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Chapter 67: One bite
Chapter 67: One bite
Chapter 67: One bite
“Seoul has been hit by a massive rocket attack.”
“…”
President McKinley of the United States looked at the night view of Seoul burning, filmed by a CNN reporter.
The National Assembly Building and the Blue House were among the flames.
It was an attack that was incomparable to the first rocket attack.
He didn’t know how many casualties there were, but it was certain that a lot of politicians were caught up in it.
It would be foolish to think that North Korea wouldn’t launch any more attacks.
But there was something strange.
“Why Seoul, not the front-line combat divisions or corps headquarters? Any information on that?”
“It’s hard to collect information because North Korea is so chaotic. There’s also intelligence that their nuclear weapons failed and an EMP went off.”
“What did the North Korean diplomats say?”
“They just keep repeating that it’s not the intention of the leadership.”
“You’re saying that’s not the intention of the leadership?”
His ash-colored eyes saw the image of Seoul that looked like a battlefield.
If they could endure that, Korea should be called angels.
Of course, he knew that Korea was far from angels.
Humphrey, his aide, hinted.
“The power plants in Daejeon, including Jo’s plant, and the Changwon industrial complex are intact. It seems that North Korea’s decision-making process is not working.”
“Well, war is inevitable anyway.”
“The South Korean military started a dialogue offensive and declared martial law.”
“All airports and ports have been closed and mobilization orders have been issued. They are practically in a state of war.”
“Mr. President, we need to start evacuating our citizens in Korea immediately.”
“How many are there?”
“Since most of the US forces have left, there are just over 120,000.”
“Proceed immediately.”
The US military usually conducted NEO, Noncombatant Evacuation Operations, every year.
It was originally for the families of US forces in Korea, but it was not a big problem to expand it.
There were plenty of platforms for that in the US.
The problem was that two wars had broken out in East Asia.
The Yangtze War and the Second Korean War.
Except for Japan, they all fell into the pit of war.
“They’re all crazy…”
The aides advised him as he leaned his head on his chair.
“Mr. President, the war has already started and we can’t turn it back.”
“If we just watch like this, we will lose our influence on the Korean Peninsula.”
“South Korea should be our ally in East Asia instead of Japan.”
That’s what they had planned to do.
Japan had been too much in America’s eyes, and recently South Korea had achieved dazzling technological development as if they had kidnapped an alien.
But what America wanted was a whole Korea.
What was the point of having a country that was shattered by war?
He might be shouting for an advance northward now that Seoul was burning, but as soon as a nuclear missile fell, the atmosphere would change.
President McKinley wandered around his office anxiously and then slumped down on his desk.
“…What are the chances that we can completely block North Korea’s nuclear missiles?”
When he asked that, they all trailed off.
“They’re so close…”
“North Korea has already deployed SLBMs. If their Sinpo-class submarines manage to get out of port at the beginning of the war…”
“We can’t guarantee 100%. At best, 70%.”
“So we’ll get hit by at least 10.”
If they advanced northward now, North Korea would not hesitate to fire nukes when cornered.
Could Korea handle that with its small territory?
He would be criticized for not avoiding war if he failed to intercept nuclear missiles or suffered mass civilian casualties from chemical attacks.
President McKinley leaned his head on his desk.
“Where is Chairman Yu right now?”
“He is currently waiting at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as far as we know.”
“He escaped the fire there.”
“That’s lucky for us.”
Then, the United States had decided what to do.
In fact, the U.S. Congress did not care much about Korea.
What was important was Yu Jiha’s ability and technology.
They desperately wanted his ability to manipulate black metal and his technology that created artificial intelligence.
They chose to support Korea instead of Japan because of him.
Why did they withdraw the U.S. Forces Korea?
Now that the command authority had been returned and the mutual defense treaty had been almost nullified, Korea had no value.
But it was a bit regrettable to abandon Korea right away.
President McKinley made a decision.
“Let’s send the Third Fleet to monitor the situation. Deploy as many amphibious assault ships and transport ships as possible to supply materials and troops and bring back non-combatants. And secure President Yu’s new recruits.”
The whereabouts of Yu Jiha’s parents had already been identified and protected.
That was all that was left.
Assistant Secretary Humphrey tilted his head.
“What do you mean by securing new recruits?”
“There are many risks in a war, aren’t there? There could be terrorist attacks, or he could face a life-threatening crisis. We’ll watch for that and snatch him quickly.”
He might change his mind after rolling around in confusion.
He was a gutsy businessman, but he was far from war.
The U.S. special forces were a group that excelled in bringing such people.
…
Seoul suffered tremendous damage from the second bombardment.
The anti-aircraft network, including the iron beam, did its job well, but it couldn’t stop all the rockets.
As a result, a few rockets fell on the National Assembly Building and the Blue House.
Hundreds of people lost their lives and Seoul burned in many places.
