Red Phoenix Burning

by Larry Bond

  “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, Gene
ral 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.”