Chapter 28

To Seoul

We return once again to the 7th Corps Command and Control Room.

In front of the large situation board covering the entire front wall, operations staff officers and clerks were frantically typing on their keyboards.

It was a PowerPoint slide with a terrible design.

Under normal circumstances, they would have wasted time on pointless things like making the left and right margins uniform according to the prescribed format or adjusting the positions of unit insignia, but right now, nobody cared about any of that.

"Ji-won, is this the latest situation?"

"Yes! We received it two minutes ago!"

"A new one just came in! I'll replace it with this!"

"After replacing it, write a note beside it! The exact time!"

"Yes, sir!"

Half analog, half digital.

Eighty percent of the reason the command and control room was functioning at all right now was thanks to the clerks' resourcefulness.

There was a reason the operations clerks assigned to corps-level and higher units tended to have above-average academic backgrounds. During basic training, almost everyone attending a prestigious university was selected either as a commander's orderly or as an administrative clerk for a large unit.

The staff officers of the 7th Corps, including the corps commander, were studying the situation board to understand the current state of the Republic of Korea.

"The Gangwon Province front has been pushed back quite a bit more than expected."

"Cheorwon is also on the verge of being isolated. The 3rd Division seems to have withdrawn considerably to the east in particular."

Every time the clerks updated the map in real time, the officers would let out quiet groans or sighs of relief.

But there was only one place where everyone's gaze lingered the longest. That place was Seoul. The capital and heart of the Republic of Korea. And the place where some of South Korea's most powerful ground forces, including the Capital Defense Command and Capital Corps, were concentrated.

"Please···."

"As long as Seoul holds out···."

As long as Seoul hadn't fallen, they could immediately counterattack and advance north. Everyone inside the command and control room was thinking the same thing.

At that moment.

One of the operations clerks, who had been repeatedly hitting refresh, suddenly sprang to his feet.

"Capital Defense Command! A situation report from the Capital Defense Command has arrived!"

"Q-quickly! Bring it here!"

"No! Just read it out from there! What's the situation?"

[Capital Defense Command Emergency Situation Report]

Enemy main force entering Seoul along the Paju-Gimpo axis.

Enemy airborne forces have occupied several major facilities within Seoul.

Enemy armored forces confirmed assembling on the northern bank of the Han River.

Enemy air forces conducting concentrated strikes against downtown Seoul.

Defense of Jongno, Jung-gu, and Yongsan areas has failed.

Defensive strongpoints on Mount Bugak and Mount Inwang lost.

Fighting continues along the Seongdong-Gwangjin axis.

Capital Defense Command has secured a bridgehead on the southern bank of the Han River and transitioned to defense.

Demolition of Han River bridges underway.

Seoul defensive line approaching its limit.

Without immediate reinforcements, the defense of Seoul is deemed impossible.

"···."

"Fucking hell."

"Seoul is···."

Silence filled the command and control room.

Every message pointed to a single conclusion.

Half of Seoul had fallen.

Everyone in the command and control room now understood why no situation reports had come from the Capital Defense Command or Capital Corps until now. They probably hadn't even had the time to send those few short lines.

That was how desperate the situation in Seoul had become. Breaking the silence, the operations staff officer spoke.

"Corps Commander. If we break through Uijeongbu from Pocheon and strike northern Seoul, we can disrupt the enemy's rear."

The other staff officers began offering their own opinions one after another.

"Wouldn't it be better to leave armored forces in Pocheon? If this area falls too, the Capital Defense Command will have far too much territory to defend."

"What about breaking through Yangju toward Paju? If we cut off their ground supply routes, they won't be able to hold northern Seoul for even a week, no matter how much territory they've occupied."

"It might not be a bad idea to withdraw the entire force to Icheon and then join up completely with the Capital Defense Command."

The commander of the 7th Corps closed his eyes and fell into thought. He smacked his lips briefly, as though craving a cigarette, then looked for Lieutenant Colonel Choi Pil, commander of the 33rd Battalion, 8th Division.

"Lieutenant Colonel Choi."

"Yes, Corps Commander."

