Red Phoenix Burning

Chapter 15 — Parley

The shadows darted from one mound of rubble to the next, careful not to expose themselves to the light growing slowly in the east. The streets were littered with the remains of buildings, tanks, and soldiers. A pall of smoke from many sources promised a dim, gray day.

The intense battle yesterday had come to an unexpectedly quick end as soon as the surviving KPA units had withdrawn across the Taedong River. Like someone throwing a light switch, the fighting had simply been turned off. And with the exception of an occasional rifle crack, the night had become strangely quiet. It was as if the North Koreans had all disappeared.

From his command post in the hills to the south, Colonel Rhee Han-gil had watched the orderly evacuation of the DPRK troops via a UAV video feed. The KPA soldiers were not running. They took turns firing and moving back, always facing the enemy.

This was no rout, but a well-planned and executed retreat. The commanding general, whoever he was, was a skillful individual. Rhee found himself begrudgingly impressed and worried at the same time.

Along with the other senior officers, he’d expected the North Koreans to mount a hold-at-all costs defense. Instead, the KPA had made a fighting withdrawal, trading space for ROK casualties, while keeping their own forces relatively intact. Whoever was in charge knew how to run a retreat.

With a good commander directing the KPA forces, the fight to take the rest of Pyongyang would be much more costly. Especially as it looked like the last bridge across the Taedong River had just been destroyed.

Rhee and Little were both hunched over the UAV monitor, trying to see just how badly the Yanggak Bridge was damaged. The two colonels feared the worst as they studied the display, desperately wishing for a clearer picture. But there was so much smoke and dust in the air it was impossible to make anything out. Frustrated, Rhee went back to using his night vision binoculars. They weren’t any better. Suddenly, an annoying buzz sounded from the comms tent.

“Colonel,” shouted Guk. “It’s General Kwon on the secure line, sir.”

Rhee hurried back over to the tent and grabbed the encrypted satellite phone. “Colonel Rhee here, sir.”

“Colonel, I want you to head down to the Taedong River and survey the bridges. I need to know if any have even a remote chance of being usable. The UAVs aren’t good enough for a detailed damage assessment. I need close visual inspection, from the ground… tonight.”

“Of course, General. We’ll leave immediately.”

“Excellent. And keep your eyes open for potential locations that can support pontoon bridges. We may have to use them if the bridge isn’t an option.” Kwon didn’t sound happy at the idea. The Taedong was a big river. Laying a pontoon bridge under fire from a hostile shore would be slow and costly.

“Yes, sir,” Rhee replied. Then after a short pause he added, “General, if I may ask, how did the other corps do?”

The gruff sigh told Rhee all he needed to know. “Not as well as we had hoped, Colonel. The First Army’s Seventh Corps barely got into the city proper before being bogged down; the same for the Third Army’s Fifth Corps. Your sector is the only one that made its planned goals, but you and I both know why.”

“The river,” answered Rhee, nodding. The KPA troops had evacuated the area just before they blew up the bridges. The ROK troops had gained ground quickly, but, with further progress blocked by the river, it had no value.

“Exactly. We need to get across the Taedong, and quickly.”

“I’m not looking forward to what happens when we do.”

“Yes, Colonel, I know bypassing the city makes more military sense, but there are the political aspects. Taking the city will break the back of the KPA resistance. So find me a way across that river! Kwon out.”

Rhee put the phone down, turned back to Kevin, and queried, “Colonel Little, would you care to join me and my team for a stroll along the Taedong?”

“Sounds like fun,” Kevin answered, straightening up from the UAV station. “When do we leave?”

“Now.”

It had taken the evening and most of the night to reach the riverbank. Now Kevin ran, stooped over, to the remains of a burnt-out building and threw his back up against the charred brickwork. Everywhere he looked, he saw the signs of a pitched battle. The blackened hulks of KPA tanks and shattered bunkers lined the shores of the Taedong River. Unmoving figures in both sides’ uniforms lay in close proximity to the still-smoldering ruins. The wounded had been recovered soon after the fighting had stopped, but they hadn’t had the opportunity to remove the dead.

