Chapter 197: Room 39

[Mr. Kang, no matter how I look at it, this isn’t the work of the Mujahideen.]

A firm voice echoed from the monitor, belonging to Goldon Ben Ari.

“What makes you so sure?”

[The kidnappers’ methods were typical of Room 39.]

“……Room 39? You don’t mean North Korea, do you?”

I was taken aback by the unexpected remark.

Ben Ari sent over a file.

A few photos comparing operatives from North Korea’s Room 39 and armed members of the Mujahid Al-Kufra Front.

Sure enough, the individuals in the photos were wearing similar attire and carrying similar weapons to those of Room 39.

“Why would the North Koreans disguise this as the work of the Mujahideen?”

[To avoid international condemnation and pursuit. And to confuse the South Korean government.]

“Hmm……”

Thanks to the Israeli arms dealer Ben Ari, I had a general idea of who had kidnapped Seong-hwan.

But I was still just as confused.

Ben Ari continued with additional explanation.

[It’s not confirmed information, but…… it seems some of the AGE-01 units we sold ended up in North Korean hands. The ones who’ve experienced its performance…….]

“Are you saying they kidnapped Seong-hwan to secure more units?”

[Probably.]

Currently, I’m supplying Ben Ari with about 1,000 units per month.

Half of those go to the U.S. Department of Defense, and the rest are sold across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe under Ben Ari’s direction.

That meant the AGE units had leaked to North Korea somewhere in that distribution network.

“What route did they take to get to North Korea?”

After a brief silence, Ben Ari took a deep breath and spoke.

[A month ago, 200 AGE units were transferred from Jordan to Tunisia. On paper, it was a completely legal private military company (PMC).]

“So, you’re saying…… the Tunisian government traded with North Korea?”

If that were the case, it could become a major diplomatic issue.

Ben Ari shook his head.

[No, the PMC moved some of the AGE units to the Libyan border under the guise of equipment testing. That’s where the problem started.]

I rubbed my forehead.

The Libyan border was essentially a lawless zone.

“Was it seized there?”

[Officially, it was reported as ‘plundered by a local armed group,’ but when I looked into it, that wasn’t the case.]

“Then what was it?”

[Some of the ammunition boxes and traces left at the scene were very neatly arranged. Typically, plunderers would take whatever they could and leave a mess. But in this case, they took only what they needed and left everything else untouched. Later, satellite imagery showed some of the containers loaded onto transport vehicles crossing the eastern border.]

“Eastward…… Egypt?”

[No, after crossing the border, they moved northeast through Sudan. This route matches exactly with the one the North Korean government used for arms smuggling in the past.]

In the end, the PMC Ben Ari dealt with had sent the AGE units to North Korea.

It was clearly Ben Ari’s mistake.

“We’ll discuss responsibility later. What’s the specific route they took to get the weapons?”

Ben Ari sent over an additional map.

The route, marked in red, went from Libya → Sudan → Eritrea → across the Red Sea.

It led to a port where a North Korean ship had docked.

Surprisingly, the ship’s current location wasn’t far from where Seong-hwan had gone missing.

“What’s the name of that PMC?”

[Iron Howl. Their headquarters are in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, and they have a training base near Tataouine, close to the Libyan border. Coincidentally, they also have a branch in Al Wakrah, on the outskirts of Doha, Qatar.]

The kidnappers had also demanded a meeting in Al Wakrah.

“So…… there’s a high chance Seong-hwan is being held there?”

Ben Ari paused for a moment before quietly responding.

[I’ll look into that in more detail and let you know. This…… was largely our mistake.]

The way Ben Ari spoke made the situation feel more serious than I’d thought.

After ending the video call, I headed straight to the Blue House.

.

.

.

“It seems…… North Korea is behind Seong-hwan’s kidnapping.”

“North Korea? Are you sure?”

President Baek Mu-jin’s eyes widened in shock.

“We’ve confirmed that special operatives from North Korea’s Room 39, with the help of the PMC ‘Iron Howl,’ kidnapped Seong-hwan.”

“If that’s true, this is a complicated situation.”

Just being linked to North Korea could make things politically complex.

“We need to rescue Seong-hwan, even if it means meeting their demands.”

“No, we can’t do that!”

National Security Advisor Kim Tae-sik firmly interrupted, standing beside President Baek.

“Why not?”

If anything happened to Seong-hwan……

I wouldn’t be able to contain my rage.

I’d already seen him die once, and I couldn’t bear to go through that pain again.

“I understand how you feel, Mr. Kang. But the moment we give in to terrorists’ demands, our government will be seen as a ‘negotiable target.’ This sets a dangerous precedent, both for national security and diplomatically.”

