Last Stop: Pyongyang

Courageous escape

Sang-wan's supposed high-class background had paved all the way for him. There was probably no other almost-prisoner with such a stellar career. The tough but prestigious training at Pyongyang’s military school, his stationing as an instructor at a naval base on the West coast and his posting to the South were the undisputed highlights in his professional life. Sang-wan could rightly claim to be among the best.

And yet, he often thought of his biological family, who were probably still imprisoned. Their faces had long since disappeared into the mists of memory, but their fate kept Sang-wan awake at night. Were they okay? Did they have to work very hard? Had they resisted the constant indoctrination? Were they even alive?

Deep inside, he felt an urgent need to find them. However, his foster parents had made it clear that this would not help anyone. Besides, he was putting himself - and them – in severe danger. His and their lives in freedom depended on his secret being kept. This had prevented Sang-wan from investigating further.

But he did not bury his hopes entirely. After all, he had learned at a young age that money could buy almost anything - loyalties, identities, even lives. His life as a part of a country’s high society that despised people of his origin.

Sang-wan knew very well that everything depended on him. He couldn't afford to make any mistakes, but then, he was used to finding ways out of even the most adverse situations. Feverishly, he searched for a solution.

Due to his espionage work, he knew about well-kept secrets of famous South Korean celebrities. Both politicians and business people had dirt on their hands. Sang-wan could think of countless examples; after all, he regularly hacked the communications of the rich and powerful. There must be some support in exchange for my silence.

Sang-wan considered various scenarios in his head. He had a plan! Immediately, he felt more confident.

He decided on Seo & Won, a multi-billion-dollar defense company with close business ties to the Blue House. The corporate empire was the epitome of a chaebol. He picked up his special-purpose cell phone, which he carried with him day and night, and dialed a number. Mr. Won answered immediately.

"Listen. You're going to do me a favor. I don't care how, but if you fail, your three illegitimate children will soon be in the tabloids." This was supposed to build up considerable pressure. Not even Won's wife was aware of these kids, who had different mothers. If this became public, Won would be done for.

As expected, Won was reluctant. "I'll finish you off! You'll wish you could crawl under a rock, you brazen bastard!" he shouted angrily. Sang-wan remained calm. "Well. Maybe we should talk about the 840 million won you embezzled. Nobody has noticed yet but… imagine the media gets tipped off. My information will be checked, anad they’ll surely ask what you needed all this money for. But if you refuse to cooperate..." Sang-wan didn’t end the sentence.

The whole situation changed. A smile spread across Sang-wan's face when he heard a tortured groan at the other end of the line. He could picture Won slumping in his chair. Immediately afterward, he heard panting noises. Hopefully, he doesn't suffer a heart attack, Sang-wan thought, now a little worried.

"Wait, I have to take notes," called an audibly agitated Won when he had found his voice again. Sang-wan snorted angrily. Why couldn't he remember a few instructions? Apparently, all you needed here were the right connections to rise to the highest positions. Just like at home. Why didn't this i***t have his secretary take shorthand?

Never mind. Won would pull himself together. Too much was at stake. "Why don’t you call your NIS drinking buddy - yes, the one who helps you harass your opponents. He can certainly help you," Sang-wan purred into the phone. "And no, you can't see your girlfriend tonight. Cancel. You're busy."

Won gasped for air and assured Sang-Wan of his support. New identities for the Chos - a family that had died a few days ago in a tragic car accident in Busan had given Sang-wan the idea. He had already sent a screenshot of the newspaper report to Won's cell phone, along with further data about the family.

With some help from his various high-ranking connections, Won was supposed to have the Cho family declared dead. The deceased family’s children were almost the same age as Sang-wan's.

South Korean passports - not sophisticated forgeries like the ones his family had received in the North. With the appropriate connections, one could indeed get genuine papers...

"What names?" asked Won, trying to be polite. Conveniently, the family that had died in the accident was also called Cho. Great that the number of Korean family names is so limited. After some consideration, Sang-wan decided on his birth name - not Park Hyeong-su, as his foster parents had called him, or Han Bo-hyun, as his cover in the South. He changed his wife's first name to Min-ju, hoping that she would get used to it. The children got their original North Korean names - Tak-yuen and Yu-ja. Sang-wan also requested a transfer to Europe, officially as an IT-specialist for a South Korean company.

North Korean refugees in the South could be tracked down and brought back to the North. Sang-wan could not take that risk. The farther away he went with his family, the safer they would be.