He saw Rhee hold up his hand, signaling the four men behind him to stop. The South Korean colonel scanned the area ahead with his night vision goggles and then waved them forward. The observation site was less than a hundred meters away. The Yanggak Bridge was the second structure Rhee’s recon team had been assigned to inspect; the first, the Chungsong Bridge to the west, was a total loss. Kevin had little hope this next one would be any better, but they still had to get close enough to assess the damage with their own eyes. Other teams from the Ninth Special Forces Brigade were surveying the four remaining bridges to the northeast. Listening in on their reports to Kwon wasn’t encouraging. Most of the bridges across the Taedong River were unserviceable, wrecked beyond repair. They’d have to be completely rebuilt.

The five men stayed low as they scurried toward their first planned survey site, a small peninsula a couple hundred meters from the bridge. Actually, there were two bridges. The first was a steel-framed railroad bridge, and the second a reinforced concrete, multilane highway span beside it. Either would meet the army’s needs. The railroad bridge was in front, from the team’s viewpoint. Rhee stayed low as he ran along the rocky shoreline. His chosen path kept them close to the water’s edge; he didn’t want to be seen by either friend or foe.

From everything Rhee could see, there wasn’t a hostile soldier in sight. The UAV above them hadn’t seen anyone on or near the shore on Yanggak Island, nearly four hundred meters away. Their portable UAV monitor showed only hotspots from the fires still burning in the destroyed stadium.

But even if there were no enemy soldiers in sight, Rhee was equally concerned about the friendly units nearby. Even though the ROK 25th Infantry Division had been informed his team would be in the area, the colonel suspected the troops would be more than a little trigger-happy after the battle. And there were always a few who never got the word. As the division’s defensive perimeter was just a mere eighty meters away, he felt it prudent to stay out of sight. He didn’t want to risk being fired at by friendly units.

As the group approached the peninsula, Kevin saw the mound they had spotted in the satellite imagery rising up out of the water. It was actually a pile of gravel, stored there temporarily for the concrete plant a couple hundred meters to the west. The gravel was dumped in a loose “L” shape, giving them cover from the friendly forces to the south. They had also chosen the mound because it was a few meters taller than either bridge’s deck. Crawling up the nine-meter rise of loose aggregate proved to be a bit of a workout, but once at the crest, they had a good view of both bridges — well, at least the southern part.

The Yanggak Bridge had two separate sections. They could see the spans that reached from the southern shore to the island. A second set of bridges linked the island to the rest of Pyongyang, but they were hidden behind the island itself.

Rhee pulled out his night vision binoculars and began a sweep, while Kevin and the other team members assembled a laser rangefinder with an integral GPS receiver. The equipment would take the exact measurements needed to construct a detailed computer rendering of the railroad and highway portions of the bridge.

“No contacts,” Rhee reported.

Kevin was already scanning the closest structure. He sighed heavily; the railroad bridge was not an option. “Rhee, the four center spans on the railroad bridge are completely destroyed — gone. We can cross that one off our list.”

“What about the highway bridge?” asked the Korean colonel, a note of irritation in his voice.

“Looking now,” Kevin replied. From this vantage point, they had a decent, but not unobstructed view of the highway bridge. Fortunately, it was just a little taller, allowing Kevin to see the spans through the railroad bridge’s steel framework. What he saw was more encouraging. “It looks like they concentrated their explosives on the center two spans. The other four look untouched.”

“What’s their condition?” requested Rhee as he continued his safety scan.

“I can’t tell for certain, but they’re not completely dropped. I can still see some intact pavement. They’re definitely damaged; I just can’t say how badly from here. We should be able to get a better view from the second survey site.”

“Understood,” said Rhee, then briefly turning his head toward his team demanded, “Corporal, status on the measurements.”

“Give us two more minutes and we’ll be done with the railroad bridge, sir. We’ll have to do the measurements on the highway bridge from site two.”

