Battle Born (45 page)

It was a desperation move, nothing more. A big E-3C AWACS plane couldn’t do a break or any other maneuver fast enough to defeat an air-to-air missile. But it might be enough to break a radar lock long enough for the enemy missiles to lose track, long enough for someone from Kunsan or Taegu to help. It was their only hope . . .

“Bandit six o’clock, fifteen miles, locked on,
missile launch, missile launch
!” the ESM officer shouted. Both MiG-29s were firing . . . both were locked on . . .

Then, suddenly, the North Korean MiG-29 behind them disappeared, followed seconds later by the MiG ahead of them. “Pilot, roll out!” the ESM officer said. He punched out more chaff as the pilot started to level off. “Crew, Echo, I have negative contact on both bandits. Stand by for evasive maneuvers.” The only possible explanation: both North Korean fighters had moved within IRSTS, or infrared search and track system, heat-seeking sensor range. With IRSTS, a MiG-29 didn’t need radar to find and track a target. Now their only indication of an attack would be the AWACS’ tail-warning system, which used heat-seeking sensors to detect fighters and the flare of a missile’s motor to detect a missile launch.

“Contact!” the pilot called. “I’ve got bandits at twelve o’clock high!”

“Go nose-to-nose, pilot!” the ESM officer shouted. “Stand by for defensive maneuvers!”

“It’s moving in on us!” the pilot yelled. “It’s closing in . . . Shit, it’s got us, it’s got us dead in its sights, twelve o’clock, three miles . . .” Then the pilot stopped. Nothing.

“Pilot, where is he?” the ESM officer asked. “Where did he go? Can you see him?”

“He’s . . . he’s off our left side, range . . . range about
one mile
,” the pilot said. “Holy shit, it’s a
Japanese fighter
! I see a red rising sun on its tail! It’s a Japanese MiG-29 fighter! Damn, they must’ve killed those North Korean MiGs chasing us!”

It was an unbelievable and very welcome sight. Two Japanese Self-Defense Force fighters, on patrol over the Sea of Japan, had raced across the Korean peninsula, risking attack by South Korean air defenses, to rescue the AWACS plane. The Japanese government, in retaliation for increased American presence and influence in Asia over the past few years, had spurned American
military hardware and purchased large numbers of Russian weapons, including the modern and powerful MiG-29SMT, the Western-modernized version of Russia’s most advanced fighter-bomber. The Japanese could buy three times as many MiG-29s as American F-15s, F-16s, or F/A-18s, and get a plane that was every bit as capable as its Western competitors.

“I’ll be damned,” the pilot murmured on interphone. He waved at the Japanese fighters and watched as they wagged their wings in response and peeled off. “They saved our asses big-time. I’ll never bad-mouth the little buggers again.”

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
LATER THAT DAY

T
he anthem of the Republic of Korea played in the background as the lights came up. The first thing seen was a strange new banner—one that combined the flags of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea.

There were two dark blue bars, at the top and bottom of the banner, representing the sky and the strength of the earth. The white middle section symbolized the united land. The circle in the center, the
t’aeguk
, represented yin-yang, the power of opposites. Its red “yang” upper half, or positive side, represented life, goodness, and fire; the lower “yin” blue half, or negative side, represented evil, death, darkness, and cold. The two segments were entwined, meaning that they could never be separated. Surrounding the center circle were the four broken-bar trigrams, taken from ancient Taoist and Confucian thought, representing virtuous ideals important to a long and happy life.

On either side of the new banner were four other flags: those of the United States, the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China, and the Republic of Japan.

As the anthem played, two men walked to lecterns set up before the flag, bowed deeply to each other, and shook hands warmly. At that moment, three men and one woman walked out and took their places in front of their respective flags: Vice President Ellen Christine Whiting from the United States; Deputy Foreign Minister for Far East Affairs Dmitriy Antonovich Aksenenko of the Russian Federation; Minister of Foreign Affairs Ota Amari of Japan; and the assistant deputy secretary for cultural affairs of the Chinese embassy in Pyongyang, Xu Zhengsheng. All stood at attention behind the lecterns until the anthem finished.

