Cyber Countdown

by Terence Flynn

  “Largely because the missions were highly classified. My career as a SEAL was also shortened by a diving accident caused by faulty equipment.”

  “So then you transferred to the North Korean Reconnaissance General Bureau as a military intelligence agent?”

  “Yes. That was a very unhappy period in my life.”

  “Why?”

  “I got to see firsthand the poor conditions of our people outside the cities and how many were starving and rioting because of it. Many rioters were arrested or killed by the police and the army.”

  “Were you part of that?”

  “No, my group only monitored the overall political situation and turned in reports to the Korean People’s Army. They were the enforcers.”

  “Yes, the KPA. I remember their reputation when I lived in North Korea. How did you feel about spying on fellow citizens?”

  “I hated it, but we never reported on individual citizens, just the local community as a whole. My job was electronic intelligence. I used computers to analyze and correlate reported incidents and information and then provided my overall analysis to KPA headquarters. My communications and computer training and experience allowed me to finally extract myself from that assignment.”

  “So you enrolled in Huichon University of Telecommunications for training in cybersecurity after only fourteen months in military intelligence?”

  “Yes. The government was looking for qualified individuals for cybersecurity training to participate in the global cyber war between the East and West. I applied and was accepted. I desperately wanted to get out of military intelligence, but I also wanted to develop skills that would demonstrate my capabilities in a real war, the cyber war. Of course, that was before the US economic sanctions on North Korea.”

  “It says you received numerous commendations for using your new skills against North Korea’s enemies.”

  “Yes, I implemented many successful attacks against the South Koreans and Taiwanese over the past two years. However, I knew I needed better skills to successfully attack the Western democracies, and especially the United States.”

  “So you hate the Americans?”

  Kim hesitated for a second since he was not certain why Lee was asking the question. “Do you?” he asked.

  “No, I have no reason to hate them. I left North Korea for a better life and to also get away from the oppression of the government,” Lee said. “If you’re worried that I’m trying to trap you, I promise you that I’m not. I believe your uncle selected me to be your contact because he knew about me. I was a trainer for the North Korean Olympic Team in 2000 and attended the games that took place in Australia. I’m quite certain it was your uncle who influenced someone on the South Korean team to help me defect to South Korea.”

  Kim learned how to judge someone’s responses during his training and work as a military intelligence agent. He was very good at it, and he believed Lee.

  “How did you get to China after you defected to South Korea?”

  “I’ll answer your question if you first answer mine, Kim. Do you hate the Americans?”

  “I probably should hate the Americans after their severe economic sanctions on North Korea. They were starving our people.”

  “Then why don’t you?”

  Kim hesitated for about a minute and then said, “No one has ever asked me that question, Lee. It’s not a topic you would discuss in North Korea, as I’m sure you know. I did have an initial reaction of hatred after the American sanctions. Then I remembered the government propaganda when I was in primary school. They politicized the supposed massacres of thousands of North Koreans by the American Army during the Fatherland Liberation War in the 1950s. The claimed atrocities were documented in horrible photographs that we were required to view at the nearby Sinchon Museum of American War Atrocities. They claimed thirty-five thousand North Korean civilians were massacred by American military and buried in mass graves near the cities of Nampo, Sariwon, and Sinchon. It was all a lie—like our leaders’ lies to the US government that enabled the sanctions. Our leaders are at fault, not the US.”

  “Thank you for sharing that, Kim. If what you’re saying is true, why would you want to attack the Americans using cyber warfare?”

  “Because they’re the best. They invented cyber warfare, and I love the challenge of trying to beat them at their own game. Also, no one is actually killed during the attacks.”

  “I see. Is it just to satisfy your ego?”

  “Possibly. Does it matter?”

  “It doesn’t really. I’m just trying to gain some perspective on your personality to see if I can trust you.”

  “And what have you concluded?”

  “Based on what I have learned from this resume and our brief conversation, I think I can trust you. I believe you have a good moral compass and would do anything to protect those you care about, especially your family. What bothers me is that you never mentioned any friends or lovers. Do you have any?”

  Kim smiled. “I keep my private life private,” he said. “That’s often difficult in North Korea, as I’m sure you know, Lee. The government knows about my family, but the admiral has protected them. That protection wouldn’t extend to friends or lovers, so I have kept that to a minimum since personal attachments create vulnerabilities. However, I have a few friends and have had a number of female lovers.”

  “You’re very attractive, Kim, and unusually tall for a North Korean. I’m sure that will draw attention from some female students at HIT, but you must be careful. Some Chinese tend to think of North Koreans as barbarians, and even the local Korean population could be hostile. Your government sometimes monitors North Korean students. They have even paid Chinese students to spy on them. You should keep a low profile and avoid unnecessary attachments.”

  “I’ve been taught to analyze personal motives, Lee. I’m quite good at it. I plan to concentrate on my studies, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll remain celibate.”

  “Understood. Just be careful.”

  “I will, but you still haven’t answered my question. How did you get to China after defecting?”