Before Rhee could acknowledge the report, Little interrupted with a whispered, “What the hell is that?”

“Where?” shot back Rhee.

“Straight across the river. Just up the hill from the construction site, on the shoreline.”

Rhee quickly repositioned his night vision binoculars and saw two, then four very bright heat sources. They were moving slowly down the hill. When he lowered the binoculars, he could see them as well — bright pinpoints that left afterimages. “Flares?” he murmured incredulously.

“That’s what they look like to me, too. But why would anyone want to use flares, especially after a large battle?”

“Perhaps because they want to be seen,” Rhee remarked dryly.

Kevin rolled his eyes. “Obviously, Colonel. But why do they want to be seen?”

Rhee shrugged; he didn’t have a good answer for that. Both men watched the bright orbs as they moved steadily toward the shoreline.

“It looks like they’re headed down to the river,” observed Kevin.

Suddenly, his radio headset crackled to life. “X-Ray Two Romeo Zero One, this is Alpha Three Sierra Two Seven. UAV holds multiple contacts approaching the shore of Yanggak Island. Contacts appear to be heading for the dock. Over.”

“Alpha Three Sierra Two Seven, this is X-Ray Two Romeo Zero One, we have a visual on contacts as well. Do you have an estimate on their numbers? Over.”

Rhee motioned for the portable display; he wanted to see the UAV video feed himself.

“Can’t tell for certain. The contacts appear to be using flares. They’re partially blinding the UAV’s IR sensor. Estimate six to eight individuals.”

Rhee and Kevin looked at the small screen. Shimmering balls of light filled the display. Fleeting images, no more than shadows, were obviously people, but it was impossible to see how many.

One thing was certain: the procession was heading for the makeshift pier used by the construction company. A small motorboat was tied to the dock.

When the group carrying the flares finally reached the dock, two of the lights appeared to get on the boat, while the other two stayed put and started waving in the air. Rhee watched as the boat pulled away from the dock, swung its bow around, and headed toward the south bank — toward them. Puzzled, Little looked over to see his friend was just as confused. What they were seeing just didn’t make a whole lot of sense. Rhee shook his head and keyed his mike. “Alpha Three Sierra Two Seven, this is X-Ray Two Romeo Zero One. The boat has left the dock and is moving toward the south bank. Can you give me an estimated landing position?”

“X-Ray Two Romeo Zero One, this is Alpha Three Sierra Two Seven. Our best guess is that it is heading to the concrete plant — one hundred eighty meters to your southwest.”

“Roger. Inform General Kwon we are moving to intercept,” announced Rhee as he signaled his men. They had already packed up the rangefinder and laptop and were ready to move out. “Gentlemen, it looks like we’ll be having visitors. We don’t know their intent, but it’s clear they want us to see them. Therefore, we will exercise restraint. Do not fire unless you see a clear and immediate danger to the team, understood?”

“Yes, sir!” they responded.

“All right then, let’s go see what this is all about.”

Tae emerged from the wrecked administrative building with Major Ryeon at his side; four Reconnaissance Bureau soldiers followed close behind them. Each of the special operations commandos held an emergency signal flare high in the air. As they marched across the courtyard, General Tae got his first close look at the ruined Yanggakdo Stadium some fifty meters to his left. In the growing light, he could see that it had been completely devastated by ROK and American artillery. He had to respect the enemy’s capabilities; he was also pleased that his assessment had been correct. His rather unusual orders had saved the lives of many of his rocket artillery troops. Tae’s demonstrated concern for his men’s well-being had rippled through the ranks like wildfire. His behavior was unlike any North Korean general, and because of that, he enjoyed the soldiers’ complete loyalty. Should his plan succeed, he would need it.

Taking up a diamond formation with Tae and Ryeon in the middle, the six men headed down to a dock and a small motorboat. Uneasy with being out in the open, Ryeon fidgeted as they walked, constantly looking skyward.

