Republic of Korea in Yeokcheon - Chapter 72



Only Krnovel

#72. Before you die, know your sins and die.

June 30, 1945, 10:20 p.m.

Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta!

A Surion helicopter was landing at the Yongsan ROK Armed Forces Headquarters heliport.

And when the rotor stopped, three people wearing cloth bags were dragged out by the agents and immediately imprisoned in the basement of the headquarters building.

“We have arrived.”

Jo Tae-hyeon reported to Lee Kang-cheol and Ko Seok-man, who were in Yongsan in advance.

“okay? “You were imprisoned underground, right?”

“Yes, Kim Il-sung and the other two were separated and imprisoned.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

Clap!

Lee Kang-cheol and Go Seok-man went down to a place that resembled a dungeon, and when the iron door opened, a man still wearing a cloth bag was sitting tied to a chair.

Then, Jo Tae-hyun made a wink and one of the agents took off the cloth bag covering the man’s head, and the man looked around, frowning as if he was dazzled by the light that suddenly entered his eyes.

It was Kim Il-sung.

“Who the hell are you? Who is kidnapping people? “Because you know who I am?”

Despite this situation, Kim Il-sung continued to shout without being discouraged.

Step by step! Step by step!

Lee Kang-cheol stepped forward and opened his mouth.

“Who are you?”

“I am Kim Il-sung! Kim Il-sung! Hero of the Battle of Pochonbo! That Kim Il-sung is me! Do you think you can get away with this? “Who are you?”

“me? “My name is Lee Kang-cheol.”

“Lee Kang-cheol? What if it’s Lee Kang-cheol?”

Kim Il-sung avoided the blinding light of the electric light and looked at the tall man standing in front of him.

It was a military uniform with a strange pattern that I had seen in Pyongyang, and although it was black, it had a captain rank insignia on the chest.

“Uh, that Lee Kang-cheol? Chairman Lee Kang-cheol?”

“Yes, I am the commander-in-chief and president of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.”

“Oh, no, how did this happen? Why does someone like you treat me like this? It’s me, Kim Il-sung, Kim Il-sung! “This is Kim Il-sung, who brought the world of Joseon to a boil with the Battle of Pochonbo!”

“You know, you are Kim Il-sung.”

“Well, then why are you doing this? “I heard that the new government treats independence activists well!”

“Are you curious?”

“Yes, it is! “I don’t know what the misunderstanding is, but I just returned home after hearing that my country had become independent!”

Kim Il-sung shouted so desperately.

Because he returned to the country under orders from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, he quietly entered the country, but he thought that if he went out and revealed that he was Kim Il-sung, the hero of Pochonbo, many people would welcome him.

But kidnapping?

And even the president of the new government came out in person?

Although it is known that the new government is not very friendly to communism, Park Heon-young is not persecuted to this extent even if he is seen walking around unharmed.

There must have been some misunderstanding.

“You’ll be curious. And it will be unfair?”

“Yes, it is! “Something is wrong with this!”

At that time, an agent came in carrying a package.

“This is what these guys had.”

“what?”

“The Tokarev pistol, shortwave radio, and code book cost $2,000 USD.”

“Soviet spy.”

“Yes, based on your belongings, there is no doubt about it.”

“Anyway, after doing what a bastard does. In the meantime, did you return home after receiving orders from the Soviet Union?”

When Lee Kang-cheol spoke with a contemptuous look, Kim Il-sung shook his head furiously and shouted.

“Oh, it’s a misunderstanding!”

“What is the misunderstanding?”

“I was just pretending to receive instructions from the Soviet Union in order to return home! If I hadn’t accepted their offer, I wouldn’t have even been able to leave the country! “Because of what the new government has done, the Soviet Communist Party’s view of Koreans is not very good!”

“Do the damn thing.”

“yes?”

I have already heard that the Soviet Communist Party openly treats Koreans poorly.

Perhaps they blamed the Republic of Korea for their diminished position after the sudden emergence of the Republic of Korea and their eventual expulsion from the Allied Powers.

It was also true.

However, pretending to accept the offer to become a spy in order to return home was clear bullshit.

“If what you say is true, you should have reported it to the ROK military units, police stations, or administrative offices as soon as you came in. “There was no one watching you, right?”

“…”

“But instead of reporting it, you sent Oh Jin-woo to secretly try to recruit Park Heon-young, and you’re saying such nonsense?”

“No, that’s…”

“Shut up and listen! And US$2,000? Do you think things are going well for the Soviets these days? “Are you going to give $2,000 in compensation to the guy you coerced into becoming a spy?”

“…”

At that time, $2,000 was a huge amount of money.

Would you give such a large amount of money to someone you don’t even know is going to run away?

What about today’s Soviet beggars?

It was nonsense, and even Kim Il-sung kept his mouth shut as if he knew it.

“Director Cho.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“I don’t plan on dragging this on for too long. “I want you to tell me all the information by tomorrow morning?”

