What makes this book unique is that it uses real-life events that occurred in the DPRK at the time of its initial publication and focused on both the natural phenomenon of radio wave propagation to send a vital message of urgency in Morse Code as the only possible means of rescue out of the dangerous regime in which our heroes were trapped. The complex layering of plots and different characters do not focus on political opinion but rather the juxtaposition of socioeconomic, cultural, psychological and environmental aspects of this fascinating and mysterious country. It is a story about espionage with an international team that must enter undercover where deception of both friend and foe are challenged every moment. It is about bravery and humanitarianism, natural disaster, missile attack, friendship and romance. The action builds to a final, frenzy where four countries battle it out and our heroes must achieve a search and rescue in the darkness of night under mandatory radio silence where all odds are pitted against its success. It is the ultimate “mission impossible”.
The Story Behind the Story: The Lost Code of Ch’angdo
The idea for this tale began about 15 years ago from an article in National Geographic magazine featuring North Korea and a detailed political map and photographs of its borders, interior, and most importantly, its people.
Much like my book, I wanted to go beyond the political regime and its autocratic, communist idealism to how a radical military defense arsenal – while sadly necessary in our human preoccupation of sustaining wars instead of peaceful co-existence – greatly place the burden on its people. This is especially evident in small, developing nations everywhere.
However, my focus had to maintain a perspective of the character of one person and historically how a leadership can either corrupt and erode a nation to a neutral mundane compliancy of its people OR give hope, peace and a future that sustains health, culture, growth and mutual caring and love for community and country.
Exploring real life events happening at the time of the stories’ first drafts I also followed the ongoing missile threats – especially one close to our Hawaiian islands near Kauai.
A call from Washington, DC verified that on my own island of Maui on top of the Haleakala volcano there was a satellite detecting a threat of missiles, which lead to the inclusion of using this site in my story as well.
The plots then started to evolve – they would all be interconnected with an escape from the DPRK from an imaginary formidable “fortress” within the Kumgang Mountain Range.
Consulting with my fellow ham radio experts, and knowing that modern communication methods were both off limits and posed more risk than their feasibility (even if they were available), it seemed that Morse Code might be the last beacon of hope if one sought rescue from the grips of imprisonment.
Morse Code becomes the hero and the only hope even though it has in fact lost its use in a world of digital communication. However, if you had no other means of sending a message – was there not the slim chance of probability – given the right time, the right atmospheric and astronomical and physical properties – and the element of luck?
Building on the initial plot, we now add a pre-meditated terrorist attack on a Japanese/US patrol ship in the Japanese Sea which then demands that action must be taken to avert the threat of war.
Concurrently, an earthquake and tsunami occur and a retaliation planned internationally with a small delegation of trained agents disguised as diplomats to make a direct contact with the President himself.
Briefly, our readers are exposed to the incredible world of radio wave propagation and how solar winds, auroras, and the very physical nature of our earth and its atmosphere plays its influence in this invisible realm.
The Korean culture is briefly explored, along with the socioeconomics of the people themselves caught in a world isolated from modernization and yet surviving through human spirit and old world tradition.
The incredible diversity of the vast ecological wonder of the DMZ ironically thrives from decades of non-existent human interference.
The many characters evolve where trust and deceit is so cleverly disguised that no one is immune and spies lurk everywhere.
Then, just when you thought it was becoming boring, four nations pit against each other in a race against time – the North Koreans and Russians (armed with their fearsome Flying Crocodile helicopters) – then the US, Chinese, and South Korean defense in a spectacular rooftop attack and rescue amid a barrage of weaponry, martial arts and machine guns in the final assault that takes place in darkness and mandatory radio silence.
This book is dedicated to the many men and women who throughout time have fought in the military to defend our country and our right to freedom.
Denn Ko
WH7CO