“Calm yourself, Major,” admonished Tae. “I’m quite certain their unmanned vehicles saw us the moment we left the building. If they wanted us dead, we wouldn’t have gotten ten meters.”

“Yes, Comrade General,” mumbled an unconvinced Ryeon. The young major was still struggling with his general’s unorthodox tactics. They deviated from everything Ryeon had been taught. When the general described how they would use flares during their walk to the construction dock, Ryeon briefly considered that his superior had lost his mind.

Tae chuckled at his aide’s discomfort. The general shared his aide’s uneasy feelings — the older man just hid them better. “I understand your misgivings, Ryeon Jae-gon, but by using the flares, we make our presence and movements, how should I say it, blindingly obvious? The Americans call this kind of behavior ‘over the top,’ and it should make them curious. I fully expect to be met after we cross the river.”

“My apologies, General,” Ryeon replied sheepishly. “I confess that I’m still having difficulties adjusting to our current situation.”

The general burst out laughing. “So am I, Major, so am I. But the world has changed, and either we accept that change and adapt, or we die.”

The two men walked the rest of the way to the dock in silence. Ryeon kept looking skyward in a vain attempt to spot a loitering UAV, just in case Tae was wrong.

Once they reached the boat, Tae, Ryeon, and two of the commandos boarded. A Reconnaissance Bureau soldier untied the line, and the boat slowly pulled away from the dock. As an added precaution, Tae ordered the two soldiers on the dock to begin waving their flares — just in case the Americans had somehow missed them earlier. The boat swung around and began its short journey to the concrete plant dock on the south side of the Taedong River. The general insisted the boat proceed slowly, again to make it clear this wasn’t a raid of some sort. He scanned the area by the concrete plant with his binoculars. He didn’t see anyone, not that he expected to. His reception committee would remain hidden until the very last moment. At least, that’s what he would do in their place.

As the motorboat made its way to the other shore, Tae went over in his mind what he would say once his party was confronted. He kept reminding himself there could be no provocative statements, no threats — just simple facts, delivered professionally.

Initially, Tae thought he and Ryeon should be in their dress uniforms. But upon further reflection, he decided that wouldn’t be appropriate. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was no more, thus the uniform had no basis and its presence would only serve as an irritant to the South Koreans and Americans. No, he and his aide would wear their combat fatigues. Even though the uniforms were soiled with dirt and sweat, their best chance at a truce demanded the meeting be between soldiers. A shiny political ornament would be completely out of place.

The engine throttled back and the boat coasted the last few meters, bumping up gently against the dock’s pilings. One of the commandos threw his flare into the river, jumped on to the dock, and secured the line to the bow. The second commando followed, looped the stern line around a cleat, and then assisted Tae out of the small craft. Once all four men were on the dock, the Reconnaissance Bureau soldiers assumed a protective position in front of the general, weapons raised.

“Lower your weapons!” barked Tae. “We are not here to fight! Get it through your thick skulls our mission is to secure a truce with our former enemies, so we can fight off the Chinese. I will not tolerate any action, even a defensive one, which might ruin our chances of success. Is that clear?”

The two commandos hesitated, then slowly lowered their assault rifles. Their expressions exposed the struggle they had fighting deep-rooted instincts. Seeing the edgy look on their faces, Tae said, “I know what I’m telling you conflicts with everything you’ve been trained for. I understand that. But the simple fact of the matter is, none of us were trained to deal with our country falling apart. Follow my orders and we will succeed in preserving our land. The future government will be different, of that I am sure, but this is still our home. And we must protect it from foreign invaders.”

Tae then turned and strode off the dock and up the ramp toward the road. Silently, he wondered just how far they would get before being challenged. When they reached the road, Tae stopped, looked around, and motioned for his party to form a line. Then, in a loud voice he ordered, “Raise your weapons, remove the magazines, and clear the chambers.”

The commandos slowly lifted their assault rifles, carefully removed the magazines, and placed them in their tactical belts. The soldiers then cleared the chambers, showing the weapons were now completely disarmed.