“haha! Don’t worry. “I will do it with joy.”

“Yes, don’t hesitate by any means necessary. “All you have to do is hold your breath.”

“All right.”

“Where is this law? “Please let me go to trial!”

“Noisy!”

“If the people find out about this, they won’t remain silent!”

“that’s right. It’s probably noisy. That’s why I caught both the mouse and the bird without them knowing.”

Kim Il-sung’s reputation was considerable.

The expeditionary force recovered the Korean Peninsula and was surprised.

The reason was, of course, that damn battle of Pochonbo.

The Battle of Pochonbo actually occurred when Kim Il-sung led approximately 150 to 170 troops from the Northeast Anti-Japanese Alliance and the Korean Association for the Restoration of the Fatherland in Manchuria and attacked a police station where five expatriates were working in Pochon-myeon, Gapsan-gun, South Hamgyong Province, killing the police officer’s two-year-old daughter and a civilian cook. It’s a murder case.

If you look at the results alone, it’s just a ridiculously small incident, but the timing was a work of art.

The Battle of Pochonbo took place in June 1937.

By this time, the anti-Japanese movement in Manchuria had dried up, and the independence movement in Joseon had virtually no resistance due to the arrest of Lee Jae-yu.

Therefore, Japan believed that Joseon’s independence movement had completely disappeared, but at this time, an incident suddenly occurred in a small town on the border of South Hamgyong Province, causing great shock.

Moreover, when the Dong-A Ilbo featured this incident, the world of Joseon became aware of it, and Kim Il-sung gained fame and became a celebrity.

Of course, no one knew that Kim Il-sung was such a young guy.

In any case, Kim Il-sung’s reputation was real.

In the original history, it was also well-represented in a public opinion survey conducted by ‘Seongu’, a magazine published by an organization called ‘Seonguhoe’ in October 1945, two months after liberation.

In a public opinion survey conducted in October and published in the December issue, Kim Il-sung received 9% in the ‘survey of the most capable and conscientious politicians’ section, ranking 6th behind Lee Kwan-sul with 12%, and in the survey of suitable candidates for the cabinet. In , he took first place with a whopping 309 votes, overwhelmingly surpassing Kim Won-bong’s 98 votes for the right person to head the Military Affairs Department.

In short, as Kim Il-sung said, if it became known that this guy was being captured and interrogated, there would be a big uproar.

That’s why it was captured in complete secrecy.

The next day, July 1st, at 6 am.

Lee Kang-cheol and Go Seok-man went down to the dungeon.

Clap!

When the iron door was opened, the smell of blood and urine was strong, and the sprawled figure of Kim Il-sung, who had already lost his human form, came into view.

“Are you done?”

“Yes, it finished a while ago. As expected, these guys came in under orders from the Soviet Union. “It was an opportunity to create a political force by uniting the left wing, claiming to be Kim Il-sung, and inciting unrest to look for an opportunity to overthrow the regime.”

“You crazy bastards! “You figured out everything you need to know, right?”

“Yes, we interrogated the three of them separately, Kim Il-sung, Oh Jin-woo, and Kim Chaek, and made them see hell if they said anything wrong. “It started blowing around dawn without me even asking.”

“great job. “Then should we end it now?”

“Are you going to take care of it right away?”

“It’s better to deal with this guy right away. “There is no reason to keep him alive any longer.”

“All right. “I’ll wake you up right away.”

Sigh!

After pouring water on him from a bucket, Kim Il-sung began to wriggle and come to his senses.

“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu…”

“Are you awake?”

“Where is this law?”

“Why isn’t it there? So you caused conflict between ethnic groups, costing countless innocent lives, and then, as a dictator, you killed countless people without trial?”

“What do you mean?”

“Before you die, know your sins and die. You are one of the first bastards in the long history of our people. King Yeomra will kindly tell you the detailed reason when you fall into hell.”

“No, what is that…”

“done. stop dying Director Cho!”

“Yes, Commander.”

“Get this guy up.”

Lee Kang-cheol personally drew his pistol and gave instructions.

“Are you going to do it yourself?”

“Yes, don’t misunderstand. “I’m not trying to ease your mental burden like the 25th Division Commander Han Min-seok, but I’m trying to deal with it with a very honored heart.”

“Hwiyu, then do whatever is convenient for you. “Two people over there, get him up and have him lean against the wall.”

“Yes, director.”

When two agents had Kim Il-sung, who could not even stand upright, lean against the wall, Kim Il-sung cried out while trembling like an aspen tree.

“Say, please save me! please! “It’s the Soviet Union, it’s the Communist Party, and we’ll do whatever you want!”

“Die and apologize to the countless wronged souls you will have killed in the future. Kim Il-sung, it was a very boring name.”

“please···.”

bang!

A pistol bullet penetrated Kim Il-sung’s head, spewing out white brain fluid.

dump!

Kim Il-sung died.

