July 24th, 2016 19:25. Seoul Jong ro-gu Blue House President’s office.

  The response from North Korea after the hands-on staff representative council meeting from last month came through. The President, Prime Minister Lee-Youngho, Minister of Unification Oh-Seungtae, Minister of National Defense Kang-Hyunsoo, National Security Director Oh-Jangsoo, NIS Secretary Na Bong-il, and Chief Secretary Na-Sungtae were discussing the meeting agenda for the upcoming council on August 10th.

  Beep.

  “Chairman of the Joint Staff Kang Yi Sik has arrived, sir.”


  The committee was notified via intercom from the secretary’s office.

  “Tell them to come in.”


  Chairman of the Joint Staff Kang Yi Sik entered with a tensed expression on his face. He spoke immediately with a sense of urgency in his voice. “Mr. President, sir, this is an emergency.”


  All the government officials participating in the council meeting felt an ominous feeling in their gut from hearing the Chairman of the Joint Staff’s urgent tone. They began staring at Chairman of the Joint Staff Kang Yi Sik.

  “What’s going on? Take a seat first please,” the President said in the calmest voice out of the room. He pointed at the chair.

  “Since it’s an emergency, I shall report to you immediately. Approximately an hour ago, an unidentified object crashed into ChungBook Daechung Lake.”


  “Is there a possibility of it being a missile?” National Security Director Oh-Jangsoo asked. He swallowed.

  “I’m sorry. The exact information regarding the crashed object has not been confirmed. Currently, we’re planning to begin an underwater search mission in the surrounding area of Daechung Lake after a Joint Investigation Party is formed between the Army, Navy, and Airforce.”


  The Minister of National Defense Kang-Hyunsoo asked, “Was there any more information from the US Armed Forces in Korea?”


  “Currently we haven’t received any contact from the US Armed Forces in Korea. I believe they’re completely unaware of the situation.”


  “How could this be? They’re unaware of an unidentified object crashing into South Korea in this state of affairs at the peninsula? The US Army’s Patriot Artillery Unit or the various radars they possess would have been more than enough to detect such a matter.”


  “That’s why this is strange. Our antiaircraft unit’s radars and the Navy’s Aegis ships don’t have a trace or record of detecting the unidentified object that crashed into Daechung Lake. It seems the US Armed Forces in Korea also didn’t contact us because they didn’t detect it either.”


  “Then how were we able to obtain the information regarding the crashed object?” NIS Secretary Na Bong-il asked with a confused look on his face.

  “There was an old local who witnessed the crash himself while fishing. He called the police, which is how we caught wind of the situation.”


  “The object was indetectable to American and Korean radars? Maybe there’s a possibility it could be a stealth reconnaissance jet from China or Russia?” NIS Secretary Na Bong-il asked with a tenser tone in his voice than before.

  “Currently it’s difficult to assess the situation so quickly. We’ve dispatched the Navy’s UDT/SEAL divers to Deachung Lake. We’ll identify the object through the nighttime underwater search mission and report back.”


  Minister of Unification Oh-Seungtae said with a worried look on his face, “I’m worried that something so foreboding has occurred when we have the hands-on staff meeting in a couple days between the North and the South.”


  “Rightfully so, Minister Oh.”


  The President pondered for awhile, and then he called over the Minister of National Defense. “Minister Kang.”


  “Yes, Mr. President.”


  “I’d like all information to be kept secret. Cut off contact from the US Armed Forces in Korea until we can exactly identify the crashed object. We also need to rectify thorough security measures in the surrounding area of Daechung Lake to prevent any information from leaking to the public.”


  “Yes, currently the Army’s 21st Battalion is stationed in the area. We’ve dispatched them under the guise of a night tactical training exercise. We’ll be able to conduct the nighttime search mission without drawing any attention from the locals.”


  “Well done. Let’s keep the Chairman of the Joint Staff’s report between the eight of us here. Understood?”


  “Yes, understood, sir.”


  “And NIS Secretary Na.”


  “Yes, Mr. President!”


  “Please dispatch your agents to the old man who called in the incident so we can keep the information secret. I want this taken care of quickly.”


  “I’ll take care of it at once.”


  “Lastly, it doesn’t matter how late it is. Please report what happened today without worrying about the time.”


  “Yes! Understood.”


  July 24th, 2016 22:10. ChungBook Boeun-kun Huinam-myun Bupsoo-ri Daechung Lake.

  The area around Daechung Lake was brighter than during the daytime. Many flares lit up the lake’s surface. The crash site had many ships afloat; they were equipped with bright lights resembling squid fishing ships and the UDT/SEAL team’s rubber boats.

  Within an hour, 10 UDT/SEAL diving agents searched the 20 meters of water. A signal was sent, notifying the unidentified object as being found. The agents surfaced and began speaking to Lt. Colonel Woo-Won gill, who was commanding the search.

  The 30-year veteran Navy UDT/SEAL Warrant Officer Han-Soowon reported as he gasped for breath, “Commander Woo, sir, the visibility within the water is poor so there could be some error, but the object seems to resemble a disc. It has a radius of 25 meters and height of 7 meters.”


  “Excellent work, Warrant Officer Han. It must be large with a 25-meter radius, wouldn’t it? I must report to the superiors and then follow their orders. Please order all agents to the surface and to rest.”


  The report that the unidentified object was found within an hour of the start of the underwater search mission reached the Blue House through the Joint Chief’s Headquarters. The Blue House was able to ease their concerns a bit, as the object was not a stealth aircraft from a neighboring nation nor a missile. However, their curiosity was amplified by the object’s disc-like form.

  New orders were issued from the Joint Chief’s Headquarters 30 minutes later.