“Sling arms,” commanded Tae. In an almost drill-like fashion, the men placed their weapons over their right shoulders. The general nodded and ordered, “Forward, march.”

They had barely taken ten steps when a loud voice sounded out from the mound of sand and gravel. “That is far enough. Halt and identify yourself.”

Tae grinned as he signaled the group to stop. They’d gotten about as far as he expected. Clearing his throat, he shouted, “I am General Tae Seok-won, commander of the Korean People’s Army. I’m here to discuss terms for the surrender of Pyongyang.”

After Tae’s announcement, the North Korean contingent stood quietly, waiting for a response. When it didn’t come, Tae called out again, “Did you hear me? I said I’m here to discuss terms for the surrender of Pyongyang.”

Behind a small heap of sand, Rhee stood in stunned silence; his expression was one of complete amazement. This was absolutely the last thing he expected to hear. Pointing over his shoulder, he said in English, “The man says he’s General Tae Seok-won. He wants to discuss terms for the surrender of Pyongyang.”

Kevin was equally shocked, but whispered, “I heard him! My Korean’s not that bad.” After a moment, the American urged, “Answer him, Rhee!”

“How do you respond to that?” exclaimed Rhee in a hushed, but intense voice.

“You can start by acknowledging his presence,” instructed Kevin. “I’ll try and find out if this guy is really Tae.”

Both of them knew from intelligence briefings that Tae was a senior member of the General Staff faction. The most recent reports had listed him as the likely commander of the troops in the capital. Before the coup began, the general had commanded the DPRK’s Chemical Directorate, and intelligence had linked him to the sarin gas attack in Pyongyang. While Rhee gathered his thoughts, Kevin got on the radio.

Finally, Rhee turned in the direction of the North Korean party and shouted, “Yes, General, I heard you. I’m just a little surprised by your offer.”

Tae smiled. His plan appeared to have worked. The South Korean’s delayed reply suggested his confusion was genuine; Tae could only hope that an equal bewilderment had started to percolate up the chain of command. “Yes, I’m sure you are,” remarked the general. “However, I’m not accustomed to negotiating with a pile of rock. Show yourselves. You know my men’s weapons have been rendered safe.”

Rhee turned back toward Kevin. There was a faint smile on his face. “Well, he certainly sounds like a general.”

“If you don’t wish to discuss my terms, we can just go back to fighting each other. My men are more than willing to make your visit to Pyongyang very interesting,” shouted Tae. There was a note of annoyance in his voice.

“Yep, that’s a general,” observed Kevin. “And he’s getting pissed.”

Rhee exhaled sharply. “I suppose we should go out and hear what he has to say.”

“That would be the sensible thing to do.”

“I suppose I should salute him too,” grumbled Rhee. Kevin just shrugged his shoulders.

After taking another deep breath, Rhee instructed his team, “Follow my lead, weapons ready.” He then counted to three with his fingers. Once he reached three, the Korean colonel slowly walked out from behind the mound. Kevin and the other team members followed.

Tae saw five men suddenly appear to his left, their weapons raised. He signaled his people to stand fast and spoke quietly, “Stay at ease. If they wanted to kill us, we would already be dead.”

Rhee approached the North Koreans cautiously. Kevin stayed to his left, while the three commandos fanned out to the right. They walked slowly, careful not to do anything that could be interpreted as a hostile act, and stopped some ten meters from Tae. Lowering his weapon, Rhee came to attention and rendered a smart salute. Kevin followed suit. Pleasantly surprised, Tae returned the honor.

“I see you are well disciplined,” commented the general. “I assume I’m in the presence of a ROK Special Forces unit?”

“You would be correct, sir,” answered Rhee. “I am Colonel Rhee Han-gil, commander, Ninth Special Forces Brigade. This is Colonel Kevin Little, US Eighth Army.”

Tae bowed slightly and pointed to his right. “This is my aide, Major Ryeon Jae-gon. My security guards are Reconnaissance Bureau soldiers.” Ryeon rendered a salute once the general mentioned his name.

