Critical Incidents: The ROK - Land of HAN (A Jack Gunn Mystery Thriller Book 1) (5 page)

When entering the hotel lobby, the first thing you see is a marble staircase that goes to the second floor which contains a secret office. The door to the office is marked Dae Han United, Limited. The doors are always locked. The employees are all American-Korean DSS employees. The elevator does not stop on the second floor so the only access is by the stairs. There is a security agent posted at the bottom of the steps, 24-7.

To the right of the stairs is the lobby seating area where most people meet. You can relax and enjoy tea or coffee at this location. To the left is the front desk where you check in. Behind the staircase are six hotel elevators. The hotel has no official fourth floor or thirteenth floor, since they are considered back luck numbers in Korea, so you won’t find a button for these floors on the elevator.

As a DSS Agent, we are mandated to stay at the Chosun Hotel for several reasons. On the second floor, unknown to most hotel employees, is a satellite office for the DSS, CIA, and DIA operatives to obtain mission updates, plane tickets, or whatever might be required. Agents never go to that office because that would give it away. Everything is done over the phone. If you need tickets or money, they send it to your room by special courier and you sign off for it.

This hotel is a popular government employee stopping point, for those people being transferred or traveling around Asia. Many VIP military people stay here such as Colonels, Majors, Captains, and even Generals, who use it as a transfer point.

The hotel is in close proximity to the U.S. Embassy, and other important Korean Government Institutions, since it is located in the heart of downtown Seoul. Because of its location, the Chosen has six access streets, making it easy to move in and out of the area quickly.

Security employees working for the hotel are screened and selected by U.S. Diplomatic Security Service based in Seoul, with the permission of the hotel owners. This is part of the agreement for having United States agents, military, and diplomats stay here, along with the rental of the entire second floor.     

I always stay in the same room, when possible, at whatever hotel I visit. It makes me feel at home and I don’t need to remember a new room number every time. Sometimes locating your room in hotels can be confusing, because the hallways on each floor all look the same, especially when you’re drunk. The modern electronic slide cards don’t show the room number, so if you forget it then you have to go to the front desk. 

Arriving at my room, the bellman unlocked the door and placed my bag on the bed. I tipped him 5,000 won and he said, “It is nice to see you again, Mr. Gunn. If you need anything, let me know.”

I replied, “Komsahamnida (Thank you).”

Having stayed at this hotel many times, I knew most of the people working here. The sign of a great hotel is if they remember you after a couple of visits. Most hotel employees don’t give a crap. But this five star hotel stresses that employees should know the repeat customers by name.

I glanced around the room and saw the bar was stocked with two bottles of JD, as I requested. There was a mini bar, but I only use that for soft drinks. I checked out the bathroom, finding it was clear.    

First I unpacked my suitcase, which contained my clothes, but also several weapons. Opening a new bottle of JD, I poured a double and took a big swig. Taking out my bug sweeper, I scanned every inch of the room, lights, phone, TV, computer, and basically everything there. Then I called room service and ordered spaghetti Bolognese with a salad. This hotel has the best Bolognese spaghetti in the world.

I follow a certain routine since I have made these trips so many times. Unpack, sweep the room for bugs, order some food, have a couple of drinks to cut the tension, and then go to sleep. It helps me get over the jetlag.   

After pouring another double shot, I turned on the news. Sitting there I wondered,
should I go see Mi-young or not?
We did spent a lot time together after she moved to Itaewon, when I was still in the Army. We had a thing for each other. I was even going to marry her. It had been over a year since seeing her last. But since I was married now, I didn’t want to become deeply involved in a relationship. I had moved on, and I hope she did also.

The doorbell rang. A voice in perfect English said, “Room service.”

That was fast, so I grabbed my Glock just to be safe, and went to the door.  

Waking at 5 am, I ordered a Korean breakfast. Typically it has a bowl of light soup (broth), Korean vegetables, a fillet of smoked fish, rice, kimchi, and coffee or tea. While eating, I could hear the morning call to prayer over the loud speakers from the Muslim Mosque a few blocks away. The rhythmic call to prayer is blasted out five times a day. I wondered how the Muslims get away with that here in Korea, which is sixty percent Buddhist.

After breakfast, I went to the gym, worked out for an hour, and then went jogging for three miles. I already had a three mile course set up, which is ten times around the block.

While jogging, I noted that more new construction was going on. There are always old buildings being torn down and new ones replacing them. Someday they would tear down the Chosun Hotel, because it had been here more than twenty years.

Korea had changed for the better, since my first trip here. Being an Army MP at the time, I was lucky to be assigned to Yangsan Garrison located in Seoul. I was young and full of adventure. I soon found out that Korea was unlike any other country in the world. Seoul is a booming city full of energy and people trying to make a living, by whatever means they can. You can sense that Seoul is a money-hungry city.

Korea is a complex country, where 60 percent of the people are Buddhist, 30 percent are Christian, and 10 percent are Muslim or something else. But everyone follows Confucianism. Confucianism is a belief in a lifestyle and not a religion.