President Jo Hyung-geun finally decided to go to war.
If he hesitated any longer, he would lose everything.
“As of now, we are at war. Start the counter-battery fire.”
The counter-battery fire was to suppress the North Korean artillery, which was their strongest force in the early stages of the war, by pouring artillery fire.
Most of the artillery forces were activated, and the air force’s bunker busters and ballistic missiles were also mobilized.
The K-9 self-propelled guns and multiple launchers that had been waiting at the artillery base fired high-explosive shells at the designated North Korean positions.
The fighters took off from the air force base with cruise missiles and anti-radar missiles and attacked the artillery command posts and laser bases.
And from the missile command, they fired all the ballistic missiles they had diligently stockpiled.
They might not have good eyes or ears, but they decided to smash them with firepower.
The reconnaissance planes that had been collecting information on North Korea sent signals of successful suppression one after another.
The military leaders felt puzzled at this point.
“Why aren’t they firing back?”
“They seem to have been caught off guard. This is strange.”
Of course, they expected that the North Korean army’s condition was not good enough for the command to work properly.
But this was too much even if they did it too much.
They clearly showed their intention to go to war by firing thousands of rockets at Seoul, but Pyongyang’s air defense network did not operate properly.
Some anti-aircraft guns resisted meaninglessly, but it was not the true face of the air defense network that was said to be the densest in the world.
The intelligence staffs offered this opinion.
“The North Korean economy has fallen into a pit, so they don’t have enough resources to supply power to the military.”
“We think that the North Korean army is not just limping, but lying on a bed as a critical patient who will die today or tomorrow.”
It was doubtful whether they were sane enough to launch a preemptive strike in such a situation.
Meanwhile, an urgent order came down from the third floor of the Workers’ Party Central Committee building to quickly resolve this situation.
“What’s going on? Why is the All-Army Corps moving without orders!”
“We’re trying to find out!”
“It’s been three hours already! Listen carefully, if we can’t stop South Korea’s offensive, we’re all dead! Do you think they’ll spare us?”
Kim Jong-un shook with anger and everyone moved busily.
They had to inform them that it was an accidental incident caused by the All-Army Corps and that the North Korean regime had no intention of going to war.
But there was no way to contact them externally.
The communication network was all smashed, and even China’s communication satellites seemed to be receiving jamming signals and only sending strange signals.
It was also a problem that all the diplomats stationed in Pyongyang had left after the Corona crisis.
North Korea did not detain them, and as a result, their voices were not heard by anyone.
The United States ignored the voice of the diplomat and only China had restored communication.
The Chinese mechanized group army, waiting across the Tumen River, noticed the emergency.
Kim Jong-un barely managed to talk to the 80th Army commander through the radio.
“Colonel Li Oh-hwa, please help me.”
“I heard you. You are in trouble right now.”
“Please tell South Korea about our situation. We never intended to launch a preemptive attack.”
“Is that so? But Korea is already preparing for an invasion. It’s too late to stop them.”
Kim Jong-un ranted, but Colonel Li Oh-hwa had other thoughts.
The collapse of North Korea had already begun and it was an unstoppable flow.
Even the homeland could not exercise proper control over North Korea.
So what if he moved his troops south and seized North Korean land?
‘If I’m lucky, I might be able to take over Manchuria and northern North Korea.’
It was a plan to divide North Korea by the 80th Army alone.
He would give up Pyongyang, but he could easily occupy the upper part.
The Korean armored forces that moved north were formidable, but they would not want to expand the war with China.
‘The important thing now is speed.’
The 80th Army, the rapid response force, was prepared for this day.
He turned off the communication and gave orders to his generals.
The 80th Army, which consisted of 60,000 people, crossed the Tumen River at once.
And at almost the same time.
The 7th Division of Korea also abandoned its garrison and began to move north according to Operation 5015.
It was the strongest force in East Asia, with black metal armor applied to all armored vehicles.
The capital area suffered from the sound of vehicles moving everywhere.
Their destination was Pyongyang.
As soon as the war broke out, President Jo Hyung-geun told Yu Ji-ha firmly.
“Stay here for a while and watch how our generals work in an emergency. It’s all blood and flesh.”
He must have wanted to advise the young entrepreneur and lawmaker, but Yu Ji-ha found it funny.
‘Did they prepare for war for almost 80 years and this is all they can do?’
The Joint Chiefs of Staff was in a state of confusion.
The role division was not done properly, so orders were repeated, and they did not know how to handle information.
The generals did not know the operation well and cooperation with other armies was poor.
They did not even know where the front control device, which was essential for the movement of the 7th Division, belonged.
“What do you mean the control device is not under the 39th Reconnaissance Battalion? Then what is that sending out light signals?”
It was not that there was no propeller plane flying over the 7th Division moving north and sending out light signals diligently.
