없는 자리에서는 나라님 욕도 한다

When he is not present, even His Majesty is spoken badly of.

Behind the lines, Anseong, November 14th, 1951

"The war is lost!" Major General Kim Chaek raged, pacing around the jumak, taking swigs from his flask of hard liquor. "We failed! It is idiotic to continue resisting."

"Do not speak in that way," Lieutenant General Choe Hyon snapped back.

"If we surrender now, we may get good terms! We may hold Seoul."

"If there is a Seoul to hold onto," Lieutenant General Pang Ho-san put in.

"It is simply not fair. Why do the Americans have to meddle? We destroyed the pretender's army, and swept him from the field! Seoul was taken in two weeks!," Major General Kim continued. He sat sloppily at the table of the jumak, leaning down and bursting into tears. No one moved to comfort him.

General Kim Kwang-hyop had been quietly observing the drunken ramblings of the Vice Premier for most of the night. Kim Chaek had been given the Major Generalship of the 17th Division as a consolation after his original command had been dissolved after the destructive battles around Busan. His previous posting had been a lavish armoured division - now, he was relegated to a "simple" infantry division. It didn't seem important that he commanded much more men than before. General Kim Kwang-hyop had been trusted with an entire army - the II KPA now stationed in Anseong.

Yet his whole reason for coming to this little jumak was to discuss the inherent dissatisfaction of the front commanders with the war's progress.

"The essential issue," Lieutenant General Pang put in as Major General Kim Chaek continued sobbing, "is the Soviet control. It is the Russian direction. The Russians have reorganized the whole army. Everything is lost, nothing is where it should be. Our plans must be restarted. We must familiarize ourselves with our new subordinates, our new superiors..."

"And apparently our Chairman's superior, the Great Russian himself," General Kim Kwang-Hyop said. "We are not to be Russian vassals. We are not to be a SSR. Yet Choe has allowed the Russians control."

"Perhaps this means we will attack again?" Lieutenant General Choe said hopefully.

"We have no strength," Lieutenant General Pang replied. "The Seoul Red Guard Corps has been ground down by the fighting. We must hold our position for the winter. The Americans would be idiotic to continue their attack."

"The American Commander is an idiot," Major General Kim Chaek said through his tears. "An egotist! Obsessed with personal glory! Were he in a proper country, he'd've been purged years ago."

"Speak not of purges, Kim," General Kim Kwang-Hyop replied, "lest we bring one upon ourselves."

"Perhaps a purge is what is needed," the Major General replied venomously.

"What can we do? Choe Yong-gon will not be dissuaded," Lieutenant General Choe Hyon replied, "and he has convinced the Chairman."

"Then we must reverse that convincing," General Kim Kwang-Hyop said. "We have much power, still, within the state. We have power over the Soviets, even. It is time to execute it."

"Sir!" Major General Kim Chaek said, rushing over to get upon his knees before General Kim Kwang-Hyop, "tell me and I shall do it without delay! Tell me how to regain the honour of our army!"

The General smiled, his plan finalizing.

To be continued...