"Your opinion?"

As though he had been waiting for the question, Choi Pil stepped in front of the situation board. His gaze was directed not toward Seoul, but toward the North Korean forces marked farther north.

"As commander of the 33rd Battalion, I would like to present an operational plan that has only just occurred to me, if I may."

Several staff officers who outranked Choi Pil and had served in the 7th Corps longer than him shifted their eyebrows slightly in discomfort. Ever since Choi Pil had joined the corps, the corps commander had been giving his opinions top priority.

But that discomfort lasted only a moment. The situation report from the Capital Defense Command was far too important for them to indulge their petty pride.

"There's an old saying that the best defense is a good offense. That's a somewhat outdated saying, especially when a critical stronghold like Seoul is on the verge of collapse."

"Continue."

"The North Korean forces must also be aware of our situation. Especially after their defeat in today's battle in Pocheon, they can easily anticipate that we'll advance down through Uijeongbu toward northern Seoul."

Choi Pil pointed his finger toward Cheorwon on the situation board.

"My recommendation is to advance north."

The staff officers in the command and control room raised their heads simultaneously. Their expressions showed bewilderment, disbelief, and a hint of excitement. It was a bold proposal, almost like swapping main bases in a strategy simulation game.

"Advance north?"

"When Seoul is on the verge of falling?"

"Even though losing the Capital Defense Command's forces would be far too great a sacrifice considering what lies ahead?"

Choi Pil nodded several times, as though he understood the staff officers' concerns. But he did not back down.

"We push our main force up along the Cheorwon axis. The North Korean Army is probably concentrating all its strength on capturing Seoul right now. That means they won't expect the 7th Corps to continue advancing straight north."

"Your main force···?"

"Are you proposing that we split our forces?"

"Yes. Moving all our armored forces together would be far too slow anyway. The roads are narrow as well. If we retake Cheorwon and put pressure on the Kaesong area, the North Korean Army will have no choice but to worry about its rear."

At Choi Pil's words, the staff officers began making their own calculations. The risks of dividing the force and the size of the armored formation needed to retake Cheorwon.

"My plan is to pressure Namyangju and Guri with a force composed primarily of infantry fighting vehicles capable of rapid maneuvering, while our tank-based armored forces retake Cheorwon and continue advancing north."

"An advance north would involve too large an operational area. It isn't something the corps can decide independently without approval from the Joint Chiefs of Staff."

Choi Pil was proposing that they catch two rabbits at once. It was impossible to compare which rabbit was bigger. Both were extremely important.

The atmosphere inside the command and control room grew heavy again. When communications were down, the corps commander had to make decisions on the ground and act on them. But things were different now.

With the chain of command across the military showing signs of recovery, however slight, the 7th Corps had to operate under the control of higher headquarters.

Six months earlier, the Republic of Korea had reclaimed wartime operational control from the Combined Forces Command. Operations throughout the South Korean military were now controlled by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The problem was that the system had not yet become fully established. Until just a week earlier, the media and political establishment had been fiercely debating whether reclaiming wartime operational control had been the right decision.

There had also been insufficient large-scale, realistic exercises based on the assumption that South Korea would exercise wartime operational control independently.

The year 2029 was still a period in which command procedures between the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Headquarters, and individual corps were being refined. No one had ever imagined an all-out war in which every front across the country would be engulfed in flames simultaneously, as they were now.

The corps commander slowly rose from his seat.

"Send an urgent message to Army Headquarters and the Joint Chiefs of Staff."

"Yes, Corps Commander. Please proceed."

A clerk placed his hands on the keyboard.

"The 7th Corps will deploy one subordinate armored division and three infantry battalions along the Namyangju axis to strike northern Seoul."

"Yes, sir."

The expressions of the staff officers changed in various ways.

"At the same time, the corps' main force will complete preparations to retake Cheorwon and advance north. Operations can begin immediately upon approval from the Joint Chiefs of Staff."

"Yes, sir!"

Without making a single typo, the clerk transmitted the corps commander's exact words.

And two minutes later.

A message arrived from the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Just one line.

