Chapter 34: Change, Change Awaits Us….

A dark meeting room. Several people sat around a table.

They were generals of the Joseon Defense Force—the stars of the military.

The core leadership of the armed forces had all gathered.

As expected, the one who had called them together was none other than Fride, the Chief of Staff.

Unaware of the purpose, the generals exchanged guesses among themselves.

A purge, maybe?

Unlikely. If she wanted a purge, she would’ve just sent agents from the Military Security Bureau to take them out quietly.

Then perhaps a major military operation?

Monsters crossing from Russia had been growing in both strength and number. The casualties and property damage were also increasing.

Some within the military had even suggested striking the gates in Russia directly, to destroy them at the source.

If it’s not that…

They all shared a thought. But no one dared say it aloud. It was taboo.

– Bang!

The door swung open and Fride entered. The generals stood and saluted.

Fride returned the gesture casually, then took her seat.

“Everyone’s here?”

After confirming the attendance, Fride began to speak slowly.

“What do you believe true patriotism is?”

Silence hung in the air.

One general spoke.

“I believe it’s the heart that devotes itself fully to the nation.”

“Too vague. Let me rephrase. As soldiers—what does patriotism mean to you?”

Another general answered.

“To defend the nation’s safety through flawless national defense.”

“From whom?”

“From our enemies.”

“That’s correct. But it’s only half the answer. Enemies don’t only come from outside, do they?”

The moment those words were spoken, the generals realized what Fride was leading up to.

“Protecting the nation from foreign enemies is patriotism. Then what about enemies within? What do we do about those who rot the country from the inside?”

“Enemies within… meaning…?”

Even a fool could have figured it out by now.

“Parasites feeding off the state. Politicians and capitalists blinded by greed for money and power. Leaders possessed by delusional ideologies, dragging our country into hell.”

A loud gulp echoed through the room.

“Should we just stand by and watch? Is that patriotism? Protecting the nation from internal enemies is just as much the military’s duty.”

“Chief of Staff, the new Republic’s constitution forbids military involvement in politics—”

“Politics? You call this politics? This is patriotism.”

“This is a coup! I have no desire to trample the democracy our people gained for the first time in decades!”

“Is that so?”

Fride turned toward the door and called out.

“Take him away!”

Armed agents from the Military Security Bureau entered and dragged the man away.

“W-Wait!”

“Handle him well.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Surely no one else here is foolish enough to choose betrayal over patriotism?”

Everyone looked hesitant. Well, they probably had never even thought of opposing power.

Ten years ago, doing so would’ve meant the extermination of your entire bloodline.

“Oh, and by the way—have you heard that Hwang Seonju is planning another round of military downsizing?”

After the collapse of the North, the military had already been significantly reduced.

It was understandable—they couldn’t afford excessive military spending, and the bloated army was no longer necessary.

But now they wanted to reduce it even more?

“Fewer soldiers means fewer commanders. You’ll be left with a meager pension and barely livable retirement funds. Given this administration’s track record, you might not even get that.”

Everyone gets sensitive about their own paycheck. Especially in an economy as bad as this.

And everyone wearing stars here had been promoted by Fride herself.

Fride believed the military leadership needed to be at least somewhat aggressive. So she promoted people who fit her taste.

To her, a military leader who avoided war was a criminal.

Naturally, the generals gathered here shared that hawkish mindset.

They thought:

‘More military cuts? That would put national security in danger. Monsters are pouring in from Russian gates. The world’s geopolitical climate is unstable. And they want to disarm us?’

“This isn’t about personal gain. This is about eliminating enemies who are destroying our country. Isn’t that the army’s job? We’re just doing what needs to be done. Am I wrong?”

One general stood up.

“Understood!”

The others followed suit and echoed:

“”Understood!””

“Good. Now let’s discuss the details.”

Their plan was simple.

At dawn, under cover of darkness, rear units stationed in the south would be moved near Pyongyang. Simultaneously, units already near Pyongyang would be deployed into the city.

The rear units would blockade Pyongyang.

There were several reasons for this, but the biggest was the fear of foreign intervention.

South Korea, a functioning liberal democracy. America, the master of exporting democracy.

If Fride made a move, they would intervene. To protect the democratic seed they had planted.

