“I’ll get confirmation, sir.” But he stopped short. “Sir, I’m getting another report. This one’s from the Korean Central News Agency — that’s the official North Korean government bureau of propaganda. They’re broadcasting that riots have broken out all over Pyongyang and that Government House and the presidential palace are under siege. They are calling for support from the Army to help put down the riots. And wait, more reports… They say that the central radio and TV broadcasting center is also under siege. They’re broadcasting mobilization orders to dozens of active, reserve, and paramilitary units, including the two corps units set up to protect the capital.”
“That’s odd,” said the President. “Why would the civil broadcasting system be used to issue response and assistance orders? Why not use the military networks?”
“And why haven’t those units already responded to the South Korean attacks?” asked Philip Freeman, the national security adviser. “They must have seen those South Korean jets coming almost as soon as they left their bases, and certainly long before they even crossed the DMZ. That was almost twenty minutes ago. What the hell’s going on over there?”
Chastain put his hand up, listening intently; then he lowered the headset and stared at it blankly. “Arthur?” Freeman asked. “What’s happened?”
“KCNA just went off the air,” Chastain replied. “It reported that the government information bureau said the headquarters was being overrun by rioters and agitators, supported by deserting Regular Army soldiers. Then someone else came on a few minutes later and identified himself as a supporter of the new United Republic of Korea.”
“The what?” Martindale asked. “Is that a nationalist faction? An opposition group?”
“I don’t know,” Chastain said. “Never heard of it before. But they claim to be the representatives of the new United Korea. They claim that President Kim Jong-il has evacuated the capital along with several members of the Korean Politburo and his cabinet. They say he’s on his way to China to seek asylum.”
“This… this is extraordinary,” Martindale exclaimed. “I can’t believe this is happening. North Korea is simply… capitulating? The borders and checkpoints just disappeared?”
“It’s Germany all over again, sir,” announced Director of Central Intelligence Robert Plank as he strode quickly into the Situation Room, carrying a stack of reports and photographs. “Sorry I’m late, sir, but I had to wait for all the latest downloads and field reports. It’s true. Entire Regular Army, Reserves, and paramilitary units are deserting their commands and either marching on Pyongyang to join the rioters or moving south with their families and a few belongings. When they reach the Military Demarcation Line, they just keep right on going, because all of the South Korean checkpoints are wide open. Panmunjom, Kangseri, Kumhwa, Sehyonni, Sohwari — every one of the border towns has opened the barricades. All of the tank traps and artillery emplacements are still manned, but they’re simply standing by in place — there’s no attempt to stop, detain, search, or identify anyone. An entire army of spies could be crossing into the South, and nobody would know it. The minefields are being blown up in place—by South Korean soldiers. They’re clearing a safe path for anyone from the North to cross over.”
“What’s the status of our bases?” the President asked.
“All secure and closed up tight,” said Arthur Chastain. “However, the Korean-owned bases are wide open. They’re being used as relocation and refugee centers. It’s absolutely incredible. The South has simply opened its doors.”
“That’s right,” said Plank. “Route 1, Route 3, Route 43, Route 5—all roads and highways that cross the MDL are open. No border inspections, no searches, no identity papers required. The South Korean government’s already begun opening up relocation offices along the DMZ to assist North Koreans in finding relatives — it’s clear they had it all planned. They’re providing transportation away from the no-man’s-lands around the border areas and are even changing North Korean won to South Korean currency! It’s the most incredible thing I’ve seen since the fall of the Berlin Wall.”
“I’ve got to talk to China,” the President said. “It’s urgent that I speak with President Jiang directly, right away.”
“State is working on it,” Chief of Staff Jerrod Hale called out in response.
The President shook his head in frustration. Jiang Zemin rarely spoke to world leaders on the phone and never initiated calls. Martindale, too, preferred face-to-face talks, but this was a crisis, and this cultural stigma against using the telephone was maddening. “Bob, what are the Chinese doing?”
“Sir, I know it seems extraordinary — but I don’t think they’re doing anything,” Plank replied. “All I have are the daily force status reports, but they all reported normal deployments and no unannounced troop or aircraft movements.”
“But what can they hit us with? What kind of retaliation can we expect?”
“Sir, there’s about a quarter of a million Chinese troops within one day’s march of the North Korean border, and those troops can easily cross into South Korea and overrun the capital within days — we couldn’t stop them if we wanted to without using nukes,” Plank said. “We’re trying to get a more precise status report now, but that could take a few hours. There are about a dozen rocket and artillery units that can launch an attack within moments, and another dozen with weapons that can easily reach into South Korea. The truth is, they can retaliate at any moment.”
“If we launch our planes or mobilize any troops, we’ll look like we’re participating in what’s happening,” said Freeman. “And if we don’t, they’ll get slaughtered if China or North Korea attacks.”
The President nodded. “We’re sunk no matter what we do — unless everyone holds fast and stays away from the red button,” he said. “I hope our words get to Jiang.” He thought for a moment, then said, “Transmit an order to all our forces: everybody stand by. We watch and wait. No aircraft lift off — not reconnaissance, not intelligence, not support, and especially not attack planes.”
“Mr. President,” Freeman said earnestly, “I strongly advise you take your command center airborne. That’s the safest place for you, and you can still keep in close contact with all your forces globally.”
“Will the Russians or the Chinese know if I depart Washington?”
“Yes… probably, after a time,” Freeman said, after glancing at Plank and getting a nod. “But that doesn’t matter. You should—”
“Then I’m staying,” the President said resolutely. “Unless we actually see ICBMs appearing over the horizon, I’m staying. That goes for the senior leadership as well.”
“Sir, you know that if the Russians launch an attack, all of our political and bureaucratic institutions will suffer greatly, even be wiped out,” Jerrod Hale said. “Congress is still in session; the entire leadership is still in town…”
“I don’t think the people will give a rat’s ass if the political and bureaucratic institutions get wiped out, Jerrod,” the President said wryly. “In fact, I think they’ll see it as a sad but welcome relief.” Then his tone grew serious. “But since you mention it, you’d better send a military aide over to the congressional leadership and let them know what’s happening. I’ll leave it up to them if they want to adjourn. But make sure they know I’m staying.”
“But, sir,” Hale protested, trying once more to convince his boss that it was not a safe move to stay, “the National Airborne Operations Center aircraft were designed and tasked to provide global communications in fluid emergency situations such as this. It is not a symbol of panic, desperation, aggression, or cowardice to use them.”