Chapter 50 - Book 2 Chapter 5-3 Rise of Korea!: The People's Traitor

July 12th, 1944 06:00 Japanese Imperialist era

Japan Kyushu Nagasaki Hashima(Gunham-do) island mine.

When it was 6:00, the supervisor began banging the dorm doors along the hall with a baton and woke the sleeping men.

“Wake up! If you’re late there will be no breakfast!”

Jong-gu put his face to the metal window bars and begged the supervisor as he walked by dorm #2 hallway.

“Sir! Please assign me near the tunnel that collapsed yesterday to find my brother.”

“What? That area has been banned from mining for a while. After today, you are all assigned to the opposite tunnels, so do as you’re told.”

“Boss, sir, please! I need to at least find my brother’s body.”

“This Josenjin bastard, you won’t do as I say? Get out of here.”

The supervisor opened the metal doors and dragged Jong-gu to the hallway and beat him with the baton.

“Oh, sir. I will talk to him and calm him down please stop.”

Old man Woo-jin grabbed the end of the supervisor’s pants and begged. However, the supervisor still seemed to be in a rage and began swinging the baton at Jong-gu after kicking off old man Woo-jin. Jong-gu curled up with his head covered and shouted.

“Boss, sir please, my brother’s body, let me find…”

When Jong-gu begged and pleaded despite being beaten, the supervisor became angered and struck his head forcefully with the baton.

Smack!

The hit must have been square on the head because of all the blood that sprayed with a dead sound, and Jong-gu went limp without a sound.

“You! And you! Pick this bastard up and follow me.”

That day Jong-gu was imprisoned in a well that was less than 1.5 square meters for four days without any food, and after he was released, he was never able to find his brother’s body.

*Hashima island, also known as Gunhamdo was developed as a mine by Mitsubishi in 1890 when coal was discovered. Mitsubishi eventually became an evil exploitative business using forced labor during the Japanese Imperialist era. The mine was closed 74 years ago, and the island was deserted for 40 years, and it became a symbol for Japanese modernization the Meiji reform and was transformed as a testament for Japanese industrialization and modernization to be registered as a world heritage by UNESCO.

It seems the Japanese government did not fear the souls of the Josun people who were sacrificed. The day would come when the Japanese government would regret their deception of the world and regret making the island that was living proof of forced labor and other evil deeds and understand that they should not have made the island a world heritage.

* * *

September 28th, 2018 09:00

Jeonnam Naju-si Bitgaram-dong Korea electricity power corporation Executive Director Yoo Gi-tae’s office.

A man kicked the door of Executive Director Yoo Gi-tae’s office as if to break it and barged in. Executive Director Yoo Gi-tae, who was happily looking at the stock graph of the power corporation shouted at the man out of shock.

“Wha, what the?”

“This is Department Head of the Secret Bureau of Corruption Investigation Kang Chul-joong! Executive Director Yoo Gi-tae, you are under immediate arrest for insider trading, accepting bribes, and illegal solicitation. Here’s the warrant.”

The Department Head Kang Chul-joong read off each charge in response to the shocked rabbit-eyed Executive Director Yoo Gi-tae and with a bright smile and waved handcuffs with his hand.

“Put both your hands forward.”

“What did I do for you to do this to me? Why?”

“I will show you hundreds of pages of evidence when we get to the bureau, so let’s go quietly.”

It was as if the world turned upside down when Executive Director Yoo Gi-tae was about to start his day in a good mood checking the stock market and seeing the shares rise, but now he was in cuffs being hauled off to the hallway. When he reached the other side of the hall, there were many executives he worked with in cuffs being taken as well.

* * *

September 28th, 2018 11:30

Kyungbook Pohang-si Book-ku Yongdu-ri under the Yang-ji hill (Lee Myung-bon’s home)

Underneath Yang-ji hill was an open field that held a modern, traditional Korean home that was placed to have the view of the East Sea.

“This place is amazing isn’t it?” Team leader Na Dong-gyun of the Secret Bureau of Corruption Investigation unit 1 team 2 spoke in admiration as he looked at the palace-like Korean home. Manager Jang Soo-il furrowed his brow and answered in an upset tone.

“It upsets me greatly to see such evil Japanese Imperial Loyalist live a lavish life from all the money they earned from the blood of their innocent fellow citizens. I feel no remorse for them.”

“I agree. I could not express my rage when I was investigating the property holdings of these traitorous individuals.” The first enforcement chief Na Won-ho from the Investigation Bureau of Traitorous Individuals who rode with Manager Jang Soo-il said.

“I also understand how you feel when I see that loyalist bastard lives in a house like this Chief Na. All right! Let’s go.”

When they arrived at the front door of the house, black-suited private bodyguards who were monitoring the area with a CCTV stepped out.

“What’s your business here?”

Team leader Na Dong-gyun stepped forward and showed the bodyguards his badge and waved at them to step back.

“What brought the Secret Bureau of Corruption Investigation here?”

“Get out of my way.”

“You can’t enter without a warrant, sir.”

“Do you think we came without a warrant? Here is the search warrant as well as the warrant for arrest.”

Team leader Na Dong-gyun shoved the warrants in the bodyguard’s face so that they almost touched his forehead.

“Whoever blocks me or interrupts me will be under arrest for obstruction of justice!”