It would have sprayed smoke bombs if it was daytime, but it was night time, so it made it easy to see.
“It belongs to the 47th Reconnaissance Battalion!”
At the report of the information staff, the operations director held his head in his hands.
“The 47th Reconnaissance Battalion’s control device should be above the 1st Division! Where is the liaison officer?”
This kind of thing happened everywhere and every time there was a loud noise.
Instead of accurate information processing and calm troop operation, they were busy fighting each other and that was more true for generals.
Maybe because they have more authority, they also have more responsibility.
Yu Ji-ha decided that there was nothing to learn here and went outside.
“Can I ask where you are going?”
The military police asked and he answered.
“I’m going to the bathroom.”
As always, the bathroom was a very effective excuse.
He checked around and called Arma.
“Where is the 80th Army now?”
?They are moving south through Sinuiju. They encountered several armies along the way and are currently in battle?
According to the information sent by Arma, there was one army deployed there and for now, their strength was equal to that of the 80th Army.
But looking at the current situation, it was doubtful whether their real power was equal.
Yu Ji-ha frowned as he watched the Chinese 80th Army push down with a desperate momentum.
“They’re like kids twisting their arms. Was North Korea’s 8th Army’s combat power so low?”
Originally, North Korea’s 8th Army should have stopped China’s army in Sinuiju.
North Korea’s feelings toward China were not that good either.
But for some reason, they couldn’t even fight properly and were annihilated.
?It seems that they did not expect any battle at all. Most of their troops were sleeping and even after waking up, they couldn’t control them?
It was understandable that they didn’t know anything since this side pulled the trigger.
From North Korea’s point of view, it was a ridiculous situation where they woke up after being hit and Korea was angry and China was taking off their pants.
“But it’s been a few hours now, shouldn’t they be counterattacking by now? Where did all those old-fashioned equipment go?”
?They sold off the fuel and parts needed to operate the heavy equipment. They also have no supplies. The only decent ones are concentrated in the DMZ and Pyongyang?
Anyway, the 80th Army’s advance seemed to be relatively smooth.
Whether it was to receive support from the Chinese fleet or not, they were moving along the coastal road that connected Sinuiju to Jeongju.
“How long do you think it will take to reach Pyongyang?”
?It will take more than a week. The troop density will increase as you approach Pyongyang, so you will probably stop soon?
“What about the follow-up troops?”
?There are none. No support troops either?
“So they moved south alone. Was it Colonel Li Oh-hwa? He was blinded by greed.”
?He must have looked down on North Korea while stationed in the border area. He probably thought he could occupy a lot of land in a few days?
“Stupid.”
No matter how elite the armored division was, it was impossible to maintain its combat power for a long time without follow-up troops.
It was not because the equipment ran on mental power.
It would also be a huge burden to enter North Korea and operate there.
They might say China-North Korea friendship or whatever, but for most North Koreans, China was not a pleasant neighbor.
Yu Ji-ha paid attention to the 7th Division’s advance.
“Clearing the minefield is good, but they got shelled and the vanguard was destroyed.”
?There is only one route. They have no choice but to enter the Kaesong Industrial Complex, and North Korea knows that too?
“Do they have to occupy the Kaesong Industrial Complex?”
?There must be military journalists with a division like that, and it would make a good report if they occupied it?
“Are you saying that they occupied the Kaesong Industrial Complex, which was suspended due to North Korea’s provocation in the past?”
?That’s right?
“They made a mistake by giving iron beams to field troops… They’re trying to show off.”
At this moment, too, iron beams and Cheonma anti-aircraft missiles were intercepting the shells flying nearby.
They relied on that and some units entered the Kaesong Industrial Complex.
?And they also intend to check the site of the liaison office that was blown up a few years ago. It’s included in the operation?
The Korean army was good, but they were too focused on the operation.
If North Korea had been normal, a thunderbolt that could not be blocked by iron beams would have fallen on the units entering the Kaesong Industrial Complex.
“It’s hard enough to get to Kaesong, but Kaesong City won’t be easy either.”
?They plan to deploy a large number of CDS-1s. They will leave urban warfare to drones and clear out nearby artillery forces with follow-up troops?
“They’ll ask me to change the algorithm. By the way, I don’t know if they can get through that barrage.”
The artillery forces deployed around Kaesong were enormous.
But the 7th Division did not deal with them.
They only secured a minimum of mobility and moved north through the Kaesong-Pyongyang highway.
Their goal was to reach Pyongyang.
It was unknown how much resistance they would face in the process, but it would not be easy.
North Korea knew that too, so they would resist with all their might.
“The 80th Army and the 7th Division are racing to Pyongyang. Help me out a little. Not too much, just enough to hinder their advance.”
?Okay?
“And how is Kim Gu-ham’s work going?”
?It’s almost done. Only the last deck work is left?
“I’ll have to go down and see.”
It was time to release the railgun’s limiter.