Like Buddhism, Confucianism was imported from China. Today, Korea is the only developed country that truly follows Confucianism, which is more than 2,000 years old. This is what makes the country so confusing. No pun intended, but everything about Confucianism is so complicated, with strict rules for the family and all of society to follow. Someone from another country has a very difficult time understanding why Koreans do what they do.

Another factor is the language. It is extremely difficult to understand when spoken quickly because it is a multisyllable language, unlike Japanese in which many of the words are two to five syllables. Like Japanese, yes means no, and no means yes, due to the fact negative questions are used, and double negative statements are made. Actually, Korean is more similar to German, because of pronunciation and the multisyllable words.

But what really makes Korea a land of mystery is that many things are done indirectly. This is probably because of Confucianism, Buddhism, and the language. The Japanese are also the same way. However, my experience is that Koreans carefully plot far ahead of time how to achieve a certain goal indirectly.

For example, in the business world it’s who you know, and not what you know. Friendship bonds are usually established by gift giving, which Koreans do all the time. If you want to start some business with an individual or a company, first you become friends with the key people, or do some name dropping to open the door. You do this by doing frequent visits, having lunches, dinners, or going out for drinks after working hours. If he refuses your offers to get together by saying he is too busy, then you keep trying.

If he does accept socializing, and over time you become friends, then you can provide your friend a gift at the right time. The correct timing is one’s birthday or New Years. It is common practice for money to be given in a red envelope on New Years to friends and relatives. It is not a bribe, but a gift. You should never ever mention the gift you gave to your business friend. He remembers what you did and you will most likely be rewarded. So you can conclude that most things are done with a hidden motive. Sometimes both parties know what the hidden motive is, but usually only one knows the real agenda.

After jogging, I took a shower and turned on the TV to watch the news. I also phoned the agency office on the second floor to report in my arrival, using my code and ID number. The service wants to know where you are at all the times in case of an emergency.

While getting dressed, I noted the TV news showed preparations for the celebration of Gwangbokjeol, or Korean Independence Day, were underway. This meant that a lot of dignitaries and VIPs would be in Seoul for this event.

This is a big holiday in Korea because it is the day that Korea was freed from thirty-five years of Japanese control. The whole country comes to a halt for this celebration, which is second only to lunar New Years. Even North Korea celebrates this day.

Korea was invaded by the Japanese in 1913 and was controlled until the end of World War II. The Japanese started to drain off the natural resources such as timber, coal, and gold, which was in big demand in Japan. Seoul means Pine Tree, which there were many of, at that time, until the Japanese cut them down to build homes in Japan. During this time, Japan tried to exterminate the Korean history and language. Schools could only teach Japanese history and culture. Korean people were forced to take Japanese names. These were not good times for the Koreans, and they still have negative feelings toward the Japanese to this day.

At the end of World War II, President Truman and the Allies decided, with Stalin, to divide up Korea as a spoil of war rather than divide up Japan. Since Korea was considered a part of the Japanese Empire since 1913, they thought this was acceptable. It was divided along the 38th parallel. The North Korean people got a bad deal when Kim, Sung-il was put into power by Stalin after World War II. The United States put in our own dictator, Rhee, Syung-Nam, in the south and called him a President after a so-called election. Just using the word President sounds better than the word Dictator.

Kim wanted all of Korea and attacked the south below the 38th parallel in an attempt to take over the whole country. This started the Korean War in 1950. We still have troops in Korea since there has never been a truce signed to end the Korean civil war. It is only a cease fire declaration. North Korea was ruled by Kim, Sung-il, and then he appointed his son Kim, Jung-il, and finally Kim, Jung-un, stepped into power. Without U.S. troops in the south, there would surely be another war, killing millions of people.

I spent the day resting and having tea in the hotel lobby, people watching for a few hours. While sitting there sipping some ginseng tea with pine nuts and honey, I spotted Stan Wright, the man I met on the plane. It seemed that the customs police didn’t arrest him. I hardly recognized him with the disguise he had on. He had on a beard, which had to be a fake, and wire rimmed glasses. I was confident it was him because of his large head, nose, and eyes. I never forget a face.

He was walking in my direction. I picked up the newspaper and held it in front of my face, so he couldn’t see me watching him. I was curious about him and wondered what he was really doing in Korea. Why did he have on a fake beard?

He stopped and glanced around the lobby as if looking for someone. To my left, I saw a man wave to him. It was an oriental man, most likely a Korean. I watched the two meet. The man was Korean for sure. I could tell by the way he shook hands.

Koreans have a secret handshake. It really isn’t a secret, but they never speak about it or tell anyone what they are doing. If you’re a foreigner it means nothing to you. I learned about it from K.Y. Lee. It is very subtle and not an obvious movement they make. First they bow to you. Then they stick out their right hand to shake, as they do that, Koreans touch the inside of their right forearm with the fingers of their left hand during the handshake. This is to show respect. No one else in the world does this.

The story goes: This was started as a means to show you meant no harm to the other person by showing both hands, thereby demonstrating you had no weapons in the left hand. No one could tell me the exact history. However, when passing something like a cup or book, they use two hands to be polite, or if one hand is used they touch the right forearm. It is a Korean custom and it is done automatically, without thinking. Every man and woman in Korea does this out of habit.             