[Approved]

The commander of the 7th Corps stared at that brief, single-line message for a long time.

Then he nodded once, his expression filled with conviction. The corps commander patted the shoulder of the clerk who was still standing nervously in front of him.

"Hey, give me a cigarette."

#

Bong-tae and Lee Hwan had taken the first security shift at the command post. Some had questioned why a platoon leader was standing guard, but Bong-tae had slung his rifle over his shoulder, saying he would take the first shift himself and show the others how to do it.

The encampment was gradually growing dark. Nam Gi-baek and Song Min-jae approached the guard post.

"Sergeant Kim, let's switch."

"Huh···? Already?"

Only then did Bong-tae realize that he had already been standing guard for two hours. Perhaps the excitement of battle still hadn't worn off, because he hadn't even noticed the passage of time.

"Yes. Hurry back, get something to eat, and rest."

"Yeah. I'm seriously dying here."

Bong-tae slung his rifle over his back and stretched his arms wide. The muscles that had repeatedly contracted and relaxed all day screamed in protest.

"Where's our tent?"

"See that maintenance tent up ahead?"

"Yeah."

"It's the second one past that."

"Fucking far···."

Bong-tae grumbled as he stepped aside. His stomach growled loudly. Hearing the sound, Lee Hwan chuckled.

"I'm starving to death too."

"Yeah. Let's get something to eat. What did you guys have?"

Nam Gi-baek grinned and patted his stomach.

"We were going to eat combat rations, but the guys in the next tent shared some food with us."

"What was it?"

"Stir-fried pork."

Bong-tae stared at Nam Gi-baek in disbelief.

"What? Stir-fried pork? They're cooking something like that out here in the field? Do they have a chef or something?"

"Apparently they do. I heard he used to work at some Michelin place or something···."

"Unbelievable···."

When Bong-tae and Lee Hwan entered the tent, the platoon members who had been resting on their field cots sat up. Hwang Gi-tae raised his hand with an exaggerated gesture.

"Unit, attention!"

"Bullshit."

"Hehe···."

Bong-tae waved his hand dismissively in the air. The soldiers began giggling.

"Come on···. You're our platoon leader, aren't you? Of course we should."

"Have you eaten?"

Bong-tae asked as he looked around. Hwang Gi-tae pointed toward a frying pan filled with stir-fried pork on the folding table beside his cot.

"Yes. We saved this for you."

"Yeah, thanks."

Bong-tae opened his military pack and took out a combat ration. Lee Hwan and Bong-tae heated only the instant rice included in their rations and dumped it over the stir-fried pork.

The meal looked similar to the rice mixed in plastic bags they always ate during ranger training or cold-weather exercises. Bong-tae scooped up a large spoonful with a plastic spoon and put it into his mouth.

"Wow, even here we're getting this same old sight. It tastes good, though···."

"Seriously···. I never wanted to eat it again, but whenever stir-fried pork comes out, I can't help wanting to mix everything together."

"Maybe it's instinct. If you're Korean."

"Seems that way."

Lee Hwan and Bong-tae laughed together as they began their late dinner. Just then, someone slipped into the tent. It was Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je.

He beckoned only Bong-tae over.

"Sergeant Kim, a moment."

"Yes, understood. Hey, don't eat all the fucking food."

"Yes, yes. We got it."

Bong-tae put down his spoon and followed Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je outside. Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je and Lieutenant Colonel Choi Pil were waiting there. As soon as Bong-tae approached, Choi Pil spoke.

"We've received most of the situation reports from across the military. To tell you only what's important, Seoul is on the verge of falling."

"Fuck···."

Bong-tae's expression hardened. Realizing that he had cursed without thinking, he glanced nervously at Choi Pil and Kim Hong-je. Choi Pil smiled faintly, as though he found Bong-tae's reaction endearing.

"Yeah. It's a fucked-up situation."

"I'm sorry, sir."

"Don't be. The Joint Chiefs of Staff approved an operation a little while ago. The 7th Corps will split its forces in two. The main force will advance north as planned."

Choi Pil took a small map from his chest pocket and pointed to Seoul.