"Save yourself the trouble," sighed Won as Sang-wan gave additional instructions. "In Europe, it’s quite common for a woman to take her husband's last name when she gets married. Many couples opt for it." Like in Japan, thought Sang-wan. Until a few years ago, Japanese women were required by law to take their husband's surname. This was the exact opposite of common practice in Korea.

Sang-wan sighed. A weekend trip that ended tragically... The whole thing had to be as credible as possible. He would take care of the scene of accident - a burnt-out wreck in the mountains outside Seoul. His car was supposed to crash from a great height. Won would make sure that the postmortem came up with the right findings.

At this point, no one was allowed to see the Chos so as not to jeopardize the plan. Accordingly, Sang-wan would tell his colleagues and friends that he was going to the mountains with his family, and how much he was looking forward to it. Faking four deaths required meticulous planning and attention to detail.

Sang-wan gave Won further instructions relating to the handover. "Oh yes - if you get me arrested, the first thing I'll do is tell the police about your private chaos," Sang-wan added, just to be on the safe side. Won sighed heavily.

After hanging up, Sang-wan took a deep breath. He nervously paced the living room. An accidental death suited him perfectly. That way his foster family, the Parks, would be spared punishment if he ran away. He would have loved to take them with him.

Jae-hui's parents had nothing to fear either. However, Sang-wan felt no sympathy for them – one of Pyongyang’s most influential military families with close ties to the president would know how to deal with problems.

He looked around the small apartment with a sigh. They couldn't take too much with them, so they would have to buy new clothes in Europe. Sang-wan stuffed a few personal items into a travel bag. Also, he took some toys with him - Tak-yuen's Lego sets and Yu-ja's favorite stuffed animal, a yellow and blue penguin, would accompany them into their new life.

I have no choice, he told himself. Once again, he cast a tender glance at his sleeping children. We can't go back. They don't deserve a life in hell.

San-Wang didn't care about his destination. So his new employer chose Germany. There was a Korean diaspora in Frankfurt am Main. "I hope we never hear from each other again," said Mr. Won, who arrived with a whole squad of armed security guards to hand over the documents and the heavy bag of money. Sang-wan did not want to know how much influence and money Won had used to make this happen, or how he had explained any of it.

In return, Sang-wan had given away the names of two North Korean agents in the South. The NIS would arrest them and their families as soon as the Chos were out of the country. It was about time to put an end to their brutal activities.

In normal circumstances, Sang-wan would have known little about further spies. However, General Sin - Jae-hui's brother - headed the department responsible for foreign agents stationed in the South. Sang-wan had obtained lots of intel from his brother-in-law before his departure.

To unmask the two spies, the NIS arranged a secret meeting between Sang-wan and two of their more experienced agents. Sang-wan made it clear to them that his colleagues would not give up without a fight. Rather, the NIS had to prepare for determined resistance. "We didn't expect an immediate surrender, don’t worry," replied the older one with some irony and gave Sang-wan a stern look.

The simultaneous arrest of two agents would keep Pyongyang busy for a while. Hopefully, his death would not attract too much suspicion... Sang-wan had hinted to his handler in Pyongyang that he felt he was being watched. Something seemed different… He was afraid of being unmasked and couldn’t wait to return to the North.

After his meeting with the NIS, Sang-wan left the run-down area in Northern Seoul as quickly as possible and headed home.

On his way back to Seongnam, Sang-wan had a lot going through his head. He looked thoughtfully at the sparkling water as he drove across the bridge over the Han River. The omnipotence of South Korea’s high class was real. As unfair as that was, it would hopefully help him live a life of peace and security.

He told his family that they were going to accompany him on a business trip to Europe. The children cheered at the dinner table, but Jae-hui looked at him questioningly. He couldn't fool his wife. Sang-wan formed a silent later with his lips.

The next day, the whole family was on the plane and waited for takeoff. Only when they departed did Sang-wan's tension subside. He hadn't had a moment's peace in the last few days!

Tak-yuen and Yu-ja watched in awe. They were literally glued to the small cabin window. As the plane climbed higher, they watched the clouds passing by, the sea, and Incheon Airport. Sang-wan felt a sense of melancholy. Goodbye, Mom, Dad, Eun-u, and Mi-ho. I hope to see you again. How I would love to get you out of there.

At the same time, Sang-wan felt an indescribable joy. No more fear and restrictions! His children could grow up in freedom, without constantly running the risk of ending up in detention. And he would never again have to fear being brought back to this oversized prison. Sang-wan held his new South Korean passports in his hands like a treasure.

He made himself comfortable in his seat and opened a travel guide. Euphoria hit him like a wave. They were free!!!