The U.S. Ambassador and the CIA station chief in Korea ca looking for Kissinger...
I set my chopsticks down and picked up my glass of water. Tilting it, I used it to hide my stiffened expression.
“They were curious why you entered Korea together with .”
They wouldn’t have co just out of simple curiosity. I set the glass down and t Kissinger’s eyes head-on.
“Wouldn’t it be stranger if they didn’t co looking? A heavyweight like you entered the country without saying a word to the embassy. Reports would’ve already gone in—not only to the Blue House, but to the U.S. Embassy as well.”
I hadn’t used a forged passport; I entered on a diplomatic one. Of course the report of my entry would have gone through.
“You know who the U.S. Ambassador is, right?”
“Yes. I’ve t him before.”
Thomas—whom I had t when Jang Songthaek moved and I went to the U.S. Embassy—ca to mind.
“What did you think of Thomas?”
“He seed reasonably ambitious, and perceptive enough. But only to that extent. Not soone interesting enough for to take a real interest in.”
It was a bold assessnt, but instead of taking offense, Kissinger clapped his hands and laughed heartily.
“Haha! You know how to read people. Yes, Thomas does have a bit of ambition. But he never crosses the line. The mont his own neck feels at risk, he senses it instantly and pulls back.”
“Is that so? You seem to know him well.”
“What do you expect? I’m Kissinger.”
It was short, but carried real weight. I chuckled softly and asked,
“Then why bring this up all of a sudden? Because they didn’t find you imdiately after you entered the country? You wouldn’t bother telling about the embassy staff’s negligence. There’s no reason to.”
I already knew that the U.S. Ambassador had visited Kissinger at the Myeongdong Hotel.
It was so obvious that I hadn’t bothered to ntion it.
Yet Kissinger brought it up himself—without getting to the real point.
“Then what about the CIA station chief?”
“I know of him.”
“Have you t him?”
“I’ve only heard the na. I’ve never t him.”
Kissinger nodded.
At that mont, the door opened and the staff ca in to clear the table.
The conversation paused until they finished.
Soon after, they returned with neatly cut fruit and cups of sujeonggwa, then left again.
“Is there any reason for to et the CIA station chief? How much business do I even have with people like that?”
But Kissinger seed to think differently.
The eyes behind his glasses were cold and settled.
Slowly shaking his head, he said,
“Don’t underestimate the CIA’s operations. Right now, they’re watching you. If they decide you interfere with Arica’s national interests, they’ll do anything. Chris is famous within the CIA for his strong patriotism.”
“What could I possibly do that interferes with U.S. interests? Most of my profits co from the United States. And I don’t evade taxes—I pay them faithfully.”
“That’s true for now. But you’re not a U.S. citizen. That’s what matters to them.”
Perhaps his throat was dry—Kissinger picked up the sujeonggwa and took a sip.
Then his eyes widened slightly as he asked,
“This is good. What’s it called?”
“It’s called sujeonggwa.”
“Hm. Quite good.”
Just like that, the mood shifted again. As expected—an unpredictable man.
Looking satisfied, he nodded, took a couple more sips, and set the cup down.
“Chris may have co to Korea because of you. He said it was only one of several reasons, but... really, that just ans he ca because of you.”
“So he took the Korea station chief post to keep an eye on .”
“Exactly. For now, since I said I’d be watching you, it shouldn’t be a major issue. But if one day they decide you’re an enemy of the United States, they won’t hesitate to co after you by any ans necessary.”
If the CIA started interference operations, it would be quite a headache.
More than that, though, I couldn’t help wondering why Kissinger was telling all this.
“I don’t plan on going down easily. But Kissinger—why are you telling this? You’re soone who would topple even a nation’s ruler if it served Arica’s interests.”
At my sharp question, Kissinger lifted one corner of his mouth.
“I’ve examined the path you’ve walked over the past five years—every step. Based on that alone, I °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° judged that it benefits both the United States and myself not to make an enemy of you. Well? Was the information useful? These days, young people call this a ‘friendship fee,’ I hear. Think of it as paying in advance—I plan on relying on you for a while.”
That kind of reaction from Kissinger was unexpected.
Still, I couldn’t completely erase my suspicion.
Looking straight into his eyes, I asked again,
“What if I do interfere with Arica’s national interests? Would you still intend to maintain ties with then? I prioritize myself and the people around above all else. My people, my interests—they co first. If anyone gets in the way of that, no matter who they are, I won’t just sit there and take it. You’ve seen it all, so you know. If I’m hit once, I return it tenfold.”
Kissinger didn’t avert his gaze and answered directly.
“That’s sothing to think about when the ti cos. But it won’t be easy. I intend to stay by your side and offer advice so you don’t stray too far. How about it? Wouldn’t that be enough?”
“......”
“I’m not asking you to trust . Just give a seat next to you so I can watch. Call it the whim of an old man who doesn’t know when he’ll die. I’m simply curious how far you’ll go.”
By now, Kissinger’s eyes were filled with unmistakable curiosity.
It didn’t feel like he was lying...
In the end, I nodded.
“Understood. But if you interfere with what I’m doing, I’ll cut you off.”
“Tsk, my friend. What power does this old man have to interfere with your work?”
I spoke firmly, but Kissinger answered with an easy grin. A real old fox, that one.
Letting out a small sigh, I asked,
“So are you telling that Chris is soone who might interfere with ?”
“No. Just that the Chris I know is soone capable of doing anything. I’m telling you so you’re aware and prepared. If you don’t interfere with U.S. interests, he won’t move.”