"And part of our force will head to Seoul."

"Where are we going, sir? North, or Seoul?"

Instead of answering, Choi Pil asked him a question.

"Where would you like to go, Sergeant Kim?"

Bong-tae answered without a second's hesitation.

"Seoul, of course."

"All right. Let's go. Get ready."

#

As soon as Bong-tae entered the tent, he clapped his hands once.

"First Platoon, assemble."

"Assemble."

The soldiers who had been resting in various positions quickly gathered. Bong-tae looked over them once before speaking calmly.

"Our 33rd Battalion is going to participate in the operation to retake Seoul."

"···Sir?"

"Retake? Has Seoul been captured?"

A commotion immediately spread through the tent.

"What are you talking about? Has Seoul really fallen?"

"W-when? Did the civilians all evacuate?"

Questions poured out all at once. It was a natural reaction. The soldiers' faces were filled with confusion and anxiety.

Bong-tae raised his hand to calm them.

"Hey, hey. I don't know all the details either. Apparently, the enemy has taken the area north of the Han River, and the Capital Defense Command is fighting desperately to keep them from crossing south."

"···Fuck."

Bong-tae began explaining the outline of the operation he had heard from Lieutenant Colonel Choi Pil.

The 7th Corps' main force would advance toward Cheorwon, while some units would take a detour to support Seoul. And the 33rd Infantry Battalion would form one part of the 7th Corps' assault force heading for Seoul.

"Come to think of it, we've never actually been on the attacking side before, have we···?"

"Yeah. This'll be our first time."

"How are we supposed to do it?"

"As long as we do what the battalion commander tells us, we'll be fine. That's how it's been so far, hasn't it?"

"Even so···."

Worried murmurs came from the soldiers here and there. Bong-tae scraped up every last bit of rice remaining in the frying pan and ate it. He figured that at least he should appear calm.

"Don't make such a big deal out of it. Get some rest while you can."

"I have a friend in the Capital Defense Command···. I wonder if he's okay···."

Bong-tae couldn't answer. He was just as anxious. The fact that the city that should have been the safest in South Korea was now half occupied by North Korean forces weighed heavily on him.

Furthermore, their next task was to take that Seoul back. Even without professional military knowledge, everyone knew that capturing a position was far more difficult than defending it.

There was a reason the saying that capturing a castle required more than four times the defending force had been passed down since ancient times.

Someone might ask why they were talking about siege warfare in modern combat, but Seoul itself was a fortress.

Buildings dozens of stories tall served as castle walls. A rifle barrel could suddenly appear from any one of hundreds of windows.

And that would be fortunate if the city consisted only of its surface. Seoul also had a subway system tangled together like a spiderweb, and underground parking garages were standard features of its buildings. They would have to search the underground spaces beneath nearly half of Seoul's area before moving on to the next sector.

That was why a direct infantry assault on a city had to proceed carefully and systematically over a long period of time.

But the situation was slightly different now.

Although North Korean forces had entered northern Seoul and pushed the Capital Defense Command south of the Han River, it would undoubtedly take them considerable time to occupy the area completely and fortify it.

That was precisely why the 7th Corps intended to send part of its infantry into eastern Seoul. They would exploit the enemy's weaknesses before it could catch its breath and complete its defensive positions.

But there would inevitably be casualties.

The reason the 33rd Battalion had survived without a single serious casualty so far was partly because of Choi Pil and Kim Hong-je's experienced tactics, and partly because they had been lucky. But the biggest reason was that they had been on the defending side.

"For some reason, I feel like going to North Korea might actually be safer···."

"Then switch units."

"I-I want to go to Seoul."

"Why?"

"Because it's home···."

Everyone nodded.

"Hey, it's fine to rest, but have you all cleaned your rifles?"

"···Huh?"

"We fired a fuckload of rounds today. We need to clean our weapons, don't we?"

"Haaah···."

With long sighs, the soldiers began taking out their weapon-cleaning kits one by one. In truth, they didn't have anything else to do anyway.

The armored troops were moving busily outside, but the infantrymen who knew nothing about maintaining tanks had no assigned duties apart from standing guard.

