Republic of Korea in Yeokcheon - Chapter 347



Only Krnovel

#347. Be honest.

08:00, June 30, 1966.

The command and control room at the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan, Seoul, South Korea.

“Minister Nam Byung-woo, it looks like the Northern Army is resting?”

“Yes, we said we would supply them diligently, but since we are consuming so much ammunition, it seems that we are starting to run out of supplies. We will be reorganizing the front lines for two days to ensure we receive sufficient supplies.”

“Good idea. They need time too. Are they going to get a little more motivated?”

“We are mobilizing all the troops that are there to protect Beijing, whether they are there or not. In addition to the original 2 million reserve troops, we have also scraped together 1 million troops to protect the southern coast.”

“What about the reserves?”

“We are recruiting from all over the country, but we estimate that the number of troops that can actually be brought in and used is between 3 and 4 million. It will take too much time to recruit and organize troops from too far away and have them arrive in Beijing.”

“Still 10 million?” “Haha! That’s right.”

“This is truly amazing, this is amazing. Has there ever been a war like this in human history?”

“Of course not. And there will be even less of it in the future.”

Within a week of starting the war, millions of soldiers were killed.

And in that situation, with an army of nearly 10 million men being assembled on one front, it was clear that there had never been a war like this before and that there would never be one in the future.

“How many people will gather in two days?”

“I think about 70% of the troops I mentioned will be gathered.”

“Really? Hmm… … .”

“You don’t like it?”

“Isn’t it a little lacking?”

“The rest will likely gather during the battle….”

“I guess so. Hmm, instead of that, how about telling Jaeha Lee to rest for one more day?”

“It doesn’t matter. Should I do that?”

“Okay, let’s do that.”

“All right.”

To someone who doesn’t know English, they would think we’re waiting for our troops to gather.

However, what Lee Kang-cheol is waiting for is clearly enemy forces.

We hope to gather as many people as possible at once.

I want to deal with it all in one room.

“Excuse me, Mr. President.”

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Jeong Seon-ho summoned Lee Kang-cheol.

“Uh, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Why?”

“Beijing horse.”

“Why Beijing?”

“Isn’t it certain that our northern army will reach Beijing soon?”

“yes.”

“In that case, we need guidance on how to bombard or air raid Beijing. Commander Lee Jae-ha of the Northern Army and the Air Force have also requested guidance in advance.”

“Ah! I see.”

There was a reason why Jeong Seon-ho asked for these instructions.

Peking.

It is truly an ancient city among ancient cities.

Going back in history, it is said that the Peking Man, a species belonging to Homo erectus that appeared nearly 2 million years ago, was discovered in Fangshan District, southwest of Beijing.

And it was the city where the capital of Yan, one of the Seven Warlords of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, was located. Later, it was Nanjing, one of the five capitals of the Liao Dynasty, and it was also the capital of the Jin Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty.

In short, it is a city with a truly deep history that has never been out of the center of Asian history even before the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty moved the capital there.

It is no wonder that there are so many relics and ruins that even in modern times, seven sites have been registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Of course, it was completely plundered during the Second Opium War.

Anyway, this is Jeong Seon-ho’s request.

Sooner or later, there will come a situation where Beijing will be bombed or air raided. Since war is war, will we bombard and air raid according to principle?

Or should we protect even the Chinese relics and artifacts?

The request was for guidance on this.

“Hmm, Prime Minister Koh.”

“yes.”

“What do you think?”

“I think it’s right to protect if possible.”

“Why?”

“This time, we intervened and it didn’t happen, but think of the modern-day bombing of Dresden. I don’t want to be criticized for a long time like Arthur Harris in Britain.”

“yes?”

“Isn’t that obvious? Besides, Dresden at least had military factories around the city. Why on earth would we destroy the ruins and relics of Beijing? They’re not particularly helpful for the war effort.”

Field Marshal Arthur Harris, famous for being the commander of Britain’s Bomber Command during World War II.

In American terms, he is like the original Curtis LeMay, but he received considerable criticism after the war.

In particular, he was criticized to the point of being summoned to a hearing in his own country for the bombing of Dresden in February 1945, when the war was virtually certain, and he was not properly treated as a war hero.

All it took was Churchill advocating for a joint bombing campaign and then quietly stepping back, feeling sorry for him and promoting him to field marshal.

“Besides, the world has changed. Even during World War II, they were constantly criticized, but now, 20 years have passed and we have TVs. Tangshan was a disaster brought on by Lin Biao’s Northeast Army, but Beijing is not like that. They will really be criticized for a long time. And they can do precision artillery and bombing, so why bother doing that?”

“Anyway, it’s the opposite?”

“Yes, I disagree.”

“hmm…….”

Lee Kang-cheol thought for a moment and then opened his mouth.

“Well, let’s do this. In general, Prime Minister Ko is right. There is no need to destroy the urban areas where civilians live, the historical sites, and the relics. However, if we ban it outright, I think the field commanders might feel intimidated.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Also, the situation is different from Dresden. Beijing is the front line, right? With 10 million troops defending it, some amount of artillery fire and air raids are inevitable. So, if possible, avoid world-famous historical sites like the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and the Summer Palace, and ban the use of incendiary bombs in urban areas where civilians exist. Okay?”

“All right.”

In the end, it was decided that it was not a complete ban, but that field commanders should use caution at their own discretion.