  Lee smiled and said, “You are certainly persistent, and I’ll answer you, but you must keep this confidential. People I care about could be hurt.”

  “I promise, Lee.”

  “Okay. When I arrived in Seoul, I was provided with a new identity as a South Korean national and was provided a job with a real estate developer. I found out that it was all set up by the South Korean and American governments. After I learned the real estate business, I was moved to Harbin, where I partnered with a Chinese national to do real estate development here. My partner was an American spy, and I was his courier. I took information to and from the South Korean embassy and sometimes to South Korea on business trips and vacations.”

  “Are you still a courier, Lee?”

  “No, I was relieved of those duties after my partner died five years ago.”

  “So now you work for the North Koreans?”

  “No, they just pay me to find places for their VIPs to stay when they’re in China and to provide private communications that they don’t want the Chinese to know about. They hired me because I speak their language. I’m not a North Korean agent, just a real estate agent who gets paid well by her clients. That building in front of us is one of my properties, and it’s where you’ll be living. I’ll take you up to your apartment and brief you on the local area.”

  Kim was amazed by the building. Its architecture was like nothing he’d ever seen. It seemed more European than Asian, and it looked to be in excellent condition.

  “This is an unusual-looking building, Lee.”

  “Yes, it was built in the early twentieth century by the Russians as a military staff building during the war between the Russians and Japanese. You’ll see a number of buildings in Harbin with this classic Russian architecture, including some at HIT. The inside is as beautiful as the outside since I had the entire building refurbished.”


  “So you own this building?”

  “Yes, I’ve been quite successful in my business ventures in Harbin.”

  Lee led him onto an old-style elevator with a metal chain gate that took them to the sixth floor.

  “This is your apartment, Kim. There’s a fully furnished living room with a modern large-screen TV. There’s also a dining room and a kitchen with a refrigerator, stove, and oven. The bathroom has a bathtub and shower. All are fully stocked with whatever you need, including food, soap, shampoo, and toiletries. I also provided a new cell phone with my phone number preprogrammed and a laptop computer with all the applications you’ll need for school. You’ll be able to connect to China’s version of the internet. There’s also a new bicycle in the bedroom for your short journey to HIT and home. What do you think?”

  “I’ve never had any accommodations as nice as this. It’s more than I ever dreamed of.”

  “Great, let’s discuss a few more things you need to know. The winters in Harbin are brutal, so you’ll need to buy warmer clothes.”

  “I know. I read that Harbin was called the Ice City.”

  “Don’t wait too long, Kim. Temperatures today were in the mid-seventies, but this is late August. In December and January it will be continually below freezing. Temperatures more than one hundred degrees colder than today are a definite possibility.”

  “I understand, but how will I pay for everything? My current salary won’t go very far in Harbin.”

  “I know.” Lee handed Kim an envelope. “There’s a bank card in this envelope that you can use. It should cover all your daily expenses, including food, clothing, and local transportation. It should also cover any educational needs. You can use it at any bank in Harbin to withdraw cash. If you need more, let me know.”

  “What type of local public transportation does Harbin have?”

  “Mostly taxi, but there’s also a subway that’s partially completed. It doesn’t go everywhere in the city but there are some stations near HIT.”

  “Thanks, Lee. I’ll call you if I have any problems.”

  “I’ll also check in on you to see if things are going well. There’s one last thing I need to tell you. I’m sure you already know this, but your government expects you to report on any cyber attacks against the Americans or other Western countries that the Chinese are planning.”

  “Yes, I know. I have no problem with that, since learning about any such exploit would be educational in itself. I’d like to see how the Chinese do it and how effective they are. I was briefed by my superiors on how the Chinese government often uses the best students at their universities to assist in such attacks. My understanding is that they even recruit talented students from friendly countries. If I come across anything like that, I’ll certainly report it to my superiors. Thanks for everything, Lee.”

  Kim’s daily routine consisted of going to class and returning to his apartment to eat his meals and study most of the evening. He traveled the same route from the apartment to HIT and back by bicycle every day, but he did take some time to see the city before winter set in. Kim used his bank card to buy some warmer clothing. The climate in Harbin was definitely colder than he was used to.

  For his first few months as a student at HIT, Kim felt totally isolated and lonely. Even though he was fluent in the Chinese language, Kim’s North Korean accent caused some of the local Chinese and even the large Harbin ethnic Korean population to fear him. It was as if he’d been posted to another planet, not just a city that was only about five hundred miles from Nampo.

  As Kim became more acclimated to his environment, he began to take notice of his fellow students, especially the women. He noticed several of the female students smiling at him in class. One of them was a tall Chinese girl with beautiful green eyes who sat across from him in his networks class. Her name was Cai Chan Li, and in addition to being gorgeous, she was also very smart. She frequently was called on by professors to answer the toughest questions, and she never failed. Her work in the technical labs was also superb.

