Chapter 81: I Am The Law
Meanwhile, after the announcement of antitron, Japan had a big doubt.
―Was that antitron related to the failure of our nuclear test?
According to the announcement, it was made in the form of a warhead and mounted on a missile, so it was hard to see a connection.
The sea area near the nuclear test site was completely controlled at that time.
Unless it was a stealth missile, it couldn’t have escaped the radar.
But some media started to question the possibility of miniaturization.
―South Korea has to explain one thing. How far can antitron warheads be miniaturized?
―There was a railgun cruiser test on the day of the nuclear test. Isn’t it too coincidental?
South Korea did not respond and Japan suffered from suspicion.
There was circumstantial evidence but no clear proof.
The right-wing forces pressured the Ozawa regime to disclose the data from the day of the nuclear test.
They argued that there would be a record of the unique shock wave if they fired a railgun.
Prime Minister Ozawa felt his liver sink as he read the weekly magazine that contained this argument.
‘Could that sound I heard then be…?’
Something had exploded before the detonation.
But it was only a possibility and he couldn’t confront Yu Ji-ha about it.
Currently, equipment for building an ion beam fusion reactor was being imported into Japan.
If there was a friction between the two countries, there was a possibility that the construction would be canceled entirely.
‘This matter has to be hidden.’
Even if South Korea’s deed was true, he was not in a position to protest openly as Prime Minister Ozawa.
The situation had already happened, and it was beneficial to stick to Korea moderately.
Especially now that the first android Lucia was released.
This android was covered with synthetic skin and boasted an appearance almost identical to humans.
The price was about 50 million yen, but it was difficult to buy individually and the minimum unit was 100.
Boston Dynamics said it was unavoidable for maintenance.
Japan also bought this android at the government level.
The purpose was not yet known, but it was already very popular in private.
An android that looked like a human.
It was a long-standing dream and aspiration of Japan since Astro Boy.
It finally came true, so it was understandable that they made a fuss about it.
‘Even though they have resentment against Korea, they act like that…’
It meant that Japan’s public opinion was divided in half.
The traditional right-wing faction who hated Korea and the pro-Korea faction who didn’t care about such things and wanted to get along well.
The mainstream was anti-Korea, but if you look at the economic or cultural side, pro-Korea was not weak either.
Depending on how much impact Lucia had in Japan, the power balance could change.
Prime Minister Ozawa hoped that the latter would lead public opinion as much as possible.
‘It’s too tiring to be hostile to Korea without reason…’
No matter how he thought about it, it was best to acknowledge and compromise moderately.
Those idiots who were protesting on the street didn’t seem to know that.
―Cut off diplomatic relations with Chosun who interfered with Japan’s nuclear armament! Expel Zainichi!
It was because of their hatred for Yu Ji-ha that right-wingers who had become disgusted with protests since the civil war gathered thousands of people.
Some former Self-Defense Force officers who were fired this time also agreed with this claim.
It was the combination of anti-Korea and right-wing that set Japan on fire.
On the other hand, regardless of such atmosphere, android Lucia landed in Japan.
The event agency that took charge of Japan’s government request wanted to dress up this android as human as possible and refresh the mood.
So they held a massive showcase that they didn’t even do in Korea.
「Android girls from Korea, finally landing in Japan!」
South Koreans were dumbfounded by this embarrassing title, but some Japanese were ecstatic.
They had been really waiting for this android to be released.
The price was too high and individuals couldn’t buy it, but they thought those things would be solved gradually.
―Android Lucia is awesome!
―Japan is wrong…That’s why Korea went first.
―Damn, how can we not admit it when South Korea comes out like this?
The otakus’ desire gathered at Tokyo Dome.
Tokyo Dome usually had a very unique position as a performance stage.
It was not an easy thing to gather nearly 50,000 paid spectators, and it was an honor only allowed to a few among countless artists.
But Lucia’s showcase surpassed that and broke all records.
They removed all equipment and added seats to fill up 120,000 people and black market tickets reached nearly 1 million yen.
It could be called a fanatic popularity indeed.
As soon as the lights were turned on and the laser show started, 120,000 people shouted Lucia’s name.
Lucia, who finally appeared, looked no different from humans on the outside.
They all had the same appearance, but they diversified with makeup and costumes, so they felt like different entities.
They waved their hands to the audience and occasionally walked around to shake hands with them.
This showcase was broadcasted all over Japan and enjoyed a phenomenal popularity.
Even the anti-Korean protests were temporarily suspended.
Korea wondered why they were doing that and Arma tilted his head.
“They seem crazy.”
“It’s Japan’s passion for androids. Let’s just do our job.”
“Yes. I will start the operation.”
…
One summer day, the gunfire ceased in Rason Special City of North Hamgyong Province.
