개나 소나소나

Whether dog or cow.

Fortress Suwon, January 7th, 1952

The moon was high and full on the night that Yoon Si-U was brought into the city on the back of a Tong-Il truck. Lee Chang-Ok had always insisted on being driven around in staff cars “as befits his position,” yet now-Minister Yoon was less concerned about decorum. A war was on - it was no time to make qualms about transportation. The rest of the truck carried People’s Guard Forces, the newly-renamed troops of the ministry. Their uniform shimmered with prominent blue and gold accents.

The directions from Pak Il-U, the scheming minister of the interior (and now Yoon’s direct superior) had been clear - Minister Yoon was to go to the front in places directed by the Army and raise rearguard militias for the purpose of construction of a great series of fortifications and defenses against the American assault.

“You know that Seoul is our capital. It is not simply theoretical - it is written directly into the constitution of 1950. Seoul is the heart of our nation. Nothing can survive without a heart - how can we live without Seoul? I charge you, Yoon Si-U, in this task of assisting in the establishment of grand defensive lines to protect the capital. Should one fall, the next shall be even more starkly defended - and, through the application of maximum effort by the entire able-bodied population, we shall build an impenetrable ring of steel around our capital,” Pak had said in a long speech, in between gulps of gukhwaju. Pak’s drinking had ramped up over the last few months as the war dragged on - the toll becoming increasingly obvious on all the senior members of government. Minister Yoon hadn’t personally seen the great Chairman in months. Whispers echoed around Pyongyang as to where he actually was.

Thus Yoon Si-U had taken the next plane to the south. The VIP transports had adopted flying at treetop level to prevent interception by the roving Coalition fighters. Great air battles broke out on a regular basis all over the peninsula these days. From the Incheon airfield, a transport truck carrying up ammunition and supplies into the new set of defensive lines brought him into Suwon, which would serve as the Western Fortress (서부 요새) in the outer defensive line, also known as the 30 kilometer line.

Suwon was selected for this purpose both for its strategic location, as well as its historical significance. As a walled city, Suwon had stood as a powerful military strongpoint for centuries. The Hwaseong Fortress, with its historic walls, was selected for use as a headquarters and stronghold for the city’s antiaircraft and antitank defenses.

The surveys and methodologies applied had been extensive: the lines were to function as Flexible Defense Zones, which were easier to construct and less easy to target and destroy than large, concrete blockhouses. Instead, networks of connected trenches, deeply camouflaged and built with local materials - machine-gun and mortar positions and counterpositions, arranged with overarching fire - huge, extensive systems of antitank ditches, Czech hedgehogs, and camouflaged antitank guns, arranged to fire on the side and rear of penetrating tanks, were begun around the city. Further into the city, expecting the application of intense artillery and air bombardment, basements were to be reinforced. Urban combat teams were already being selected, rearmed exclusively with submachine guns and larger amounts of machine guns, as well as larger amounts of grenades and explosives. Soviet and International advisors contributed their knowledge from the Worldwide Anti-Fascist War into the most complete knowledge base of urban combat and urban defense.

While a huge amount of the army was already around Suwon, working feverishly to prepare defenses, Minister Yoon could clearly see the need for civilian helpers would be great. His first meeting in the morning would be with the People’s Committee of Suwon, elected in the October election, to enlist their help in the rounding up of all of the men and women in Suwon who were able to lift a pick. His first order, however, didn’t need their help.

Announcements and posters around Suwon went up around the city before the night was out. None were allowed to leave the city except for the hospital’s populations (the hospital beds would be put to better use) and those over 75. Everyone else was to be kept in Suwon. “All able-bodieds are to form Red Guard Brigades for the glorious defense of our nation. The Chairman has confidence in your abilities!”

To be continued…