The private bodyguards had a hesitant look on their faces and stepped back. When they did, Chief Na Won-ho pulled out something from his briefcase and placed it on the left side of the double doors. Should we call it a small signboard perhaps? On it read ‘Japanese Imperial Loyalist’ large letters and below it were details that outlined all the Japanese Loyalist activities Lee Gyu-ju and his son Lee Bok-duk were involved in.

“Chief Na, I love this.”

“It was an idea from our employees. We are offering it as a small gift for those traitors of the people we seize assets from.”

“It is a good idea.”

A shout came from the main building.

“Who is causing such a ruckus this early in the morning?” The man yelling about all the noise was Lee Myung-bon. The man who had a Japanese Loyalist father and had lived without a lack of anything from a young age. He was a descendant of the brazen Japanese Loyalist who enjoyed and accumulated his wealth from sacrificing tens of thousands of Josun laborers.

“My, don’t you have a loud voice despite being so old.”

Lee Myung-bon glared at Team leader Na Dong-gyun speaking sarcastically and scolded in a louder tone, “You sons of bitches! How dare you?”

“Sons of bitches? This man really can’t read the room. He acts so rashly.”

“Wha? Do you know who I am?”

“Do I know, you’re the bastard who has a Japanese Loyalist father, right? You are also a property concealer and illegal trading suspect.”

Lee Myung-bon, who thought of being called a Japanese Loyalist shameful, seemed to be full of rage and shouted at his bodyguards.

“What are you doing? Take these bastards out of my house.”

“Did this man eat a train? Why is his voice so loud?”

Manager Jang Soo-il, who did not want to see the arrogant Lee Myung-bon’s struggle stepped in.

“Team leader Na, arrest that man before he makes a bigger scene.”

“Yes, sir!”

Team leader Na Dong-gyun showed the arrest and search warrants he flashed at the bodyguards to tease him and spoke while smiling.

“Lee Myung-bon, you are under immediate arrest under property concealment and illegal stock trading, and the authority of the Investigation Bureau of Traitorous Individuals. All your private property will be confiscated and returned to the state treasury.”

Lee Myung-bon snorted at Na Dong-gyun’s words, and placed his hands to his back and spoke arrogantly.

“Immediate arrest? Hahaha, confiscation of private property? This is not my home, but my father’s first cousin once removed, you bastards.”

“Oh! It’s only the first cousin’s? Thank you. Did you not know about the changes in the laws related to the confiscation of property for traitorous individuals? Investigations can be held from cousins twice removed to your mother’s cousin’s once removed?”

“What? You bastards?”

“Just put your hands out quietly, unless you want to be put under arrest forcefully like a pig to the slaughter, asshole.”

Na Dong-gyun twisted Lee Myung-bon’s arm that was behind his back and cuffed him.

“Unhand me. You will all lose your jobs with just one phone call from me!”

“Sill talking, huh. We will give you all the phone calls you want. Let’s go, shall we?”

Lee Myung-bon, despite being 70 years old, kept struggling and resisting while being dragged by Na Dong-gyun.

“We will begin the confiscation and search. Search every part of the house without leaving anything behind. I am going to ask all private bodyguards to vacate the premises.”

The private bodyguards, who were in an awkward situation, headed towards the outside of the house when Lee Myung-bon was arrested. The Secret Bureau of Corruption Investigation unit 1 agents began searching each room for hidden property or evidence related to other financial crimes.

* * *

September 28th, 16:00

Jeju island, Seoguipo-si Lotte Skyhill Jeju Country Club (Golf course)

A middle-aged man was posing to drive the ball in the 17th hole in the Lotte Skyhill Jeju country club.

“Your swing form is phenomenal, Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Oh Man-han.”

“My my, I stopped being Senior Secretary a while ago, why do you still call me Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Executive, Jung?”

“What do you mean? Once a Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs, always a Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs.”

“Ah! Is that so? Hahaha.”

Oh Man-han seemed to not mind being called Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs and laughed heartily as he handed his driver to the caddy.

“Of course.”

“Now that I think about it, I did enjoy that period in my life. Now I golf every day and go on trips, but I felt more alive when I was the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs, you know?”

“Right. They say men are the happiest when they hold power. Speaking of which, I heard you are running for the next election…” Oh Man-han, who was walking up to hit the ball for the second time, stopped in his tracks and asked Executive Jung.

“Where did you hear that?”

“I am the head of a company. I should have the capability to have intel like that.”

“My, I guess I can’t do anything in fear of you Executive Jung? Hahaha, you’re right. The opposing party kept pestering me to run as they offered a strong area, so I am thinking about it.”

A mini car rolled up towards the two men having a trivial conversation and two men in black suits got out of the car. Then they immediately headed towards ex-Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Oh Man-han.

“Hello, former Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Oh Man-han.”

“Who might you be?”

The man with short hair among the black-suited men spoke a few words after showing his id. Afterward Oh Man-han put his hands forward silently and was handcuffed. When executive Jung watched what was happening, he tensed as though he might be related to the incident, the man in the black suit spoke.

“Executive Jung sir?”

“Yes?”

“I think you need to tee off at hole 18 alone.”

“Ah! Yes, yes.”

When Executive Jung saw Oh Man-han hauled off by the infamous Secret Bureau of Corruption Investigation, which was feared more than the Prosecutor’s office and the NIS, his legs finally gave way to the tension and plopped to the floor as he dropped the iron golf club.