people can meet the Marshal they have been dreaming of, it will be an infinite honor.”

“Yes. I’ll tell you in advance. I feel uncomfortable with excessive hospitality and events. So please don’t let me know in advance, and I would like you to keep the events small.”

“Yes! I understand. Of course, I’m not an ignorant person who would carelessly reveal the enemy’s whereabouts.”

“Haha. Yes. Now that you’re a division commander, I have a favor to ask.”

He answered again, tapping his toes together.

“I will follow your orders, Marshal.”

“More than training and discipline, please take care of the hearts and bodies of the soldiers who have left their homeland and traveled far away.”

“Yes! I will follow your will, my lord.”

After the promotion ceremony, Division Commander Jeong I-seong returned to the Marshall Islands. After seeing him off, Vice-Chief Lee seemed to have something to say.

“Boss, is there anything else?”

“Yes. We have received a request from the United States to sell our unmanned torpedo boat, Marine Spectre.”

“How many?”

“That’s not the issue, we made technology transfer a prerequisite.”

“Then, tell them you’re not selling it.”

“Ah… sir. But it’s America….”

“No, just tell them that you won’t transfer technology or sell it.”

“yes?”

“Has the US ever sold the F22, let alone transferred its technology?”

“ah ···.”

“The Marine Spectre and Sonic Phantom are game changers for submarine operations, comparable to the F22. They knew that and contacted us.”

“I guess so.”

“But the fact that they brought it up from the beginning of the technology transfer means they thought we were stupid.”

“…”

“Negotiations should be done with moderation. If you start haggling down from 10 won to 10,000 won, the negotiation will fall apart.”

“Now that I hear you, that’s true. It seems like America hasn’t been able to change its old habits.”

“For us, Marine Specter and Sonic Phantom are like the F-22 of the US…”

“…”

“Tell them that there will be no technology transfer or licensed production, and that there will be no sales plans for the time being.”

“all right.”

There was no great resistance to the idea that it was natural for a powerful country to be shameless.

Even so, the United States should have shown such shamelessness when compared to the national power of the opposing country, but sometimes it did not.

This was especially true in Korea. That’s it! It seemed like South Korea’s low-profile diplomacy had made it so.

Japan says it is because of its complex as a defeated nation, but in Korea, it was the convenient ‘phantom of anti-communism’ of those in power that made it so.

In particular, Korea was more than just a solid partner in the political situation in Northeast Asia; it was also a recipient of help from the United States.

In common parlance, if South Korea says, “America is out,” and develops nuclear weapons because of the threat of North Korea’s nuclear weapons, it will arm itself with nuclear weapons in half a year. It also has all the means to launch them.

Then the US will impose economic sanctions. But even then, only the US will suffer.

Now that Taiwan has fallen to China, how will we procure semiconductors? Without Korean semiconductors, almost all industries in the U.S. will fall into chaos.

The United States is well aware of this and will be ready to make concessions at any time.

But how happy is it for the United States that South Korea is ‘crawling on its own’?

Even if South Korea were to develop nuclear weapons, it was frustrating that the United States could not use the situation as leverage for diplomatic negotiations, despite the fact that it was a situation where the United States should just sit back and do nothing.

In all matters, I have often wondered if the government and diplomatic officials who are so anxious about the United States were thinking of the country rather than the regime.

It was a problem of an elected power that knew nothing about technological superiority and military dynamics, a cartel of iron-fisted civil servants who stood in line for the comfort of that regime. The shame and frustration were the people’s.

In such a situation, news related to OSS and ESSO seemed to restore the self-esteem of the Korean people in another sense.

It was because of the sole fact that the head was a Korean citizen.

…

South Korea was weathering its second winter well, even though Seoul was hit by a severe cold snap that brought temperatures down to minus 40 degrees Celsius. The crisis was averted thanks to energy imported from the Far Eastern Republic.

That doesn’t mean there was no tragedy.

Double-digit death tolls were reported every day, with more than 10 people freezing to death. More people were dying from the cold than died in traffic accidents before the Little Ice Age.

Even in South Korea, which is well prepared with sufficient resources, there is a forecast that hundreds to thousands of people will die this winter.

Some people died trying to save on heating costs as a vulnerable group, and homeless people who were unable to take refuge in cold wave shelters in advance inevitably froze to death.

Amidst the depressing news coming from all over the place, Hanwha Ocean CEO Han Kyu-dong delivered some good news.

“Sir! The first Arsenal ship is about to be launched.”

…