BRDM 122

chapter 122

[Exclusive] “The Hero of Gangneung, Why Did Jet Disappear?” — The Myth of the Battlefield Abandoned by the State

Four years ago, during the Gangneung Incident, the special forces unit Cheongrae saved tens of thousands of citizens in Gangwon Province and sealed the dungeon gate alone. Its leader, codenamed Jet, was once called a national hero.

But one day, he vanished without a trace, and since then, his name has never been mentioned again.

According to internal documents obtained by our investigative team from the Ministry of National Defense, Jet suffered severe nervous system damage as a result of the dungeon collapse.

However, there was never any national compensation, rehabilitation, or awarding of medals.

Even more shocking is that all personnel from the Cheongrae unit who had operated alongside him were either discharged or reassigned within six months to a year, effectively disbanding the unit.

A former intelligence official, speaking anonymously, testified:

“The disbandment of Cheongrae and the ban on mentioning Jet is not just a simple military internal matter. There is substantial evidence that China and some other countries pushed for a ‘confidential agreement’ to check South Korea’s hunter strategic system. The effort to erase him began deliberately after the Gangneung Incident.”

Indeed, immediately after the incident, the Ministry of National Defense classified all operational records before and after the mission as “inaccessible,” citing unofficial agreements with foreign intelligence agencies, and Jet’s physical and mental state records were also deleted.

Additional testimony was obtained:

A former Cheongrae officer said:

“He disappeared because he was abandoned. He protected the city, but the one who truly controlled the city was politics.”

Comments from the public online:

“What is this? Is it real?”
“Doesn’t it seem too plausible to be fake news?”
“If it works, it’s our son; if not, it’s your son. Ah… This is truly the taste of Korea.”
“In Hell Joseon, anything is possible. Never underestimate a Korean writer again.”
“Ah… Don’t you know? This is ‘Joseon.’ A tradition of the Korean Peninsula.”
“But wasn’t it weird? Four years ago, the public went crazy over Jet.”
“True. The Blue House and the Ministry of National Defense were unusually quiet, right?”

The spark was a single article.

A web news outlet released an “exclusive” piece. Because it was easily accessible, most people clicked casually. Soon, heated comment debates began, and the story spread to various online communities.

Online chatter:

“This seems so plausible.”
“So frustrating, it could totally happen in Korea.”
“My friend tore his ACL playing military soccer and got no compensation.”
“Dude, are you comparing soccer to this?”
“Shouldn’t we dig deeper? If this is true, it’s a real problem.”
“Exactly. Back then, closing a 4-star dungeon, high-rankers moving around, even the UN peacekeeping talk… everything was chaotic.”
“Remember the stock crash? I wanted to jump into the Han River…”
“Why did China and other countries interfere? Does anyone understand this logic?”

The community’s speculations snowballed, shaping public opinion online. Mainstream media caught the scent of a scoop and released similar reports:

• “Who is Responsible for Cheongrae’s Disbandment?” — Ministry Denies Internal Restructuring Rumors

• “The Hero Without a Medal: Why the State Erased Him?” — Alleged Military Personnel Interference

• “Foreign Intervention: Simple Conspiracy or Post-Operation Action?” — Closed Intelligence Committee Meeting

Investigative and in-depth coverage followed:

• [Report] Cheongrae Survivors: ‘We Scattered After That Day’

• [Feature] The Shadow of a Superhuman Nation — How Far Does the State’s Responsibility for Heroes Go?

As rumors of foreign intervention, including China, surfaced, public opinion quickly worsened. The Blue House hastily released a statement:

[Press Release] Facts Regarding Cheongrae Unit

The Blue House has been coordinating with the Ministry of National Defense to provide necessary protection and treatment for Jet after the Gangneung Incident. Matters related to his personal safety are classified due to the operation’s confidentiality.
The disbandment of Cheongrae was part of a regular organizational restructuring. Allegations of foreign government interference are unfounded.

The defensive, politically evasive statement only fueled public outrage.

Online reactions:

“They call that an explanation?”
“Not an explanation, it’s trash.”
“Even if the Blue House is suspicious, dragging China into it is ridiculous. Four years ago, China was one of the few countries supporting Korea.”

Meanwhile, Lee Hyun noticed Sa O-jung spending unusually long hours on his phone.

‘…This is the Hunter Web?’

Hunter Web was a global community for hunters. Members had to verify themselves as hunters to join, and boards were separated by rank. It was a hub for information exchange and item trading, which Lee Hyun had used extensively in his youth.

Interestingly, Sa O-jung seemed to be using Lee Hyun’s account, perhaps still logged in via automatic login.

“What are you doing, O-jung?”
“Oh, I spotted several accounts badmouthing our master. I’ve been giving them a taste of their own medicine. Haha!”
“You’re attacking accounts?”
“Seems like they’re using VPNs overseas. So I’m hitting them with facts!”

Lee Hyun anxiously snatched the phone and checked the posts:

• “China: Shall we not make this a draw…? (Crying while looking at Jet’s photo)”

• “Why foreigners were afraid of Jet (Warning: Nationalistic content).jpg”

• “If someone asks about the country’s future, make them look at Jet.”

There were countless posts, not just today but from past months. Sa O-jung had been almost constantly active on the Hunter Web, especially after news about Jet spread. The posts were all praise for Jet, and whenever there was criticism, he would incite the comments.

“No need to thank me. Our master is awesome, everyone knows… Ah! Why are you deleting that?”
“This is my account. It’s bad if this spreads.”

Sa O-jung jumped to stop Lee Hyun from deleting posts:

“Do you think I’d do this without preparation?! This is my account!”
“How did you make multiple accounts?”
“Haha! With a cursed incantation, I can make as many as I want. I have about 15 sub-accounts for backup!”

Sa O-jung was a veteran of the community. Lee Hyun decided to stop worrying about him.

“What about public reaction online?”
“Haha! Everyone’s very favorable toward our master! A tragic hero abandoned by the state, fighting for years to return… Haha!”

Lee Hyun chuckled. He had asked Lee Gun-san for coverage, but the public response exceeded his expectations.

‘This will put pressure on the committee too…’

The Ministry hadn’t disbanded Cheongrae or erased records simply out of loyalty to China or other powers—it was for self-preservation and gain.

Their strategy was simple: the moment someone threatened Jet, they would face pressure to preserve their own positions. Lee Hyun already had enough leverage to respond whenever necessary.

The public outrage intensified after articles on Jet, and follow-up reports related to the Central Hero Committee appeared immediately after the Blue House’s rebuttal.

“Next, the story about forming ties with White Burn and reviving Cheongrae will come, right?”
“Yes. Team Leader Lim has agreed to help, it also benefits the guild image.”
“Haha! She’s reliable! She always protects her own interests!”

Sa O-jung was ecstatic, as were Son Ogong and Bungmawang, silently observing with interest.

Meanwhile, Lee Hyun awaited contact from General Lee Gun-san, who had been at Yongsan since morning. Hours passed with no news.

‘Not enough yet? Should I stir things up more?’

Just then, his phone rang.

—General Lee Gun-san

The message was simple:

“They asked if the review board could be tonight. What should we do?”

Lee Hyun smiled confidently as he replied:

“Tell them it was declined for personal reasons.”
“Will do.”

Though he hadn’t seen him, Lee Hyun imagined General Lee smiling the same way he was.