Just as the soldiers spread ponchos across the ground, disassembled their K2C1 rifles, and began cleaning them, the tent entrance opened slightly.

Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je entered and quietly observed the members of 2nd Platoon sitting in a circle on the ground.

"Good to see."

When Bong-tae hurriedly tried to stand, Kim Hong-je waved his hand.

"Let's skip unnecessary salutes during wartime."

"Ah, yes. Understood."

"Carry on."

Kim Hong-je casually examined Hwang Gi-tae's rifle. Then he pointed to a component that was glistening with oil.

"It's good to clean your rifles, but you don't need to polish every little corner like you're following the manual or preparing for an inspection."

"Sir? Isn't it always better to make everything shine?"

"No."

He pointed at the chamber with his finger.

"Oil only where it's needed. Inside the barrel, where you can see the rifling, and in the chamber where the cartridge sits. It's enough for those two places to have a light coating of oil."

"Ah···."

All the soldiers began wiping down the parts that were so greasy they looked as though they had been submerged in oil.

"Just wipe the dust off everything else. If you unnecessarily coat everything with oil, dust and sand will stick to it and cause malfunctions."

"Oh, I see! So this is special forces know-how?"

"It's definitely different from the way we just do things for show."

Kim Hong-je let out a quiet laugh at the soldiers' admiration. The sound echoed faintly inside the tent. The soldiers' eyes widened slightly.

"Oh?"

"Wait, Staff Sergeant Kim, I think that's the first time I've seen you laugh."

"I thought you were a machine, sir. Guess you aren't."

Quiet laughter broke out around him. Kim Hong-je cleared his throat and changed the subject.

"Sergeant Kim."

"Yes, Platoon Leader."

"Bring First Platoon over from the next tent."

A short while later, Bong-tae returned to the tent with the members of 1st Platoon. The soldiers of 2nd Platoon naturally shifted aside to make room for them.

The members of 1st Platoon wore somewhat awkward expressions. Although everyone here had survived life-threatening situations together today, they hadn't originally belonged to the same unit. It was only natural for things to feel awkward.

Just then, Bong-tae abruptly stood up in front of everyone. The soldiers all turned to look at him.

"Hey, are you on a blind date? What's with this atmosphere?"

"Uh···. N-no, sir."

"What do you mean, no? You're all sitting there awkwardly, trying to figure out whether you should say something or keep your mouths shut."

A few soldiers smiled sheepishly. Their expressions showed that he'd caught them.

"We're all going to be going through hell together from now on, so what's there to be so awkward about? Let's just introduce ourselves briefly. Your name and where you were originally assigned."

The soldiers looked at one another. Bong-tae was the first to point at the name tag attached to his chest.

"I'm Sergeant Kim Bong-tae, currently serving as acting leader of 2nd Platoon. I was originally supposed to be discharged yesterday."

A murmur immediately spread among the soldiers of 1st Platoon.

"What?"

"Seriously?"

"The war broke out on your discharge day? You're joking, right?"

"Come on···. That's obviously bullshit."

Bong-tae glared at the members of 1st Platoon. The soldiers, who weren't accustomed to his fierce glare, flinched in surprise.

"Want to die? Do I look like I'm joking?"

"N-no, sir."

"I wish it were a joke. Seriously···."

The soldiers burst into laughter. If it was true, that meant Bong-tae was the unluckiest person in the entire tent.

"If that were me, I'd have completely lost my mind."

"Aren't you the most unfortunate person in the entire country?"

"Exactly. So from now on, if any of you complain about how hard things are or how unfair life is, I'll fucking kill you."

"Hahaha!"

"We seriously can't complain anymore, can we?"

Laughter filled the tent. The somewhat chilly atmosphere among the soldiers began melting away as though by magic.

Bong-tae pointed to the person beside him.

"I'm Private First Class Lee Jin-gu. I'm a military geek. Hehe."

"Is being a military geek really something you need to include in a one-line introduction?"

"It's part of my identity."

Another round of laughter erupted.