Most of the guerrillas were wiped out and the survivors were captured and transported to Tera Island.
The only ones left were the terrified North Korean residents and a handful of Korean troops.
Pyongyang, Hamhung, Chongjin, and all the other major cities in North Korea had fallen.
But the war was not over yet.
North Korea had a lot of mountains and guerrillas were still active everywhere.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff devised a plan to quickly eliminate them and the government officials went to Baekdu Mountain to declare that the Korean Peninsula was unified.
“Since the armistice agreement on July 27, 1951, Korea and North Korea have walked the path of division. On August 15, 2028, we declare to the world that the two countries have reunited.”
It was a declaration by South Korea alone, with no other signatories to the armistice.
But there was no problem since the whole world recognized Korea’s unification.
The United States, Russia, Japan, and others sent congratulatory messages.
―The first Korean War lasted for three years and one month. The second Korean War ended in three months. We pay tribute to the bravery of the Korean troops and the decisiveness of President Yu Jiha.
―Russia will do its best to cooperate with the reconstruction of unified Korea. We will provide everything necessary at the upcoming summit with President Yu Jiha.
Yu Jiha’s current position was acting president, but it was not an exaggeration to say that he was recognized by the world at this point.
The domestic reaction was also ecstatic.
A leader who had overcome decades of division and finally unified the Korean Peninsula had appeared.
In front of such a superhuman, it was a trivial matter when martial law would be lifted.
The main force of the Korean army, the 7th Division, returned and held a ceremony in Seoul. The people cheered without hesitation.
Korea was in a frenzy.
And Yu Jiha quietly proceeded with his operation with Arma.
It was customary to boil hunting dogs after hunting.
The war ended quickly, but there was no shortage of corruption and crime.
There were various crimes ranging from embezzlement of materials to plundering civilians and abusing prisoners, and Arma recorded them all.
He also set up a system to apply artificial intelligence judges because it would not work if military courts were involved.
After three days of celebration, August 20 came as usual.
Dozens of androids in military uniforms stormed into the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gyeryongdae, and each military headquarters.
The amount of materials that had been poured into the Korean Peninsula in the past three months was no joke.
Various fuels, combat rations, ammunition, clothing, and medicines piled up like mountains at ports and airports.
The war itself started so suddenly that the Korean army did not have a system to manage and distribute these materials systematically.
So many materials were distributed haphazardly.
Some army units without aircraft received aviation fuel, while some places that needed combat rations only got medicines.
But these mistakes were minor.
Quite a few officers thought these materials were ownerless.
Wasn’t it?
Everyone was busy with advancing northward, so mobility was the highest virtue.
In such a situation, there was no need or time to manage these materials systematically.
The higher-ups ordered them to move as quickly as possible and sometimes even discarded them.
“Are you saying we have to lose this fuel? Sergeant Major, we have to advance northward now. Where do you have time for that? Just bury it somewhere and report it to headquarters.”
It would have been nice if they reported it, but unfortunately there were more cases where they did not.
These materials were dug up by someone after the war ended.
The new owners were businessmen who had contracts with those officers.
They sold these materials, which were clearly military supplies, to society.
It was clearly illegal, but no one dared to point it out because society was burning with advancing northward and unification.
The scale was so large that even if the media exposed it, President Jo Hyunggeun and others reacted that it was inevitable in a war.
It was impossible for the soldiers to have enthusiasm when the person in charge was like this.
They did a relatively good job in the operation, but the military supplies were not properly managed.
There were too many cases like this, so even Arma could not track them all.
His master, Yu Jiha, was just a lawmaker and had no authority to intervene in this disaster.
Despite this, Arma managed to record the names and evidence of the officers who were directly involved in the embezzlement of military supplies.
What the androids who suddenly stormed into each military headquarters demanded was their identity.
“I am a national inspector. According to the wartime military supply management law, I arrest the officers on the list below. Please call them immediately.”
Lee Deok-hoon, the chief of staff of the 11th Division who was working in the command and control room, stared blankly at the androids who had barged in.
“What are these? What is the guard doing letting these things pass?”
It was absurd that machines that were not human were wearing military uniforms and demanding officers.
“It’s Silla Group. It’s an android that they just released…”
An officer said and Lee Deok-hoon frowned.
“I know, but what right does that machine have to demand the identity of the officers? Who ordered you to come here?”
“It’s the president’s order.”
“The president?”
At this point, there was only one person who could be called president.
His face was projected on the wall.
“Lee Deok-hoon, chief of staff of the 11th Division.”
“Yes, sir! Colonel Lee Deok-hoon!”
The old colonel saluted in front of the young president.
But no one in the command and control room thought it was funny.
