![[paik.png]] *Added to the Codex on* ***August 29th, 2023*** --- ### Quotes “Encrypted messages? I don’t know that much what you’re talking about. Don’t pay so much attention to rumors.”[^1] - Paik “I can find intel on anyone. But Oz - he’s done a good job at hiding his past.”[^1] - Paik “I’ll come to know her as the Specialist Ji-Soo Paik, the No-Pat mole who infiltrated Daesong at Oz’s behest.”[^2] - Bechir “Never play poker with Paik. I know Casper’s tells and Crawford is an open book, but Ji-Soo will rip you apart with that little smile on her face. No mercy.”[^3] - Sundance <br> ### Description Born in Gwangju, South Korea, Paik was an only child and an introvert by nature. Both her parents had demanding jobs and would often place Paik in the care of her great grandfather, Sang-chul. The quiet old man wanted nothing more than to spend his days playing the strategy game, Baduk. In Paik he found the perfect companion. As soon as he introduced her to the 19x19 wooden grid and its black and white stones, she was transfixed. What on the surface seemed simple was far more complex than Paik had ever imagined. More combinations could be reached on this small board than there were atoms in the universe. After a couple of years under Sang-chul’s tutelage, Paik became an excellent practitioner. On special occasions they would venture to the city parks in Seoul where Sang-chul pitted the young girl against much older players; he never tired of seeing that look of utter confusion as it dawned on them they were going to lose. Sang-chul’s death was a defining moment for Paik. In honor of her great-grandfather she buried their Baduk board with him and vowed never to play another game. With her mind still hungry for competition, she watched the 2026 Olympics and was inspired to take up speed skating. She loved the combination of skill and strategy and reached an elite competitive level in her teenage years. In the wake of world events, Korea expanded mandatory conscription to include women, forcing Paik to give up her athletic career and join the Army. She excelled in her training and joined the Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command (ROK-SOF). Paik was trained in covert operations and infiltration and became highly proficient in all manner of electronic subversion and on-site intel gathering tactics. After a series of successful missions, she earned the moniker, “Gumiho” - named after the Korean mythological shape-shifting fox. [[Codex/Key Events/The Blackout|The Blackout]] sent Paik on ever more dangerous missions to secure leverage for her government. But when a vital op ended in failure and national embarrassment, she was forced to flee in disgrace. She found refuge among the displaced. The dispossessed. The dishonored. They were the [[No-Pats]]. They might just be Paik’s redemption. <br> **Key Dates** 2017 - Born in Gwangju, South Korea. 2035 - at 18, conscripted into the Army. 2038 - at 21, joins the Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command (ROK-SOF). 2039 - at 22, her team earns the moniker “Gumiho”. 2041 - at 24, flees after military career ends in disgrace. 2042 - at 25, joins the Exodus. [^1]: This is one of Paik's loading screen quotes. [^2]: Featured in Journey of the No-Pats entry four [[The Third Faction|"The Third Faction."]] [^3]: This is one of Sundance's loading screen quotes.