Chapter 30

Modern Warfare

According to Lieutenant Colonel Choi Pil and Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je, the possibility that North Korean troops had occupied Namyangju was extremely low.

Namyangju didn't have the same strategic value as Uijeongbu.

It was certainly a beautiful city, but with so many mountains and narrow roads, it was difficult to use as a supply hub.

However, they were certain there would be at least a small surveillance force here.

After all, the terrain offered enough geographical advantages that just one observation team, one anti-tank team, and a few snipers hiding on any of these numerous mountains could significantly delay the advance of an armored force.

Would Bong-tae's 33rd Battalion avoid their eyes and reconnoiter the Namyangju area from the summit, or would the enemy observation unit spot the 33rd Battalion first and attack?

A battle in which whoever spotted the other side first would win had begun.

One might question how the members of the 33rd Battalion, who had been ordinary infantrymen until just three days ago, could carry out the kind of advanced reconnaissance normally performed by special forces or reconnaissance battalions.

But who were their battalion commander and 1st Platoon leader? Lieutenant Colonel Choi Pil and Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je, both veterans of the 332nd Special Operations Brigade, one of South Korea's finest special forces units.

Just before departure, Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je lined the soldiers up and adjusted their uniforms from the beginning. He tucked grass and small branches into their combat uniforms to break up their outlines and personally applied camouflage cream to their faces.

Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je's rough fingers swept across Lee Jin-gu's face. Perhaps because his touch was surprisingly gentle, Lee Jin-gu began giggling like a madman.

"Hehehe···."

"···Why are you laughing, Jin-gu?"

"Staff Sergeant, I think you're a gentler man than I expected."

"You're spouting nonsense again."

"I didn't think you'd personally apply it to all fifty of us. Hehe."

"Next."

Just as Lee Jin-gu was about to stand with a satisfied expression.

Thump.

Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je's combat boot lightly kicked Jin-gu in the backside. Small chuckles broke out among the soldiers.

Just before departure, Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je gave Bong-tae and the unit members only one piece of advice. The essential trick for turning ordinary infantrymen into reconnaissance soldiers in five minutes.

"Act according to common sense."

"Common sense?"

"That's right. If something seems like a bad idea, don't do it."

The soldiers tilted their heads.

"Don't silhouette yourselves on ridgelines. If you're going to rest, do it somewhere with proper cover and concealment. And don't make unnecessary noise."

"Ah···. That kind of common sense?"

"Exactly. There's nothing complicated about it. After all, you're essentially receiving three days of compressed special forces training."

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"Common sense, huh···."

Bong-tae advanced slowly, reflecting on what Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je had said before departure. He kept his rifle pointed forward and had already switched the fire selector to automatic so he could pull the trigger immediately if an enemy appeared.

Second Platoon's pace was slow. They were deliberately moving cautiously.

Rather than simply climbing while looking ahead, they checked the ridgeline above and the slopes on both sides as they advanced one step at a time.

Whenever they reached a place with a relatively open view, they stopped briefly to survey their surroundings before continuing through the trees and grass.

As a result, a mountain trail that would normally take only a few dozen minutes to climb was taking more than twice as long.

Their physical exertion had also doubled. The members of 2nd Platoon began breathing heavily.

Their thighs already felt ready to burst. Their arms were numb from holding their rifles, and they wanted nothing more than to throw their damned heavy K2C1s down the mountain.

Just then, a faint transmission alert sounded from the radio near the face of Nam Gi-baek, who was walking directly behind Bong-tae.

- Beep.

- First Platoon is entering Mount Baekbong. No reply necessary.

Second Platoon didn't have a trained communications operator either. Fortunately, Private First Class Nam Gi-baek had always been fairly good with machines, so he quickly learned how to operate the radio.

They had decided to keep radio transmissions as brief as possible during this operation. Each platoon would also operate only one radio.

Unnecessary transmissions would only increase the chances of revealing their positions. More importantly, if every battalion member used a radio, they would undoubtedly be overwhelmed by a chaotic flood of unnecessary information.

Instead of speaking into the radio, Nam Gi-baek briefly pressed and released the transmission button to acknowledge the message.