The generals of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Gyeryongdae, who were like stars in the sky, were also intimidated by Yu Jiha.
They followed him not because he was the military commander-in-chief, but because they sincerely respected him.
He had helped in most of the battles and finally unified the Korean Peninsula, so it was understandable.
In front of such achievements, age was just a trivial number.
He spoke.
“The above-mentioned personnel are suspected of embezzling military supplies as follows. It’s not a simple suspicion, but we have secured evidence.”
Next to President Yu Jiha’s face, the face and embezzlement list of the quartermaster of a battalion under the 11th Division were displayed.
The officers in the command and control room were shocked by the list.
“Did he sell that much oil?”
“He made a lot of money by stealing even food…”
Lee Deok-hoon looked at the account transactions and did not know what to do.
According to this data, there was no way out.
“Wh-what should I do…”
“Call the quartermaster immediately. The inspectors will take care of the rest. You just need to cooperate as much as possible. Oh, and don’t worry about the division commander. He’s here with me.”
He had called for an all-army commanders’ meeting for this reason.
Maybe this was happening in every unit.
Lee Deok-hoon was surprised by the sudden purge, but he was grateful that it was not him.
If that meticulous artificial intelligence was involved, there would be no escape.
Resistance?
In the current Korean army, resistance meant nothing but a coup d’etat.
But if they staged a coup d’etat when most of the soldiers absolutely supported Yu Jiha, they would rather be imprisoned.
“I will follow your orders!”
Of course, not all units followed Lee Deok-hoon’s example.
There were many officers who resisted, saying that they could not move without official orders, and even cases where they drove out inspectors.
Yu Ji-ha heard reports and ordered suppression.
“Take off their ranks and arrest them all.”
Thus, more than a thousand officers and non-commissioned officers were arrested at once.
“Let go of me! I’m a fucking war hero and you treat me like this? Call the president!”
“How dare these androids do this? Where are the military police?”
There were quite a few who resisted like this.
Androids, who was appointed as an inspector, shot them with a taser gun without any emotion and arrested them.
He just loaded them into a car and left, leaving only bewildered officers behind.
“What kind of people are they treating like that?”
“This is happening in every unit right now. The next battalion is completely ruined.”
“No matter what, they can’t just drag them away without any procedure…”
“They’re really boiling hunting dogs properly.”
Complaints pierced the sky, but there were hardly any who stood up properly.
The commanders were all called to Seoul.
And those commanders were being severely scolded by Yu Ji-ha.
…
“The people arrested this time will be processed by artificial intelligence according to the military law. If you have any complaints, speak up now. I will tell you the charges one by one.”
No one dared to open their mouth in front of Yu Ji-ha, who was seething with anger.
It would have been different if there was no evidence, but the situation was overwhelming.
They had obtained testimonies from the suppliers who had smuggled the supplies and secured their accounts.
There was no way out for them.
A cold air filled the conference room as Yu Jiha turned his gaze to the four-star generals.
“Kim Juho, Army Chief of Staff.”
“Yes.”
“There are over 3,000 cases where more than two pieces of evidence have been secured. In other words, there are countless crimes without evidence. How do you think we should handle this?”
“…”
Major General Kim Juho bowed his head and broke out in a cold sweat.
He had been detained and heard the situation. This was not a normal matter.
Embezzlement was a minor crime compared to the rest.
There was a case where an army platoon operating in Gangwon-do shot and killed civilians.
That alone could have been tolerated, but the problem was that they buried them to cover it up.
The generals watched in silence as a survivor testified in tears on the video.
The screen switched and showed a list of crimes committed in Pyongyang city.
They plundered and raped civilians, and even murdered them. It was unbearable to watch.
Of course, it was impossible to occupy a city of 3 million people without any crime.
But since drones had performed most of the combat, they could not give amnesty to the troops who committed crimes.
Yu Ji-ha declared.
“From this moment on, I abolish the military court. All trials will be handled by artificial intelligence, and so will the prosecutors and judges. There is a system prepared for this…”
Then someone stood up without permission.
“Mr. President! This is unacceptable!”
The person who stood up was Colonel Kwon Suhyung, the head of the investigation department of the Ministry of National Defense.
Yu Ji-ha approached him.
“What do you find unacceptable?”
“This, this incident clearly violates the military law. I understand that you established the National Inspection Office, but I can’t accept that artificial intelligence, not human beings, will conduct investigations and trials.”
“Colonel Kwon.”
“Yes!”
“I didn’t ask you to understand. You just have to follow my orders.”
“…”
Kwon Suhyung swallowed his dry saliva at his blunt voice.
Yu Ji-ha looked around at the generals and said.
“I’ll say this in case anyone is mistaken. What I have said and what I will say are not requests but orders. Soldiers should follow orders obediently.”