  As the first semester was coming to an end, Kim felt confident that he’d adjusted to his environment and the university. He had studied hard and done extremely well in all his classes and his semester final exams. After finishing his last exam of the fall semester, Kim was approached by one of the male students in his class who he’d never talked to.

  “Hi, Kim. My name is Shen Wei. How do you think you did on your exams?”

  “Okay. How about you?”

  “Not sure about this last one, but I believe I did well on all the others. The network security architecture question was difficult, and there were multiple options. I just hope I selected the correct ones.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about it. I don’t think there was one single correct answer. You just need to select the network systems and security architecture that you believed worked best and then justify your selection.”

  “I guess I’ll find out. By the way, there’s an end-of-semester celebration tonight with some of our classmates at the Ice and Snow World. It’s part of the Harbin Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival that takes place every winter. You can go with me and some friends if you like.”

  “Sounds great. Where should I meet you?”

  “I’m going there now and I have a car. You can ride along.”

  “Okay, but I don’t have much money on me right now.”

  “No problem, I have it covered.”

  Shen Wei did definitely have a car, a red Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan that smelled like it was still brand new. Kim had never seen or ridden in anything like it.

  “Is this your car, Shen?”

  “Yes, I just bought it. We need to stop off to pick up some friends, okay?”

  “Sure, no problem.”

  Shen drove for a short distance and stopped at a brightly lit fourstory corner building that every student knew as the Harbin Xinhua Bookstore. It was well known for its classic Russian architecture and wide variety of books. Two warmly dressed girls immediately came out of the store and jumped into the rear seat. Kim recognized both girls as students in his class, but especially took notice of the taller one, Cai Chan. The other girl was clearly Shen’s girlfriend, since she gave him a kiss immediately after she got in the car.

  “Kim, I’d like you to meet Cai and my girlfriend, Lian.”

  “Hello,” Kim said, as he stared directly at Cai.

  She smiled back at him and said, “Hello, Kim, how are you?”

  “We need to get going, Shen. Do you know where to park?” Lian asked.

  “I’ve a friend at the Shangri La. He gave me a valet parking pass, and the hotel has transportation to the park. I also brought some Russian liquid heat to keep us warm. It’s in the bag on the floor— take a look, Lian.”

  “Russian vodka? Where’d you get it?”

  “It’s really good stuff. I got it at the Russian market for a hundred yuan. I also have wool caps, scarves, and gloves in a backpack in the trunk. We need to make sure we get them before the valet takes the car. It’ll be really cold at the festival.”

  As they drove, Kim noticed that traffic was almost at a standstill.

  “Is traffic always this bad, Shen?” Kim asked.

  “No, not usually. It’s only during December through February when the festival is open. The festival is one of the biggest events in China. It attracts many international tourists to Harbin.”

  “How far away is the Shangri La?”

  “Three miles, but at this rate it’ll take us almost fifteen minutes.”

  Twenty minutes later, Shen pulled up to the valet parking line at the Shangri La and popped the trunk on the Mercedes. He grabbed the backpack and threw the keys to the valet. As they walked into the lobby of the hotel, Shen opened the backpack and handed it to Lian, saying, “Ladies first.”

  “This place is amazing, Shen,” Kim said.

  “It’s my favorite five-star hotel.”

  “It’s like a palace. Look at the lush peacock-colored carpe
t,” Cai said.

  “I know,” Kim replied. “The chandeliers and white pillars are incredible.”

  “It’s nice,” Lian said, “but Shen and I have been to better hotels.”

  Shen and Lian went to the concierge desk to arrange for transportation to the festival as Kim and Cai sorted through the backpack.

  “How do you like HIT, Cai?” Kim asked.

  “The school is great and the education is first rate. I’m extremely lucky to study here. The campus has everything I need. There are restaurants, supermarkets, and the Xiyuan Hotel on campus that will allow my parents and friends to visit.”

  Shen and Lian returned and said that the van to the festival would be there in about five minutes. When the van arrived, they all boarded quickly, with Shen and Lian sitting next to each other and Kim and Cai sitting behind them.

  “Where are you from, Kim?” Cai asked.

  “I’m from the city of Nampo in the northern part of Korea.”

  Cai laughed. “I know you’re North Korean, Kim. You don’t have to hide anything, at least not from me.”

  “I’m not ashamed of it, but some of the people in Harbin seem nervous when they find out I’m from North Korea.”

  “It isn’t a problem for me, Kim.”

  “Where are you from, Cai?”

  “I’m from Qufu. It’s a small city in Shandong Province, south of Harbin. It’s the birthplace of Confucius.”

  “Yes, I know. Confucius was a brilliant philosopher.”

  Cai smiled and then pointed at the lights from the park as they crossed the bridge. “It’s incredible, isn’t it, Kim?”

  Kim was stunned. He’d never seen anything like it, and it took him a few seconds to catch his breath and respond.

  “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, present company excluded.”

  The words came out so fast there was no way for Kim to take them back, but he really didn’t want to.

  Cai looked at him and smiled as she kissed him on the cheek. “That’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me, Kim.”