- Beep.

After hearing the sound from the radio, Nam Gi-baek let out a short, incredulous chuckle.

'Fuck···. Something this convenient existed, and we've been bending over backward doing things the hard way until now···.'

For the two days since the war began, they had blown whistles, launched signal flares, and passed orders through hand signals they hadn't even agreed on beforehand.

Now they could receive accurate information about a distant platoon's situation with a single press of a button. The sheer convenience almost left him feeling hollow.

Second Platoon slowly climbed the mountain along the ridgeline. To minimize even the sound of stepping on fallen leaves, the platoon members carefully chose where to place their feet.

Bong-tae, who was walking at the front, stopped. The area nearby was thick with young trees that had grown to head height. But several trees clustered farther ahead had distinctly different shapes.

'Hm···?'

Bong-tae raised his fist. Every platoon member stopped. He silently examined the trees.

'They look like someone's been working on them···.'

During his service as a facilities maintenance soldier, he'd cut down trees and trimmed branches countless times. He could distinguish naturally grown trees from those maintained by people at a glance.

Bong-tae scanned the surroundings once more before signaling the others to follow. He passed between the maintained trees. His field of vision suddenly opened up.

Before him stretched a golf course carved into the mountainside like a series of enormous steps.

'A golf course···?'

It was a fairly large golf course. Even the visible portion contained well over ten holes. It looked expansive enough that walking from one end to the other would take at least an hour.

At the edge of the neatly maintained grass stood a two-story clubhouse built of white brick. Beyond it rose the summit of Mount Baekbong. A small observation deck was faintly visible at the top.

If they could reach that point, the primary objective of their reconnaissance mission would essentially be accomplished. From the observation deck, they would likely be able to survey the entire Namyangju area and the routes extending toward northern Seoul at a glance.

"Sergeant Kim···?"

"Should we cut across? What do you think?"

"Hmm···."

Crossing the golf course in a straight line would be the fastest route. But it would also be the most dangerous. If they came under attack in the middle of the broad, cleared grassland, there would be nowhere to hide. The surrounding ridgelines also overlooked the golf course, providing numerous firing angles.

"No, let's go around. Stick to common sense. Common sense."

"Yes, sir."

"Hm···? Sergeant Kim."

Someone tapped Bong-tae on the shoulder. It was Lee Jin-gu.

"What?"

"I think a light just turned on and off inside that building over there."

Bong-tae's expression hardened. No lunatic would be playing golf in the middle of a war, and he hadn't heard anything about friendly troops being stationed here. That left only one possibility.

"What? Are you sure you didn't imagine it?"

"No. I'm pretty sure I saw it."

Jin-gu's expression was serious. No matter how playful Jin-gu usually was, he knew exactly when he was in combat and when he wasn't.

Bong-tae pointed his palm toward the ground. It meant they were to crawl. Every platoon member flattened himself against the dirt.

"Gi-tae."

Hwang Gi-tae crawled over.

"Watch that building through the observation scope."

"Yes, sir."

Hwang Gi-tae nodded once and took the Multifunctional Observation Device (MFOD) from his backpack.

"Check immediately whether you can see anyone. Gi-baek."

"Yes, sir."

"Radio First Platoon and tell them what's happening. Tell them we're going to check the golf course before moving on."

"Yes, Sergeant Kim."

- Monitoring a golf course 300 meters below the summit of Mount Baekbong. Possible North Korean ambush.

- Beep.

An acknowledgment signal quickly arrived from 1st Platoon. Seeing that all his platoon members were looking toward the golf course, Bong-tae pointed out four soldiers and ordered them to watch the left and right flanks.

"There are people."

Hwang Gi-tae's quiet words immediately put everyone on edge. Bong-tae moved close beside him.

"How many?"

"Ten···. Twelve···. Fourteen···. They're gathering near the parking lot."

"What should we do···?"

There were several reasons why the North Korean soldiers had occupied the golf course clubhouse. The fact that resting under a roof was several times more effective than resting in the field was the least important of them.

The real reason was its excellent location. Simply climbing to the second floor or roof of the clubhouse provided a clear view of Mount Baekbong's eastern ridgeline and the roads entering Namyangju.