“What should Oh Jin-woo and Kim Chaek do?”

“Kill me. “He deserves to die just for the crime of hanging around with Kim Il-sung.”

“All right.”

“The body should be cremated.”

“Yes, Commander.”

bang! bang!

Gunshots were heard one after another.

Oh Jin-woo and Kim Chaek were executed.

And the three bodies were well packaged and taken straight to the crematorium, neatly reduced to a handful of gray powder.

* * *

After Lee Kang-cheol personally executed Kim Il-sung, he also accelerated the punishment of pro-Japanese people.

As it had already been almost a year since the restoration of the Korean Peninsula, the investigation was almost complete.

Still, the reason why no rulings have been made and no punishments have been carried out until now is because they were waiting for overseas independence activists, including those in the Provisional Government, to return.

They did not want to give an excuse to later protest that they were excluded and pro-Japanese groups were punished, and there were also some pro-Japanese groups who claimed that they had secretly supported military funds for the independence movement, so there was a need to confront them.

However, now that all cross-examinations have been completed, right and wrong have been clearly identified, and the court’s rulings have been made one after another, giving priority to the pro-Japanese faction.

There is only one punishment for extreme pro-Japanese people.

It is a hanging, and a public hanging at that.

Confiscation of all assets was a bonus.

The date of the first execution has been set.

It is July 16, 1945.

Snap! Snap!

The sound of a temporary gallows being installed in front of the General Government Complex was heard.

“How many people will be in the first round?”

“There are 200 people in Seoul. At the same time, about 600 people will be executed in Pyongyang, Daejeon, Gwangju, and Busan.”

“Tell them to take good measures to control crowds.”

“All right. However, some people are asking why there is such a rush.”

“They are playing. Since that’s what you’re saying, you need to kill him quickly. Humans are creatures of forgetfulness, but now we are slowly starting to forget what they did. That’s why we have to kill those who are going to kill us quickly and move on.”

“I completely agree. However, there is an organized opposition, especially from the schools where the women came from. ”

“What school are those women from?”

“Yes, people from that school said that the death penalty was ridiculous and they gathered together and made a fuss every day.”

“Hey, Mr.! “I think they’ll close the school down!”

“I think it’s a bit too much to close the school, right?”

“That’s what it says. But if you keep doing this, I might really end up doing it, so give me a fair warning.”

“All right.”

July 16th came.

Crowds gathered in front of the General Government Complex from early morning.

Because as many as 200 people had to be executed, the hangings began at 9 a.m., but they tried to secure a good spot first.

At about 8:30 a.m., independence activists, including members of the Provisional Government, began to take their seats in the seats prepared by the government.

“Are you here, Teacher Baekbeom?”

“It’s the day to punish pro-Japanese factions, so how could I not come?”

“Yes, that’s right. “It is about correcting the history of the nation, so of course you should see it.”

“I know there is a lot of talk about public executions, but you did a great job. “This is the way to set an example for future generations.”

“That’s why I decided. “Because we must never again have people selling our country on this land.”

Finally, at 9 a.m., the executioners led the prisoners out.

“Oooh! “Kill it!”

“Hey! “It looks great!”

While people were pointing and swearing, a prosecutor from the Ministry of Justice came out and announced the names and charges.

“Noh Deok-sul, Park Chun-geum, Lee Jong-hyung, Kim Deok-gi, Kim Chang-young… “He will be hanged for this crime!”

Shake!

Among the dozen or so people classified as special, they were hung on the gallows and taken to hell.

“Bang Eung “Hang him!”

Shake!

Those in the world of journalism, literature, and academia were severely punished, and many disappeared into the shadows of their execution.

This is because they had a high influence on others.

Subsequently, Choi Nam-seon and Lee Kwang-soo were also hanged.

In the first round of executions, which took place over two weeks starting on July 16, more than 2,000 pro-Japanese people were hanged on the gallows.

But these are just the beginning.

This is because once those awaiting trial have finished their trial, the second and third executions will soon take place.

It didn’t end with them dying.

All property was confiscated to the national treasury, and although there was controversy over the guilt-by-association system, even the children were barred from holding any public office within the first generation.

Kim Seong-su and Jang Deok-su, who attracted the world’s attention, ended up being expelled from public office and fined large sums of money.

Even though he later defected, it was because he had already done a lot of work and there were factors that took into account his actions.

In this way, the already hot weather in July 1945 was made even hotter by the heat of the punishment of pro-Japanese activists.

* * *

August 3, 1945.

Gimpo Airfield.

Wooooow!

As the Yeouido airfield was flooded due to heavy rain recently, all flights coming to Seoul were headed to Gimpo airfield.

Purr! Purruk!

When the U.S. military’s C-54 transport plane stopped its engine, the door opened and an old man lowered the trap.

“Uh-huh! I’m here! Motherland! “This right man has arrived!”

It was the voice of an old man who had flown in from America.