On a signal from a stage director, Kwon Ki-chae, president of South Korea, bowed to the others, then bowed to the camera, and said: “My fellow Koreans, it is with great sorrow and also great happiness that I address you today. I am pleased to speak to you from the Hall of the People at the Korean Workers’ Party headquarters in Pyongyang, the capital of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“This morning, in a show of solidarity, unity, trust, and hope, the people of North Korea marched on the capital here in Pyongyang, demanding an end to the repressive dictatorship of Kim Jong-il. Members of the First Army of the Korean People’s Army supported the North Korean patriots and either laid down their arms or joined in this historic, peaceful display of the voice and will of the community. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers from all over the North joined the patriots and left their barracks to support this action. As a result, the dictator Kim, all of the members of the
Communist Party Politburo, and most of his cabinet members fled the wrath of the citizens.

“In the spirit of cooperation, peace, and divine reunification, the government of the Republic of Korea assisted this people’s revolution by sending in fighter-bombers to attack the Korean People’s Army internal ‘black operations’ units, the Spetznaz, who are responsible for crushing free speech and human rights in the North. They also attacked and destroyed many of the North’s weapons of mass destruction. Unfortunately, we could not stop all of them in time. Several missile volleys were launched into the South, killing thousands and injuring several hundred thousand. We pray for the souls of the dead and offer our condolences and our hands to the survivors.

“But at the same moment as Communist rockets were hitting the South, we were opening up our arms of friendship and reunification to our family in the North. I am pleased to announce that the Military Demarcation Line, the unholy gash that has torn our people apart for over half a century, is no more. The checkpoints, minefields, border crossings, observation towers, and no-man’s-land separating our two countries no longer exist. Thousands of citizens of the North have crossed the frontier to reunite with long-lost family members. Korea is no longer divided. Korea is one. Mr. Vice President?”

Pak Chung-chu bowed to President Kwon, bowed to the other guests, then bowed to the camera. “Thank you, Mr. President. My fellow Koreans, I am Pak Chung-chu, first vice president of the former government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. It is my great honor to announce to the Korean people and to the world the formation of the United Republic of Korea. My first official act will be this.” He withdrew a red Korean Workers’ Party identification booklet
from his jacket pocket and ripped it into pieces. “Before the gods, before my ancestors, and before you, my fellow Koreans, I am completely and absolutely rejecting and condemning the Korean Workers’ Party and the Communist Party of Korea for the Reunification of the Fatherland. The party was unfaithful and betrayed its people. I hope all true and loyal Koreans will join me in doing the same.”

Head held high, Pak went on: “The capital of our new constitutional, democratic republic will be Seoul, which is and always has been the spiritual and historic center of our nation and our people. Pyongyang will be rebuilt and modernized, and will soon become the model for a new and revitalized Korea, a shining example of the spirit and dedication of the Korean race. The people of Korea are hereby free to travel about our great land as they choose. I know the rest of your brothers and sisters welcome you.

“Together, Comrade Kwon Ki-chae and I will oversee the technical details of reunifying our country. Our primary concern is for the well-being of millions of our citizens of the North, who under the repressive Communist regime have been suffering from malnutrition, poor health care, homelessness, and poverty. We are here to assure all our people that help is on the way. We urge you to place your trust in your brothers and sisters of the South. This is the day we have long prayed for, and we must learn that our enemies were our warring governments, not the people. The help that may arrive at your village may be soldiers from the South. They are coming to help you in any way necessary, not to hurt you.”

Pak Chung-chu bowed to Kwon once again. Kwon bowed in return, then spoke: “Thank you, Comrade Pak. I echo those words most sincerely to our fellow Koreans in the South. The peninsula is whole and one
again; travel is free and open to all Koreans without restriction or identity papers. Please welcome all who come to you for help, employment, or assistance, regardless of the regime under which they lived before this date. True peaceful unification is possible only if it exists in your heart. Do not allow mistrust and fear to ruin this long-awaited, blessed moment in history.