The clubhouse was a far better observation post for monitoring the movements of vehicles and troops than one might expect.

A few men stationed at the observation deck and a few at the clubhouse, rotating between day and night surveillance, could conserve their strength while maintaining a broad field of vision.

From the North Korean perspective, it was an ideal position that there was no reason to leave unused.

"Let's report it first."

Nam Gi-baek handed the radio to Bong-tae. Bong-tae pressed the transmission button and explained the situation to Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je.

- Enemy spotted at the clubhouse. At least two squads in strength.

- Acknowledged. Transmit the coordinates using the observation scope.

Hwang Gi-tae's Multifunctional Observation Device had been fitted with an Electronic Warfare Countermeasure Device freshly delivered from Gyeryongdae. Unlike yesterday, all of its functions were now operational.

Hwang Gi-tae fixed the observation scope on the clubhouse parking lot. Inside the device, the laser rangefinder identified personnel and vehicles and began measuring the distance to the targets.

Beep.

Once the distance appeared, the device simultaneously calculated its built-in GPS data, digital compass reading, and inclination angle. Combining the target's azimuth and elevation angle, it automatically generated target coordinates on one side of the display.

The entire process took 0.5 seconds.

If an experienced observer of corporal or sergeant rank had calculated the same coordinates manually without the device, it would have taken at least thirty seconds, even at maximum speed.

A sixtyfold increase in efficiency from a single piece of equipment.

"Transmitting."

"Good."

Hwang Gi-tae pressed the target transmission button with his thumb. The words 'TARGET DATA SEND' flashed on the screen. The coordinate information generated by the observation scope was encrypted and transmitted to the rear.

That rear position was the 85th Artillery Battalion of the 8th Division, waiting in southern Pocheon.

Every observation device belonging to the mechanized infantry battalions participating in the Seoul recapture operation had already been directly linked, one-to-one, with an artillery battalion.

Instead of coordinates passing through several levels of command posts before being sent back down, they went directly into the assigned artillery battalion's fire-control network.

Although communications had recovered to some extent, connections were still frequently interrupted and transmission speeds remained slow. Simply eliminating those intermediate stages greatly reduced the time required to open fire.

The voice of an officer from the artillery battalion came through the radio.

- Move away from the target area. Firing in one minute.

There was one weapon that had achieved virtually nothing since the war began.

Ironically, it was the first weapon usually introduced whenever people discussed the Republic of Korea's outstanding weapons systems.

The K9 self-propelled howitzer.

A world-class self-propelled howitzer with a maximum range of sixty kilometers, an automated fire-control system, and state-of-the-art propulsion and loading systems.

It performed better than the American M109A6 Paladin or the British AS90, and in terms of cost-effectiveness, there was no self-propelled howitzer that could rival it. It was one of South Korea's signature weapons.

Since the war began, most of those advantages had been rendered useless. No, the self-propelled howitzers themselves had effectively been useless.

But now things were different.

Bong-tae and his platoon members crouched low beneath the bushes and held their breath. And now, less than a minute later.

Wheeeeeee! Wheeeeeee!

The wailing sound of enormous masses of steel tearing through the distant sky reached their ears.

The instant that sound swept over Bong-tae's head, the center of the golf course clubhouse erupted.

A tremendous explosion burst forth, as though a giant had struck it with his fist.

KABOOM! KABOOM! KABOOOOOM!

The second shell slammed into the parking lot, and the third swallowed the small building attached to the clubhouse whole.

The parking lot where the North Korean soldiers had been standing moments earlier was already so thoroughly destroyed that it was impossible to tell what the area had originally been used for.

While the platoon members stood dumbfounded by the power of the self-propelled artillery, the artillery battalion's stiff, businesslike voice came through the radio again.

- Beep.

- Fire mission complete. Hope you liked it.

"···."

The cloud of dirt that had soared high into the sky showed no sign of settling. This time, Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je's voice came through the radio.

- Beep.

- This is how a reconnaissance unit fights. Out.

Among the stunned platoon members, Lee Jin-gu grinned and uttered a single remark.

"Now this is modern warfare."

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