Rhee returned the salute and then looked closely at the two commandos; they were just as uneasy about the meeting as he was. From his earliest days in the ROK Army, Rhee had been taught to despise the Reconnaissance Bureau. Their skill and ruthlessness was well known and feared. Still, Rhee recognized these men were peers of a sort and deserving of respect. He bowed lightly in their direction. They reciprocated his acknowledgment.

“You said you wanted to discuss terms for the surrender of Pyongyang, General. I’m listening,” Rhee stated firmly.

“Yes, Colonel, but in truth, it’s more than just Pyongyang. If my terms are accepted, I’ll order all units loyal to the General Staff and Korean Workers’ Party, throughout the country, to cease hostilities against Republic of Korea and American forces. I’ll also order the surrender of all weapons of mass destruction possessed by both groups to ROK or American units.”

Rhee’s mind whirled. The general was offering an opportunity to end the fighting between the Korean peoples. But there was still the issue of his terms. Forcing himself to speak calmly, he replied, “That is a very attractive offer, General. What are your demands?”

Tae frowned. “‘Demands’ is a very undiplomatic word, Colonel. I prefer to call them ‘conditions.’”

“Of course, sir. What are your conditions?” solicited Rhee as politely as he could. His curiosity grew with Tae’s measured response. Diplomatic niceties were rarely a matter of concern to a North Korean general officer.

Walking slowly toward Rhee, Tae offered him a handwritten document as he began what was obviously a well-rehearsed statement.

“First, the Republic of Korea officially pledges to take control of the former Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s territory.

“Second, the ROK government, along with international support, begins immediate relief efforts to provide food and medical assistance to our citizens.

“Third, the ROK government preserves the Korean People’s Army’s organization and command structure. I am to be granted temporary authority as commander in chief; however, I will place myself under the authority of the ROK chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the chief of staff of the army.

“Fourth, the ROK government provides the KPA with ammunition, food, and fuel so that we can defend our land.”

Glancing at the paper as Tae ran down the list, Rhee saw they were exactly as Tae had said. The first two were givens, but the last two would be a major problem for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, not to mention the Blue House.

“Your first two conditions will happen as a matter of course, General,” responded Rhee carefully. “However, I do not understand the purpose of the last two.”

“I have very good reasons for those conditions, Colonel,” Tae answered calmly, but his tone was forceful. “If the Republic of Korea wishes to reunify the peninsula, then the population and the military of what was the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea must join with those in the South. Uniting against a common enemy will do that faster than anything else. We love our country just as much as you do yours.

“Furthermore, my men would rather die fighting a hopeless cause than become prisoners, scorned and shamed for doing their duty. I trust our actions as of late have made that very clear.”

As Rhee listened to the general’s passionate rebuttal, he suddenly grasped the purpose of their fierce defense earlier. “General Tae, are you telling me that yesterday’s fighting was a message? A demonstration of your resolve to be treated as equals?”

Tae smiled. “Precisely, Colonel Rhee. We had to show we are willing to fight to the bitter end. If your government wishes to reunify the peninsula, we must have a say in how that will be done.”

Rhee nodded his understanding; a military force was the first and most obvious form of a state’s existence. Tae’s argument was reasonable. But the heavy casualties both sides had suffered, just to get his message across, angered Rhee. It was typical North Korean behavior. Forcing himself to remain calm, he took a deep breath and asked, “And the second reason?”

“You’ll need my men to help fight the Chinese,” Tae replied.

Rhee reacted to Tae’s claim with suspicion. “Once your forces surrender, there will be no need to fight them. The Chinese have officially said they were only concerned about the lack of control of the DPRK’s weapons of mass destruction. This ceases to be an issue once you transfer control to us.”

“Don’t be naïve, Colonel,” scolded Tae. “China will not quietly tolerate a unified Korea on their border. The only way they’ll leave is if we push them out. And for that, you’ll need the forces at my command.”