“Comrade Pak and I will share in presiding over this transition period of our new government until such time as new elections can be called. Voting rights will be extended to all Koreans over the age of seventeen—one man, one vote. Other details of the peaceful transition to one national system of government, finance, and law will be announced as soon as possible. Our task is to make this transition as smoothly, as equitably, and as peacefully as possible. Our land is rich, strong, and generous, and it is our task to see that all our people share in its blessing together. It will be a difficult task, but one which must take place. The world is watching. For the sake of our heritage and our children’s future, we must not fail.”

Kwon motioned to the world leaders beside him and went on: “As our country undertakes this day to reunify and rebuild, we look upon the governments around the world, and especially those who are represented by our distinguished guests beside me here today, to bless, support, protect, and defend the Korean people as they come together in the spirit of peace and harmony. Comrade Pak and I pledge to help forge a good, strong, law-abiding neighbor for you all. We desire only peace and prosperity for everyone. Thank you for being with us to share this blessed event.

“I would like to invite all of you to say a few words to the people of Korea and to the rest of the world. Madam Ellen Whiting, Vice President of the United States of America, if you please.” Kwon motioned to
Vice President Whiting and bowed. She bowed in return and stepped forward to the microphone.

But before she could speak, Kwon returned to the microphone and said, “A thousand apologies, Madam Vice President. There is one more important announcement I wish to make before Vice President Whiting speaks:

“In the interest of peace and universal trust, Comrade Pak and I wish to declare that all foreign military forces will be asked to leave the Korean peninsula as soon as possible. This includes the Chinese Twentieth and Forty-second Group Forces, all Russian advisers and training posts, and the joint Korean and American Combined Forces Command.”

Vice President Whiting could feel the sting in her ears and fought to maintain her composure as Kwon went on: “We welcome the presence and assistance of the United Nations Commission on Reunification and Disarmament of Korea, and we look to them for support and guidance. But we respectfully request the dismantling and removal of the United Nations Military Command and the United Nations Demilitarized Zone Monitoring Agency. For the first time in almost a century, Korea now belongs to the Korean people. We hope the world as well as the parties involved support and respect this decision and help us to take our rightful place in the world community by diminishing the risk of our land becoming again a bloody battleground.”

Vice President Whiting kept her face impassive as Kwon Ki-chae said with a broad smile, “And now, may I present Madam Ellen Whiting, Vice President of the United States.” But she was in shock. Neither Kwon nor Pak had said anything about removing the United States military forces from Korea! Yet it was urgent that she pull herself together and say something coherent.

The presence of the foreign leaders there at the televised announcement ceremony was a setup, and they all knew it now. By standing there in front of the new United Republic of Korea flag, the foreign leaders were tacitly agreeing to all that was being said—including the removal of their military forces. The Chinese representative, Xu, was a minor functionary from the Chinese embassy in Pyongyang—he didn’t grasp what had been said. He was there simply because he was the nearest and least influential Chinese government official who would dare enter Korea.

But the other representatives knew what was happening. In the spirit of peace and in the hope of a cessation of further nuclear exchange, they had been cleverly duped into coming here and giving their blessing to the biggest coup of the young millennium. Vice President Whiting would never have entertained the idea of American peacekeeping forces leaving the Korean peninsula until the United States was sure the new Korean government was established, secure, and safe from internal or external intrigue or attack. Now, by her very presence, she was agreeing to precisely that. So were the Chinese, Japanese, and Russian governments.

In the blink of an eye, the American presence in Korea was over.

NEAR KUJANG, PYONGAN PUKDO PROVINCE,
UNITED REPUBLIC OF KOREA
(FORMERLY NORTH KOREA)
A SHORT TIME LATER

T
here is your proof,” Captain Kong Hwan-li said bitterly as he shut off the short-wave radio. “A propaganda ploy, combined with an aerial attack. Every uneducated pig in the army fell for it. It disgusts me.”