Chul Kyung "Vigil" Hwa

Real name: Chul-kyung Hwa.

Affiliations: Republic of Korea Navy (Formerly), 707th SMB, Ghosteyes, Rainbow.

Position: Defender.

Birthplace: [REDACTED], North Korea.

Birthdate: January 17th 1984.

Height: 1.73m (5'8).

Weight: 161lb (73kg).

Loadout: Daewoo Precision Industries K1 (submachine gun), MasterPiece Arms MPA935SST (machine pistol).

Appearance: black bulletproof mask, black and dark green bulletproof vest, black military shirt with armband showing south korean flag and black military pants.

The guy that's all about keeping it low-key, he also does his best to keep fellow 707th Operator "Dokkaebi" on her best behavior, and despite her protests. Vigil simply wants to make sure he has nothing negative to report from her to their old boss, Major Ku.

A North Korean by birth, Chul Kyung Hwa doesn't remember much of his early life. As a child, he and his family defected from the oppressive country and made their way across Asia in an attempt to eventually reach the Republic of Korea. Throughout it all, everyone impressed upon Chul Kyung that anything he said or any strange behavior would get them caught... it was life or death. So he buried his emotions deep, lest he betray his parents and be responsible for their capture; he became a stone to the outside world. During the journey, his older brother drowned while they were crossing a river. They then stayed in a safe house for over a month in near silence before taking a train ride that resulted in soldiers arresting two fellow defectors. His mother later grew sick and was slowing them down during a jungle crossing. After they were forced to leave his mother behind, Chul's father urged him not to cry so as to not alert nearby armed patrols. Gaining asylum in South Korea, it was not the happy life they'd envisioned. The loss of his family proved too much for Chul Kyung's father, who committed suicide by throwing himself in front of a train, leaving his son an orphan. Chul Kyung remained a stone, never showing emotion, never betraying his inner thoughts.

Chul Kyung was adopted into the Hwa family, who believed it best if he forget his past, which started by changing his full name to Chul Kyung Hwa. Chul Kyung was actively encouraged to forget his real name and he obliged. It was another form of camouflage. He grew up in a system of rules and codes of conduct, and they provided him with a reason to be stoic, to follow orders. He could hide behind the rules. Chul's trauma showed during his adolescence as he became reclusive and was a slow reader, however, he later showed great improvement and focus by improving his grades.

Chul Kyung gravitated toward electronics and electrical engineering. Wants to use his talents and demonstrate pride for the country that took him in, he entered the South Korean Navy, proving the exemplary sailor. He earned himself a berth in the ROKN UDT/SEALs, not only passing with distinction, but becoming an exemplary operator in radar systems and stealth technology. This resulted in Hwa being handpicked by the respected 707th Special Mission Group: White Tigers for unconventional warfare missions. Hwa soon proved to be quick and lethal. Naturally, his status as the child of defectors was not shared with his fellow soldiers to better give him a fair shot. In addition, Chul Kyung was one of the Korean soldiers in the Zaytun Division that were dispatched in Iraq. He also participated in some operations such as Operation Dawn of Gulf of Aden and Operation Enduring Freedom.[2] During a joint training exercise with the U.S. Navy SEALs, Chul met and was trained by Craig "Blackbeard" Jenson. In 2017, South Korea was given an opportunity to send two operators into Rainbow, Chul Kyung was at the top of the list.

In late 2020, Chul Kyung was chosen by Harry to be one of the four team captains to lead a squad for the upcoming Six Invitational. Chul Kyung's team was composed of Aria "Alibi" de Luca, Morowa "Clash" Evans, Liu Tze "Lesion" Long and Elżbieta "Ela" Bosak, with Monika "IQ" Weiss, Sébastien "Buck" Côté, and Shuhrat "Fuze" Kessikbayev serving as alternates. When Chul Kyung received his team assignment during a meeting between captains with Harry, Eliza "Ash" Cohen voiced her disdain for having Kali placed on her team. This prompted Chul Kyung to suggest she trade Kali for Buck. Harry quickly shot the idea down, stating that it was important for each team to learn how to work together. Chul Kyung then stated that he hoped Max "Mozzie" Goose was not on his team or else he may experience an "accident". To his relief, Elena "Mira" Álvarez confirmed that Mozzie was on her team.

Chul Kyung later conducted a one-on-one interview with Harry to discuss his role as a team captain. Chul Kyung stated that he was surprised that he was chosen to lead a team as he did not consider himself to be a leader and that he doesn't compare to the other captains. Harry reassured Chul Kyung by telling him he believes that the fact that he was chosen as a captain proves he is a capable leader and that he was not giving himself enough credit. Harry then asked Chul Kyung how he thought his team was going to perform at the Six Invitational. Chul Kyung stated that they were all professionals which would make his job easier. He then went on to discuss several tactics his team could do to achieve victory. Harry wished him luck, only for Chul Kyung to say that they'll make their own luck.