As soon as the incident broke,

the opposition National Unity Party and the media were harshly criticizing the government’s incompetence and complacency.

Blue House takes 72 hours just to assess the Doha kidnapping situation.

Presidential transition advisor kidnapped, yet the government remains unresponsive…… calls for accountability grow.

AGE falling into the hands of armed groups poses a grave threat to national security.

Despite calls for special forces deployment, the Ministry of Defense repeats it’s ‘under review.’

After reading the articles, President Baek closed his tablet and slowly looked up at the National Security Advisor, Chief of Staff, and Presidential Secretary.

“What if we meet the kidnappers’ demands and focus on rescuing Jo Seong-hwan first, as Mr. Kang suggests?”

“Mr. President!”

Following Kim Tae-sik, Chief of Staff Park Young-chul also spoke firmly.

“The moment we meet the kidnappers’ demands, the media and opposition will label our government as one that capitulates to terrorists.”

Public opinion could also turn against us.

“And their demands are 2,000 AGE units and $300 million.”

Kim Tae-sik continued.

“The money is one thing, but the bigger issue is more AGE units ending up in North Korea. If word of this gets to the National Unity Party……”

We couldn’t rule out the risk of impeachment.

“So you’re saying we should just let Seong-hwan die? That’s not an option.”

I raised my voice.

President Baek gently patted my shoulder, urging me to calm down. Then he responded to Kim Tae-sik.

“I’m not saying we should actually meet their demands.”

The room fell silent at the President’s low voice.

He continued slowly.

“We’ll pretend to meet their demands while simultaneously deploying our elite special forces to rescue Jo Seong-hwan. A dual operation.”

It wasn’t a bad plan.

We’d ensure Seong-hwan’s safety and avoid setting a precedent for terrorist negotiations on the international stage.

If only it could succeed……

“But the people we’re up against are North Korea’s Room 39 operatives and a PMC with extensive Middle East experience. Even with special forces, success isn’t guaranteed.”

“Then we’ll assemble a team of our most elite operatives. And keep it completely secret externally.”

As everyone fell silent at the President’s decision,

the Presidential Secretary rushed in, whispering something in his ear.

The President’s expression turned grave.

“The kidnappers have added a new condition.”

All eyes turned to the President.

“They’ve specified…… that Kang Tae-joon must deliver the weapons. Alone. They’ll refuse any negotiation otherwise.”

The room fell silent, and Kim Tae-sik and Park Young-chul’s faces hardened.

“That’s absolutely unacceptable. Sending you alone to the kidnappers is far too dangerous.”

I spoke first.

“I’ll go.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to me.

Kim Tae-sik shook his head, as if to say no.

“The kidnappers might want more than just weapons and money. Asking you to come alone could mean they plan to take you hostage for bigger negotiations.”

I felt the same way.

But……

“If I don’t go, we lose any chance of saving Seong-hwan.”

I kept thinking about a kidnapping incident I’d seen online years ago.

An Islamic extremist terrorist group in Iraq had abducted a Korean national returning from a U.S. military contract job.

They’d posted the execution video online for everyone to see.

Room 39 would do something even worse.

My voice echoed through the room.

“They’ll only come to the negotiating table if I’m there. Deploying the special forces while I’m there gives us the best chance of rescuing Seong-hwan.”

I couldn’t resolve this without taking that risk.

President Baek looked at me with concern.

“Are you sure you need to go yourself?”

“Yes, I have to.”

I planned to see the faces of the bastards who’d taken Seong-hwan and make them pay.

Sensing my determination, the President sighed deeply, then firmly ordered,

“Assemble a team of our most elite operatives to support Kang Tae-joon, and prepare a thorough operation plan.”

＊＊＊

“Sir, are you really going yourself?”

Chilbong had already asked the same worried question several times.

“I told you, I have to go to save Seong-hwan.”

“But…… a civilian meeting a terrorist organization directly doesn’t make sense. Especially with North Korea involved……”

Realizing his voice was too loud, Chilbong looked around after saying “North Korea.”

I let out a dry laugh at the sight.

“It’s just you and me here. No need to be so cautious.”

“I forgot this was your private lab.”

“So stop wasting time and focus on your work.”

I’m not stupid.

I didn’t agree to the meeting without thinking.

I’d delayed the meeting with the kidnappers by a week, claiming I needed time to secure the AGE units.

And I’d been wrestling with Chilbong in Dojin Industries’ underground lab for days——all to ensure I’d return safely.

I looked up at the item on the table.

Once this is finished, there’s no way I’ll be in danger.