The last part caused a chill to run up Rhee’s spine. While General Tae’s assertion was unsettling, Rhee knew he was right. He’d heard Kwon and other senior officers discussing their prospects of fighting both the Chinese and the remaining KPA forces. They were not optimistic.

After a pause, Rhee announced, “I understand your conditions, General. However, I must discuss them with my superiors. I’ll return shortly.”

“By all means, Colonel. We’ll wait. We have nothing better to do.”

Rhee turned to leave, but caught himself in mid-stride and looked back at the North Korean general. “I’m curious, General Tae. We know chemical weapons have been used during the fighting here earlier. We were fully expecting you to use them against our assault. I’m sure you still have some in your possession, don’t you?”

“Of course,” Tae grinned. “I have an ample supply of special rockets and shells.”

“Why didn’t you use them, then?”

“Would you have been willing to listen to me if I had? I wanted to make a point, Colonel, not create a blood enemy.”

“I see. Please excuse me.” Rhee saluted, then motioned to Little as he started walking away. The American was close behind him. As they passed by the corporal, he held out a tablet for Rhee. The colonel took it, looked at the display, and passed it to Kevin. Little raised the tablet and looked at a stock NIS photo of General Tae Seok-won.

“Same guy,” remarked Kevin as he handed the tablet back.

“I concur. He is who he says he is. That is an encouraging beginning.”

They stopped a short distance away, but well out of earshot of the North Koreans. Rhee radioed headquarters and urgently requested that he speak to General Kwon. It didn’t take long before the general was on the net.

Rhee explained the situation and confirmed the North Korean general’s identity. He then listed Tae’s conditions, and his justifications for them. Kwon listened quietly as Rhee concluded his report. “Finally, Tae claims that he has an ample supply of chemical weapons that he deliberately chose not to use against us.”

“Do you believe him?” Kwon asked.

“We both know how many empty depots my men found; I’d have to say I do.”

Rhee heard his general curse loudly. “This makes no damn sense, Colonel! No sense at all! Why fight so hard, and then offer to surrender? Is he trying to put us off guard so they can counterattack?”

“That would be hard to do without bridges, General,” argued Rhee. “As a barrier, the Taedong River works both ways. Honestly, sir, I think Tae is being truthful, as hard as that may be to imagine.”

“You mean to tell me that you actually believe this criminal? This filthy communist?”

Rhee had been expecting this. General Kwon was old school. He was famous for his fierce determination, and equally infamous for his hatred of the Kim regime.

“There wasn’t the usual communist bluster, sir. He never mentioned reestablishing party rule even once. In truth, General, I agree with his reasoning.”

“Colonel Rhee, the man has used chemical weapons on his own people!” objected Kwon.

“All three factions have used chemical weapons, sir,” Rhee countered. “If we’re going to reject the surrender of every senior North Korean officer that used WMDs during the civil war, then we should prepare for a long, costly fight, one we could very well lose.”

A soft laugh suddenly echoed in the earpiece. Once it stopped, there was a sharp sigh, followed by, “All right, Colonel, what do you recommend?”

“I recommend we accept his terms, sir,” Rhee stated frankly.

“You understand that this is a political hand grenade,” remarked Kwon. “How do you expect me to sell this up the chain of command?”

Rhee smiled. Kwon was at least listening. “Simply point out that we will achieve our goals. Pyongyang is taken ahead of schedule, and with far fewer casualties than we estimated. The Blue House will love that. And if the rest of the KPA units obey Tae, then the fighting between our armed forces will be over throughout the rest of the country. We get our hands on more WMDs — a lot more, since Tae almost certainly knows about caches that we didn’t even have a clue existed. Maybe that will be enough to get the Chinese to back off.

“But most importantly, sir, accepting Tae’s terms give us the best chance at achieving reunification in a reasonably peaceful fashion. Sir, we can’t throw this opportunity away because of decades-old hostility. The healing has to begin some time… why not now?”

Kwon was quiet at first; Rhee knew his boss was thinking over his subordinate’s words carefully. Finally, after another sigh, Kwon lamented, “You realize we could both be court-martialed for treason. Committing our government to an alliance with the enemy.”