Although it is a bit vague, if you provide a list of historical sites to avoid and their coordinates, they will automatically avoid them.

They also won’t like being cursed at for a long time later.

“By the way, what happened to their air force? Why isn’t it taking off? The Republic of China is trying to use it somehow.”

“The tactical aircraft capabilities they possess are very different from those of the Republic of China. The People’s Liberation Army Air Force only has MiG-17 and MiG-19 fighters, and they know that they won’t be able to do anything to our Air Force.”

“Do you really tease me like that?”

“Hahaha! That’s not possible. As Beijing becomes more dangerous, their fighters are gathering in large numbers at the air force base west of Beijing. Perhaps a human wave tactic by fighters? Or should I say a sea tactic? Anyway, I expect them to attack in groups once or twice.”

“Wouldn’t a MiG-17 or a MiG-19 be dangerous in an air battle? I heard that the US military had a hard time in the Vietnam War.”

“That’s because at the time, the US military was caught up in the foolish belief that missiles were the only thing that mattered, and their missile performance couldn’t keep up. Our air-to-air missiles are at least 20 years ahead, so this doesn’t apply to us.”

“Anyway, I told him to be careful.”

“All right.”

As Lee Kang-cheol said, at least it was right to be cautious about the MiG-19.

The MiG-17 fighter was nothing special as it was just an improved version of the MiG-15, but the MiG-19 fighter showed considerable fighting performance against the F-4 Phantom II, which was not equipped with a cannon due to its missile supremacy, during the Vietnam War.

“And is there anything special going on on the Southern Front?”

“The situation remains as the ROC Army is suffering a major defeat on the Hong Kong front in the southeast, and the front is gradually advancing eastward.”

“What about the Southwestern Front?”

“The Burmese and proxy allied forces are still fighting well. We don’t have armored units, but we do have artillery support.”

“I told you not to push yourself too hard. After all, isn’t the southeastern front the main force on the southern front?”

“you’re right.”

“So tell him to take it slow, take it slow.”

“All right.”

“Is Kim Jong-woo still the same?”

“Yes, we are leisurely conducting an air strike with carrier-based fighters.”

“He’ll do whatever he wants, so just leave him alone and don’t touch him.”

“All right.”

“Hmm, anyway, if the southern front is like this, I think Chiang Kai-shek will start playing with the nuclear card, right? Director Cho.”

“yes.”

Director Cho Tae-hyun of the National Intelligence Service, who had been quiet, answered.

“Isn’t that right? If the capital city of Bokju is being bombed, wouldn’t it be time to start protesting with nuclear bombs?”

“That’s right. I expect to do that soon.”

The nuclear bomb itself is the last resort to protect one’s own country.

However, since the Republic of China’s capital was already under air raid, it was obvious that they would bring out a nuclear bomb.

“Are you sure about the location?”

“Yes, that’s for sure.”

“Yeah, if you miss that, it’ll be a big deal, so keep an eye out for it.”

“If you’re worried, why don’t you just remove it now?”

“I think it’s still a little early. What should I say? I want to see them lose their final battle, even though they’ve already won.”

“Aren’t you being a bit mean?”

“No, I’m not telling you to fuck off on purpose. I’m just trying to make sure that no matter how hard they run, they know that we’re on their own. That way, they won’t mess around with us again.”

“Hahaha! I understand. Anyway, whenever you give me the order, I will remove it immediately.”

“okay.”

* * *

As Lee Kang-cheol said, the Republic of China was playing the nuclear bomb card.

11:00 a.m., June 29, 1966.

Presidential Office, Fuzhou, Republic of China.

“Commander Cheoncheong.”

“Yes, Your Excellency the President.”

“The situation in the North is also very bad, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is said that the South Korean army has already advanced 100km east of Beijing. They have already lost 3 million troops.”

“3 million in 5 days?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Huh! This is it.”

Chiang Kai-shek was so shocked that he was speechless.

They say they lost 3 million in 5 days.

If we calculate it in terms of divisions, it means that we lost 300 divisions of 10,000 men each, and it is questionable whether that was possible in just 5 days.

Chiang Kai-shek became increasingly unconfident.

“Be honest with me. Is this war hopeless?”

“… … .”

Commander-in-Chief Cheon Cheong was at a loss as to what to say.

Objectively speaking, it is a situation where we are being pushed back unilaterally.

But it’s only been five days since the war began.

As the commander-in-chief, it was something I could never do, even if it meant dying, to admit defeat after only five days.

“I told you to be honest.”

“Honestly, it is true that it is difficult. However, I think it is too early to talk about the prospects.”

“Why? Our capital is under air raid?”

“That happened because the capital itself was a port city, right? And even though they’re conducting airstrikes with carrier-based aircraft, they won’t be able to easily carry out a landing operation. No matter how strong they are, they won’t be able to attack our capital with a landing force alone.”

“So what? There’s hope, what?”

“The Western Front has not been pushed back that far yet. Peng Dehuai has personally assembled an army of 10 million men on the Northern Front and is preparing for a defensive battle. Please give us just a little more time.”

“how much?”

“Just give me five days.”

“Okay, let’s do that. If we’re still behind after that time, we’ll have no choice but to make a decision.”

“All right.”

It was obvious that it was a decision.

The idea was to break up the alliance by using nuclear bombs and ensure the survival of the Republic of China.