"I'm Sergeant Hwang Gi-tae. Uh···. I'm not really sure how to introduce myself···."

"He's fucking obsessed with cleanliness. That's all."

"Hahaha!"

Every time someone introduced himself, another soldier added a joke. Seeing this, the members of 1st Platoon also began introducing themselves one by one.

Eventually, it was Kang Min-jun's turn. He stood with a slightly embarrassed expression.

"Uh···. Hello, everyone. My name is Kang Min-jun, and I was originally assigned to the 17th Aviation Group."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Lee Jin-gu shouted, as though he'd been waiting for this moment.

"Enlisted twice!"

"Puahahaha!"

Kang Min-jun scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

The reason he was known nationwide as 'that bastard.' He had worked as a full-time reserve soldier at an Armed Forces hospital before his negligent attitude resulted in an order to enlist again. Everyone in South Korea knew the story. Bong-tae quickly clamped a hand over Lee Jin-gu's mouth.

"Hey! Stop it! Don't go poking at someone else's painful past like—"

"Uh···. It does hurt a little, but it's true."

At those words, the laughter only grew louder. But it wasn't mocking or derisive.

Every member of the 33rd Battalion sitting here knew that Kang Min-jun had fought harder than almost anyone during today's Battle of Cheonju Mountain.

"Still, you worked your fucking ass off today, didn't you?"

The first comment came from 1st Platoon. Everyone nodded emphatically.

"Agreed."

"I've changed my opinion of you, to be honest. I always thought celebrities were a different species from the rest of us."

"I thought that because you were a doctor, you'd just stay in the rear, but you were running around between flying bullets."

"You really worked hard today."

Kang Min-jun waved his hands dismissively at the unexpected praise.

A year and a half at the Armed Forces hospital. And another year at the 17th Aviation Group. In more than two years, not a single person had offered him words of praise.

Setting aside the Armed Forces hospital, where he had genuinely behaved badly, he'd worked reasonably hard at the 17th Aviation Group after being reassigned there. During his time working at the PX, he had never once skipped work or deliberately slacked off.

Yet people's opinions of him seemed to have been decided from the very beginning. Regardless of what he did now, the prejudice that he was a bastard who'd been caught enjoying an easy military assignment always came first. No matter how hard he tried, those opinions rarely changed.

But now. The members of the 33rd Infantry Battalion were judging him solely by who he was at present. That moved Kang Min-jun deeply. He felt moisture gathering beneath his large eyes.

"Huh? You're not crying, are you?"

Bong-tae casually tossed out the question from beside him. Not wanting anyone to see his face, Kang Min-jun tilted his head toward the ceiling of the tent.

"Hey, hey. I don't care how handsome you are. I can't stand seeing a grown man bawling his eyes out."

"Seriously. That's unacceptable."

"Haha! How embarrassing! What's wrong with you, Corporal Kang?"

Kang Min-jun let out a deep sigh toward the ceiling, then roughly rubbed his eyes.

"I-I'm not. I wasn't crying."

"Is that so?"

"Apparently that's what he says, guys."

"Hehehe···."

Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je quietly slipped out of the tent without anyone noticing. Soft laughter continued to spill through the slightly closed entrance.

Kim Hong-je glanced at Bong-tae, who was leading the atmosphere from the middle of the soldiers.

When he'd first met him, he'd thought Bong-tae was merely a soldier with a lot of guts, someone who fought bravely. But today, he'd also performed exceptionally well as a platoon leader. On top of that, he'd broken the awkward atmosphere between 1st and 2nd Platoons in just a few seconds.

The 33rd Battalion was a hastily assembled unit. An organization that had barely reached fifty men by gathering surviving soldiers from here and there.

Kim Hong-je had also been wondering how to turn these soldiers into a cohesive unit, but apparently, the correct answer was simply to put them all wherever Bong-tae happened to be.

'What a waste···.'

Kim Hong-je muttered only to himself.

'He's perfectly suited to being a soldier···.'

© Jungle Pocket#22844

Author's Note

7/6) I accidentally left out one chapter's worth of content in the middle, so I've added it.