So Fride’s goal was to complete the patriotic act—no, the coup—as quickly as possible. The rear units would buy her time.

The city units would seize control of key institutions:

TV stations, media outlets, government buildings, and most importantly, the Presidential Palace and the National Assembly.

Classic coup tactics—seize critical infrastructure.

After that came the matter of political legitimacy.

The Assembly would be dissolved. In a newly established republic with a fairly democratic constitution, skipping proper procedures would cast doubt on legitimacy.

Otherwise, it might become the first time in history that the pen truly beat the sword.

As they spoke, one person silently listened.

She didn’t voice any opinions. She only listened.

And in her mind, she refuted everything being said.

***

“What did you just say?”

“I said coup. We received an anonymous tip at the Security Bureau. You should read it yourself.”

President Hwang Seonju was stunned by what the Minister of Internal Affairs had said.

A coup?

That was absurd. Why would anyone try to overthrow the government in a democratic, free Joseon?

He read the letter handed to him.

“A coup involving most of the military is currently being planned… To suppress dissatisfaction, some ongoing reforms may need to be halted…

There is strong resistance to military downsizing as well…”

She thought to herself:

‘This is nonsense.’

The intelligence documents had profiled Fride, the Chief of Staff, as well.

According to them, she had little political ambition. Since the end of the reclamation campaign, she hadn’t taken any major political actions.

“So you’re saying Fride is the mastermind?”

“That’s uncertain. We haven’t confirmed the letter’s authenticity. It could even be a scare tactic to halt the reforms.”

“That’s a real possibility. Or perhaps the coup is being planned beneath her, without her knowledge.”

After much deliberation, Hwang Seonju concluded that it was likely just a threat.

She dismissed the Minister of Internal Affairs and summoned the Director of Intelligence.

“Yes, Mr. President. You called?”

“Have there been any unusual signs from the military?”

“The military, sir? Not that we’ve been able to detect.”

“Alright. Still, keep a close watch on them, just in case.”

“May I ask why?”

“We received an anonymous letter claiming a military coup is being planned. I think it’s a bluff—probably from the Republican Party or the Social Democrats.”

“Then we’ll focus our surveillance on the opposition parties.”

“Let’s do that.”

Hwang Seonju may have missed the mark, but she wasn’t a complete fool.

“Let’s create a police unit armed with rifles. As quickly as possible.”

It was an order to the Minister of Internal Affairs.

‘Just in case. Better to be prepared than not.’

And then, she decided she needed confirmation. A face-to-face with the head of the military—Fride.

“Chief of Staff? This is the President. I’d like to speak with you personally. Do you have time?”

—”Of course. Will you come to the General Staff Headquarters, or shall I come to you?”

If the coup was real, and if Fride was behind it, then going to the General Staff was like walking into a lion’s den.

Might as well wear a sign saying ‘Please kill me.’

“It’s better if you come to the Presidential Palace.”

—”Alright then. I’ll head over right away.”

She agreed without hesitation. Hwang Seonju was suspicious.

Was she going to arrive with tanks?

But a report from his security team reassured him.

“General Fride is driving herself.”

Hwang Seonju met with Fride in private.

He wasn’t the type to get straight to the point. He talked in circles—an exhausting habit.

Fride was the opposite—direct, to the point.

“General Fride, thank you for your service.The weather’s warming up lately, so I hope our troops—”

“Let’s skip the small talk. You wouldn’t have called for a private meeting without a reason.”

To be honest, Fride had been slightly worried on the way here. Had someone leaked information?

“Not long ago, the Security Bureau received an anonymous letter. It claims a coup is being planned by the military.”

“So… are you accusing me?”

Fride asked, visibly displeased.

“Of course not. I believe it’s just a ploy by the opposition to stop the reforms. But… you never know, right?”

“Maybe you don’t know this, but I used to be South Korean. I would never destroy democracy with my own hands. I promise you that.”

Hwang Seonju recalled the intelligence memo describing her as a “dimensional defector.”

‘Right, someone familiar with democracy wouldn’t destroy it.’

But he overlooked one fact.

Fride had lived as a citizen of a democracy for a little over 30 years. But she had lived in the militarist nation of Albheim—

—for ten times that long.