  Brigadier General Ahn-Hyungjoon was hurriedly dispatched to Daechung Lake as the Joint Investigation Party’s commander. He had gathered everyone in charge of each branch of the military in this search mission to issue orders coming from the Joint Staff’s Headquarters.

  “These are orders from up top. This search mission will be disguised as the 21st Battalion’s tactical training exercise during the day, but it will be salvaging work by night. The salvaging will take place for a week, and its contents will be shipped to the 17th Fighter Wing. The Army’s 21st Battalion will remain here during the week, performing its tactical training exercise while erecting sentry posts in a one-kilometer radius to prevent civilians from entering the vicinity. Don’t let your guard down in securing the perimeter.”


  “Lt. Colonel Oh-Gisoo, understood, sir.”


  “Lt. Colonel Woo-Won gill, when the Navy’s salvaging team arrives in the morning, establish a plan and method to salvage the object and report back to me.”


  “Lt. Colonel Woo-Won gill, understood, sir.”


  “Lastly, Major Park-Kyunghoon, I’d also like you to report on the plans, methods, and route for transporting this object to the 17th Fighter Wing after it’s been salvaged.”


  “Major Park-Kyunghoon, understood, sir.”


  July 25th, 2016 09:10. ChungBook Boeun-kun Huinam-myun Bupsoo-ri Daechung Lake.

  A black van moved through a narrow road. After awhile, the door opened. A middle-aged man and a young woman got off the van.

  “I think that’s the place?”


  The young woman’s voice was Assistant Manager Lee Hye-jin’s from the NIS National Counter-terrorism Investigation Unit 1. She was pointing at an old house with a slab roof.

  “It seems like it.”


  Since the summer heat was unyielding, the sunlight was bright despite that it was only 9:00a.m. Manager Ahn-Younwoo covered his eyes from the rays and glanced at the house 50 meters away from him. Soon after, the two arrived at the front door of the slab-roofed house and checked for signs of life. Assistant Manager Lee Hye-jin called for someone. “Elder Lee-Kyungchoon, sir.”


  “Who’s there?” Old lady Kim-Okja asked as she walked out of the kitchen.

  “Hello ma’am. We’re from the Boeun County Office.”


  “The county office?”


  “Yes. Is elder Lee-Kyngchoo home?” This time Manager Ahn-Younwoo politely greeted her and asked whether or not her husband was home.

  “Old man, come outside. There’s people from the county office here to see you.”


  Finally, the main room’s door opened and elder Lee-Kyungchoon showed himself.

  “Who is it?”


  “Are you elder Lee-Kyungchoon?”


  “Yes, that’s me. Who are you to come looking for me all the way out here?”


  “Yes sir, we’re from the county office. We came regarding the incident you called in yesterday.”


  “The county office? Was it wrong for me to call in the police?”


  “No, you did something good. We just came by to give you the reward for reporting it in.” Assistant Manager Lee Hye-jin spoke in the kindest tone with a bright smile to put the elderly couple’s mind at ease.

  “A reward? Just for reporting something? Well so be it, come inside.”


  In a short while, Manager Ahn-Younwoo and Assistant Manager Lee Hye-jin entered the main room and began conversing with the old man.

  “The thing you called in about was an unmanned drone the military was testing.”


  “An unmanned drone?”


  “Yes, you know about the Airforce base in Chung Joo, right? They were testing the drone from there, but it fell into Daechung Lake by mistake.”


  “Well, then why do I deserve a reward for calling it in?”


  “Well the tensions between the North and the South are high, aren’t they? The county office deems your actions as exemplary, so they’re trying to reward you.”


  “That’s strange. How much is it?”


  “Five million won, sir.”


  “My goodness, I didn’t just catch a trout that day, but a large reward, too! Ha, ha, ha.”


  Elder Lee-Kyungchoon was in a good mood after hearing about the five million won and called for his wife in the kitchen. “Bring something to eat! There are guests here, and you’re not going to bring out anything?”


  “No. That’s fine.”


  “What are you doing? Bring something already.”


  “I’m on my way.”


  The small door connecting the kitchen opened and his wife brought a cut, cool watermelon on a platter. “It’s cool and delicious.”


  “Thank you for your generosity.” Assistant Manager Lee Hye-jin grabbed a piece and took a large bite.

  “My, my! This young lady’s appetite is as good as her looks; I wish I could introduce you to our son.”


  Assistant Manager Lee Hye-jin was taken aback from those words. All she could do was chew a mouthful of watermelon and smile.

  “Have you gone senile, woman? Is there anything you can’t say to strangers?”


  “I like her; that’s why.”


  Manager Ahn-Younwoo continued the conversation amidst jokes after finishing a slice of watermelon. “Sir, you must not speak of the reward or what you reported with anyone.”


  “Was it of great importance?”


  “The unmanned drone testing is a part of confidential military plans. You cannot tell anyone about receiving the reward or about why you called the authorities.”


  “Even to my children?”


  “We must ask you to please keep it a secret, except with your wife.”


  “What are you talking about?”


  “Stay put old woman, I’ll tell you later.”


  After 20 minutes passed, Manager Ahn-Younwoo and Assistant Manager Lee Hye-jin were able to return to the black van. Manager Ahn-Younwoo made a phone call as soon as he got into the van. “This is Ahn-Younwoo from Counter-terrorism Investigation Unit 1. We just finished contacting elder Lee-Kyungchoon. Since he’s from the country, he was naive, and he didn’t have any doubts. He should cause no problems regarding security.”


  “Yes, I understand.”


  After he hung up the phone, Manager Ahn-Younwoo called Chief Oh-Gisuk in the driver’s seat. “Chief Oh, let’s go to the Boeun County Office.”


  “Yes! Manager.”