They were sitting a little too far away from me to hear them speaking softly to each other. I really wondered what they were talking about. Why did Stan have on a fake beard? I managed to sneak a picture of both of them with my cell phone.

I sat there until the Korean man left. Stan peered around the room and then got up, proceeding to the elevator. I decided to follow him. Of course, I realized that Stan could be a clandestine U.S. operative working in Korea for one of the agencies. But if he was, why was he doing business here, at one of our most secret locations. On any day of the week, there might be ten to fifteen undercover agents passing through this hotel. Everyone knows better than to do any type of operations here. The other important point was his cheap attempt to disguise himself. 

Following Stan to the elevator, I stood right behind him. The doors opened and we stepped inside with a group of other people. I stood right next to Stan, and he glanced at me. I asked him, “Excuse me, but aren’t you Stan Wright?”

He replied, “Sir, you must have me confused with someone else. My name is Doctor Robert Ellington.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Ellington.”

He chuckled. “It’s Doctor Ellington. That’s alright my good man. People confuse me with someone else all the time,” as he handed me his name card.

I didn’t say another word to the jerk. The elevator stopped on the tenth floor and he got out. I glanced at his card. There was no company name on it. The card simply read; ‘Robert Ellington, Ph.D., Engineering Consultant.’ This was very weird to say the least. I decided to check him out further.

Arriving at my room, I called the second floor office instead of the front desk of the hotel. The front desk would never give out the room numbers. After giving my security codes to the operator, I asked if there was either a Robert Ellington or a Stan Wright staying in the hotel. The operator told me both men were staying at the hotel and gave me the room numbers, 1011 for Ellington and 1012 for Wright.

I sat down and logged onto the computer. I Googled both names, and based on what I found they appeared to be two different people. However, the pictures of the two men looked identical except for the beard and glasses on Ellington. I printed out their pictures and bio. Ellington was a Chemical Engineering Consultant. Wright apparently did work for Union Carbide Electronics and had a degree in Electrical Engineering. According to Google, he at one time worked on nuclear energy projects.

Next, I checked the most wanted names and pictures for all the U.S. law enforcement agencies, including Interpol. Their names did not show up. Now this was really getting strange. Who were these men? Are they the same person? Why do they have rooms next to each other? What are they doing here?

I had a lot of questions. Something was not right and I was going to get to the bottom it. I’ll have to use every possible contact, discretely of course, to find out what the hell is going on. I don’t want to blow anyone’s cover, including Wright or Ellington, if they happen to be U.S. agents. On the other hand, if they are enemy agents or free agents then they may have to be terminated.

After pouring a double JD, I lit up a smoke. I thought, I’ll tell Lee what I found. He can check them out. Yeah, it’s better if I do that than have our people check these guys out. I don’t need to make any unnecessary waves right now.

It was 6 pm, time to get ready to meet Lee for dinner.

Arriving downstairs in the lobby, exactly at 7 pm, I saw Lee waiting for me. But he was sitting with another man. As I approached them, they stood up and I noted the stranger had on an expensive looking dark blue suit, with a matching tie, and white shirt. 

Lee introduced us. “Jack, I’d like you to meet Mr. Kwon, my superior. He’s the new Assistant Director for the NIS.”

I bowed and we exchanged greetings in Korean, and I gave him the secret handshake. “Mr. Gunn, you know Korean customs very well. Mr. Lee has told me a lot about you,” he said. Kwon spoke perfect English.

As we exchanged name cards, I said, “I hope what Lee told you was all good.”

Kwon laughed a little. “Yes, it was all good.”

KY interjected, “Why don’t we go to the restaurant; I have a room reserved. We can talk in private there.”

Walking to the elevator, I glanced at his name card. Kwon’s full name was Jung Ok Kwon, and his title was Assistant Director, National Intelligence Service. He was a short little man standing about five foot four. Kwon had small dark beady eyes that darted all over the place. His short black hair was cut the same as Lee’s. He seemed to be a little hyper.     

The Japanese Restaurant, named the Sushi Cho, is on the 20
th
floor. It has private rooms where you can talk and eat without being seen or heard. As is custom is Korea, the guest sits facing the door. There is usually a discussion about who should sit facing the door. Kwon insisted that I should, since I am their guest. I did so without hesitation, because I don’t like sitting with my back to the door, for security reasons.

We took off our suit jackets and everyone was packing, just as I assumed. A waitress came in, and wasn’t the least bit surprised at seeing our weapons. She knew Lee and other government agents that came here frequently.

We placed an order for a sushi boat, which contained a mixture of delicious raw fish such as: Toro, Maguro, Hamachi, and Ebi. Along with this we ordered beer and hot sake. Then we got down to small talk.

Lee thanked me for the Glock 19 generation 4, 9mm pistol. I said, “Wait until you shoot it. I tricked it out, reducing the trigger pull from five and a half pounds to two and a half, so be careful. It also has a built-in red dot laser.”