They had forgotten.
This man was a dictator who ruled Korea in practice.
Many people denied it, but there was no constitutional clause that guaranteed his position.
His existence itself was beyond the constitution.
Therefore, every word he said was law.
To deny this, they had to overthrow him, but the people supported him.
His approval rating reached 96% after Korea was unified.
It was unknown whether the polling agencies were under unfair pressure or not.
Yu Ji-ha touched his colonel rank insignia.
“I know very well what you and your investigation department have been doing. You have been very active in covering up your own people, delaying investigations, and putting pressure on victims. I hope you continue to do so.”
“…”
“I warn you, change from this moment on. If you don’t change, I’ll demote you all to privates and send you straight to prison. Do you understand?”
“Yes, yes sir…”
“Don’t worry about overcrowding in prison. I’ll send you all to Terra Island.”
No one could say anything in front of him, who was full of murderous intent.
In this way, the Korean military was thoroughly crushed.
According to the National Inspection Office, more than a thousand officers were arrested, and there were thousands more to be arrested.
The momentum of the Korean military, which had returned victorious and held a grand reform ceremony, was completely broken.
There was no room for opposition because all this was done in a matter of days.
They had to have time to think in order to oppose it.
And so the purge operation ended in an instant and a new system took its place.
It was control by artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence prosecutors and judges quietly stepped in and everything was processed in no time.
A sergeant named Park Junseok who was indicted for plundering houses and assaulting civilians with his unit in Bongnam-dong, Pyongyang city, was shocked to see only one monitor in the courtroom.
“What is this?”
「Defendant: Park Junseok, Sergeant of the Korean Army」
「Charges: Plundered 3 houses and assaulted 6 civilians with his unit in Bongnam-dong, Pyongyang city」
The evidence was listed one by one and Sergeant Park Junseok’s mouth dropped open.
The evidence was unbelievable.
It even included confessions from his unit members.
“What the fuck is this artificial intelligence doing? This is not a trial!”
He gritted his teeth and shook his body, but the androids were too strong to budge.
And then the verdict was displayed.
「Verdict: Demotion to private. Immediate discharge. Forfeiture of all retirement benefits. Five years in prison without parole」
That was it.
While Park Junseok was stunned, the androids dragged him out.
Now he was going to Terra Island to serve his sentence.
He had the right to hire an external lawyer and appeal, but his chances were very low since he had to face artificial intelligence.
A lawyer had a video conference with Park Junseok and said this.
“There’s nothing we can do. Artificial intelligence is strictly logical, and they have all the evidence, so it doesn’t work.”
“Is it a crime to beat up some North Koreans? They were guerrillas!”
“It turns out you beat up innocent civilians. Let’s admit it. Society has changed and crimes that cross the line are not tolerated.”
“Who draws that line?”
The lawyer shrugged his shoulders.
“You know and I know who decides that. What can we do? If you’re unhappy, you have to stand up and fight.”
Of course, there was no one who would stand up and fight.
Rather, the atmosphere was applauding him for punishing the criminals firmly.
Some legal experts argued that the military law, which had high sentences, should not have been applied so hastily, but they did not receive much attention.
It was awkward to mention it because it was an internal matter of the military.
Also, the government announced a timely compensation plan.
Yu Ji-ha held a press conference and declared that he would give the best treatment to all soldiers who were not involved in crimes.
“In addition to the unification allowance, you will also receive a month-long vacation and a permanent residence permit in the United Federation. You will be exempt from rent and transportation fees, and you will also receive food coupons.”
In other words, he was saying that they could use the villas on the North Pacific islands as they pleased.
The round-trip fare was free and they even gave food coupons. There was no better benefit than this.
The only problem was what kind of facilities were on Terra Island, but that had not been revealed yet.
On the other hand, there were complaints from people who did not participate in the war.
Why didn’t they get anything? It was a complaint, but Yu Ji-ha ignored them.
“You didn’t fight, so you don’t get anything. That will be the basic principle in the United Human Federation from now on.”
It was strange that he mentioned the United Human Federation instead of Korea, but they let it go because they were so excited.
Through this incident, Koreans realized that Yu Jiha had completely dominated the military.
He had purged so many officers without any signs of resistance, which meant that he had firmly grasped the military power.
It was not because he was simply the military commander that the soldiers were quiet.
He knew well about the internal affairs of the military and held their weaknesses, so they couldn’t even think of rebelling.
Plus, he had androids, so he had an advantage in terms of actual force as well.
Unless a coup d’etat occurred, it was impossible to defy Yu Jiha.
And a coup d’etat was a dreamlike thing in modern Korea.
Yu Jiha thus completely took over the military.
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