So, in short, he was warning out of concern.
And in truth, I had no intention of becoming Arica’s enemy.
There was no need to bare my fangs over advice given in goodwill.
“Thank you.”
I dipped my head slightly in thanks.
Waving his hand dismissively, Kissinger smiled.
“That’s enough. Let’s get up. Care for a drink?”
“Unfortunately, next ti. I have quite a bit to take care of. An unplanned trip to Singapore just got scheduled, so I need to sort through a backlog of work.”
“Then I’ll be drinking alone. In that case, let’s at least have als together from ti to ti. I plan on staying in Korea for a while. I should visit Pyongyang too, shouldn’t I?”
I laughed at the way he clicked his tongue, sounding disappointed despite backing off so readily.
“Alright. Making ti for that won’t be a problem. And I’ll speak to the Myeongdong Hotel so you can move around comfortably. I’ll send a driver I trust—treat him like a secretary and put him to work.”
At the sa ti, that ant I’d know every person he t and every place he went while in Korea.
Naturally, Kissinger caught on imdiately and chuckled.
“So you’re openly saying you’ll keep under surveillance?”
“If that’s how you want to take it.”
“You’re not even trying to hide it anymore.”
Shrugging, Kissinger replied cheerfully,
“Fine. Send him over. As long as it’s comfortable for . Though I did refuse U.S. security—won’t I get nagged for accepting a Korean driver instead?”
“I’ll send him starting tomorrow.”
After dropping Kissinger back at the Myeongdong Hotel, we headed toward Pyeongchang-dong.
“Send soone to the Myeongdong Hotel to assist Kissinger while he stays in Korea. Soone fluent in English, and tight-lipped.”
“Yes, Boss.”
After giving the instruction to Manager Ma, I sank deep into the seat.
‘Chris—the CIA station chief in Korea... Another person I’ll have to keep an eye on.’
The inside of the car was silent—not even the sound of breathing.
Thanks to that, I could sink into deep thought.
* * *
Ti passed quickly.
With news that a series of high-level talks involving five countries—South Korea, North Korea, the United States, China, and Russia—would be held in Seoul following the inter-Korean summit, the eyes of the entire world turned toward Korea.
Broadcast networks spent the entire preparation period speculating on what would be discussed at the summit, readying themselves to air the historic eting live.
Until his eting with the president, Kissinger t no one, instead touring Korea in what could only be described as sightseeing disguised as tourism.
Occasionally, we had dinner together and exchanged casual conversation, but he didn’t seem to want much from .
When the ti ca, Kissinger t with the president, and I heard they had a rather serious discussion.
Then ti flowed on—winter passed, spring arrived.
And finally, the day of the historic inter-Korean summit ca.
Together with Kissinger, I headed to Panmunjom, where the two leaders would et.
“This is the first ti I’ve seen you nervous.”
Kissinger laughed aloud from the seat beside .
“I’m not nervous. It’s just finally sinking in that this is the beginning. Didn’t we take quite a long detour to get here?”
“True. If Kim Ilsung hadn’t died, there probably would’ve been a major event between the two Koreas ten years ago.”
“An event?”
“Yes. The two leaders were set to et for the first ti back then, and the U.S. was supporting the South Korean governnt to improve relations with the North. But Kim Ilsung died, and everything ca to nothing. Kim Jongil was too unpredictable.”
As if recalling the past, Kissinger’s eyes softened slightly.
“I gave President Kim Hakgwon one piece of advice—hold the summit, but don’t trust Kim Jongil. He trusted him too much. That’s what created the difference between President Yoon Changho and President Kim Hakgwon.”
Hearing the past from a living witness was genuinely fascinating.
I asked questions from ti to ti, and he spoke frankly about what he had felt.
“In any case, you pulled off sothing extrely difficult.”
“You flatter . Jang Songthaek moved of his own accord. I only touched his desires and set things in motion. In the end, he was the one who chose to act.”
“You know excessive modesty is a poison. The U.S. already knows you used rcenaries to capture and detain Kim Jongil.”
I turned my head to look at Kissinger. He answered with a grin full of mischief and shrugged.
“Why so surprised? You didn’t really think that would stay hidden forever.”
Of course, I’d always known that one day it would co out.
Still, I never expected to hear that the U.S. already knew—like this.
“Arica’s intelligence network really is sothing. But is it alright for you to tell all this?”
“So what? Once you have a rough idea, collecting information isn’t difficult.”
Even as I voiced my admiration, my thoughts were tangled beyond asure.
Did the United States know that Russian forces had directly entered North Korea?
And that nuclear weapons had been recovered in the process...
“It was fascinating. Infiltrating North Korea using only Russian rcenaries, detaining Kim Jongil, and giving Jang Songthaek ti to clean things up. That’s sothing even the U.S. couldn’t do. It would’ve been even better if you’d worked with us instead of Russia—we could’ve helped more.”
“The preparation window was very short. The decisive trigger was an unannounced nuclear test. And the neocons were constantly insisting on invading North Korea, so relying on the Russian governnt was unavoidable.”
“I’m not blaming you. I’m just disappointed that sothing so interesting happened without my knowing.”
Judging by his expression, it wasn’t empty talk—he truly looked regretful.
Well, he was a man who enjoyed pulling strings behind regis he didn’t like.
“If sothing like that happens again, I’ll give you a subtle heads-up. On one condition—that you promise not to tell the U.S. governnt.”
“Oh? Now that is interesting. You’d really do that?”
As we continued talking, we arrived at Panmunjom.
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