“I see nothing treasonous about allying ourselves with other Koreans, sir. However, if we’re convicted, I’ll gladly take the upper bunk.”

The general burst out laughing; the quip was typical Rhee. “All right, you rogue, I’ll endorse your recommendation to General Yeon. You go and stop the civil war.”

Tae waited patiently as the South Korean colonel was obviously having an animated conversation with this superior. After several long minutes, the two colonels started walking back toward Tae and his men. The general’s anxiousness grew with each step, but he waited for Rhee to come to a stop. Then calmly, Tae asked, “Well, Colonel Rhee Han-gil, what will it be?”

Rhee stepped forward and offered his hand. “We accept your terms, General.”

General Thomas Fascione sat silently at the head of the conference room table. The USFK chief of staff, Major General O’Rourke, and deputy, General Park Joon-ho, were seated next to him; both men fidgeted in discomfort as General Yeon Min-soo, the ROK Army chief of staff, ranted in a fierce tirade — the man was livid.

“How dare that man obligate us to a truce without proper consultation from the president! And Kwon — he should have known better! This is typical Special Forces behavior; they think they can operate outside the rules that apply to everyone else!”

Fascione stood up abruptly. His face betrayed his irritation. “I really don’t understand what the problem is, General Yeon. Based on everything I’ve been told, Colonel Rhee’s actions achieved what was in the best interests of the Republic of Korea — no, correction, the new unified Korea.”

Yeon’s face became tighter as he restrained himself from looking up at the towering American general. “He’s a colonel, General Fascione, and he doesn’t have the authority to commit the Republic of Korea to a truce with the likes of that criminal Tae! Nor does General Kwon! The idea of integrating the KPA into our military structure, even if Tae is willing to place himself under our command, is simply unacceptable.”

“Perhaps I’m just an ‘Ugly American’ who doesn’t appreciate the Confucian hierarchy that your culture finds so endearing, General,” began Fascione, his nostrils flaring. “But from where I come from, the mission comes first! Your government is entitled to make its own decisions on how to deal with the former KPA troops, of course. But if I were you, I’d suggest not repeating the same mistakes we made in Iraq with the de-Baathification policy. We’re still paying for that bonehead maneuver.”

The screen was filled with a sea of multicolored lanterns flowing down the street. In the background were several large floats depicting various images of Buddha. South Korean flags waved everywhere, and the sound of firecrackers could be heard echoing in the background. Given the size and festiveness of the throng, one could be forgiven thinking it was New Year’s Day, or even the Buddha birthday celebration. It was neither; the official announcement from the Blue House of Pyongyang’s capitulation had been made only thirty minutes earlier. The spontaneous rejoicing was the emotional outpouring of a people that had waited decades for this moment — the reunification of Korea.

Sitting at her news anchor desk, Catherine Donner watched in awe as thousands of Koreans sang, shouted, or chanted their joy in downtown Seoul. As soon as the video clip was done, she turned toward the camera and began reading her script.

“All of Seoul, a city of ten million, erupted into celebration immediately after President An Kye-nam announced that the North Korean capital of Pyongyang had been captured by ROK Army units during the early morning hours. YouTube and other social media outlets show similar celebrations throughout the Republic of Korea. In essence, the country is throwing one great big party, and not without justification.

“After nearly seventy years, and two wars, the divided halves of Korea are becoming one. And while the beginning of the reunification process is indeed a cause for festivities, it is only the start of what will undoubtedly be a lengthy, and arduous integration, particularly since these two countries have long harbored hostile feelings toward each other.

“While there will unquestionably be bumps along the road, President An’s opening remarks that the Republic of Korea will not make the same mistakes that America did in Iraq, was an encouraging and refreshing start. Still, there are reports of continued fighting between the former Korean People’s Army and Chinese army units to the north of Pyongyang. State Department officials declined to make any comments, stating that negotiations were continuing with Beijing.”