Unit 124

Unit 124 was a North Korean Special Operation Forces unit, part of the Reconnaissance Bureau of the Korean People's Army (KPA), under the operational control of the Liaison Department of the Worker's Party of Korea.[1]

Thirty-one men from the unit were handpicked to raid the Blue House and assassinate South Korean President Park Chung-hee.[2]

Following the failure of the Blue House Raid in which 29 members of the unit were killed, 1 escaped back to North Korea and 1, Kim Shin-Jo, was captured, the unit was believed to have been disbanded.[3]

Unit 124 is believed to have been the predecessor of the KPA's Special Battalions, part of the Reconnaissance Agency, formed to conduct intelligence gathering, espionage, terrorism and abduction operations in South Korea.

The one member of the unit believed to have escaped back to North Korea was later identified in a photo as Park Jae-gyong, a four-star General in the KPA. At the time of the identification by Kim Shin-Jo, Park was believed to be an aide to Kim Jong-il and vice minister of the North Korean People's Armed Forces.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Bolger, Daniel (1991). Scenes from an Unfinished War: Low intensity conflict in Korea 1966-1969. Diane Publishing Co. p. Figure 3. ISBN 978-0-7881-1208-9.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "A would-be assassin builds a new life". JoongAng Daily. 4 November 2009.
  3. ↑ "January 1968: Assassins storm Seoul; US spyship seized". The Korea Times. 24 January 2010.