In early 2021, Chul Kyung faced off against Team Capitão as the defending team in the second match of the Six Invitational. Team Vigil ultimately lost the match due to a combination of Lesion being blown back as a result of Sanaa "Nomad" El Maktoub's airjabs and the rest of the team being too busy attacking Gilles "Montagne" Touré to stop Nomad from defusing the bomb. For the third match of the Six Invitational, Team Vigil faced off against Team Ash. Vigil was the last man standing on his team though he managed to eliminate four of the five enemy players. Unfortunately, he was ultimately eliminated by a exothermic charge by Jordan "Thermite" Trace. Faced with their second loss, Team Vigil was officially eliminated from the Invitational. Sam Fisher followed Chul Kyung back to the locker room to speak with him about the loss. Chul Kyung told Fisher that they did their best but Team Ash did better. While praising him for his efforts, Fisher asked Chul Kyung if he had taken the Invitational seriously enough. Chul Kyung stated that he was taking it as serious as a game of "cops and robbers"; that if had he not treated it like a simulation there would be blood on his hands. Fisher stated that they had tried to make it as real as possible and suggested that he should improve his suspension of disbelief for next year. Chul Kyung told Fisher to be careful what he wished for as it would mean Mozzie might be "sent back to Australia in a box". Fisher said that he couldn't tell if he was joking or not, only for Chul Kyung to say that his point still stands.

Psychological profile:

Chul Kyung carries the scars of his childhood, where the only safe haven from the uncertainty of escape was to hide deep inside himself and become a stone. While a highly effective and competent by-the-numbers operator, it's made him highly uncomfortable in social situations. He is diligent, methodical, and tenacious, albeit quiet. Notably, he is anxious when it comes to his own body language and expressions, how others might interpret his actions. He feels exposed, an open book that betrays all his secrets. Chul Kyung is most comfortable wearing his ballistic mask, where he feels he can actually breathe and hide another layer of protection.

Psychological report:

Specialist Chul Kyung "Vigil" Hwa had a tumultuous childhood. Much of it is lost to him, and what he remembers is precious. It's not anyone's job at Rainbow to remind him of his traumatic past, though of course many of the operators are there if needed. Everyone fits in some way, and it's up to him to find out where he fits nicely.

Preservation of anonymity drives everything Hwa does. He's uncomfortable with anyone recording him without his consent. He's equally anxious in social situations. It's difficult to tell if he has a strong self-concept or an utter lack of one. What is apparent is that Hwa can't let anyone in, which means he's often trapped alone with his own thoughts.

Through the report, Vigil ran through a casual series of likes and dislikes ranging from quiet contemplation to free association. He was uncomfortable, but still gave answers. As he relaxed, some of his own answers caught him off guard. From discussing breakfast cereals and the realization that he doesn't know how to ride a bike, he was able to relive a certain memory. The scent of hot soup triggered a vivid image in his brain, a woman, whom he realized was his birth mother, smiling and handing him a bowl. His face softened, and for a moment, he felt at home.

Hwa has been encouraged to carry on these associative exercises throughout his day. Various members of Rainbow have reached out to him, even Dokkaebi, who often describes him as "annoying" also cared. And while there are indications he respects them, there are still barriers he may not yet be ready to take down.

For unknown reasons Vigil seems to dislike Mozzie, even going as far as saying he'll "send him back to Australia in a box."

There is only one known individual whom Vigil trusts enough to confide with: his former trainer, Navy SEALs Operator Craig "Blackbeard" Jenson.

Vigil keeps a collection of his ballistic masks that are damaged during operations within his home.

Vigil somehow became a friendly target for SAS Operator Mark R. "Mute" Chandar, who tells Chul Kyung that he is 'too quiet' despite Mute being notorious for barely speaking.

Device description: ERC-7.

Chul Kyung’s quiet lethality in the field allows him to rely on his Electronic Rendering Cloak (ERC-7) to remain undetected. The ERC-7 uses Diminished Reality technology to remove perceivable stimuli from its direct environment. Vigil carries a prototype in his backpack, which scans surrounding electronic devices and wipes his image from any cameras in view.

Device evaluation:

Due to previous commitments, Vigil couldn't make it to the ERC-7's evaluation. So there was a bit of jockeying for position on this eval. Mira, Harry, and whoever else should meet up and figure out how to handle this situation in the future. No harm done just a crowded room. Pulse and Echo gave their own technical input on the device.

Vigil has some ideas about cloaking for real space along with some research on some wild stuff about cephalopods and "visual appearance modulation. For this evaluation, we tested the ERC's function in disrupting cams and scans like the EE-ONE-D. You'll see from the data that the ERC-7 is doing fine. Any adjustments would likely be minor.