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{{Short description|Attempted assassin of Park Chung Hee (1951–1974)}}
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{{family name hatnote|Mun||lang=Korean}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
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{{family name hatnote|[[Moon (Korean name)|Mun]]||lang=Korean}}
{{Use shortened footnotes|date=February 2021}}
{{Use shortened footnotes|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox criminal
{{Infobox criminal
| name = Mun Se-gwang
| name = Mun Se-gwang
| image = File:Mun Se-gwang.jpg
| image = File:Mun Se-gwang.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| image_size = 200px
| caption = Mun during his trial in 1974
| caption = Mun during his trial in 1974
| birth_name = Japanese name: {{nihongo|Nanjō Seikō|{{linktext|南|条|世|光|}}}}
| birth_name = {{nihongo|Nanjō Seikō|{{linktext|南|条|世|光|}}}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1951|12|26}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1951|12|26|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Osaka]], [[Japan]]
| birth_place = [[Osaka]], [[Occupation of Japan|Occupied Japan]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1974|12|20|1951|12|26}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1974|12|20|1951|12|26|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Seoul]], [[South Korea]]
| death_place = [[Seoul Detention Center]], [[Seoul]], [[South Korea]]
| conviction_status = Executed
| conviction_status = [[Executed]]
| victims = {{bulleted list|[[Yuk Young-soo]]|Jang Bong-hwa (indirectly)}}
| victims = {{plainlist|
* [[Yuk Young-soo]]
* Jang Bong-hwa (indirectly)}}
| date = August 15, 1974
| date = 15 August 1974
| criminal_penalty = [[Capital punishment|Death]]
| death_cause = [[Execution by hanging]]
| conviction = [[Murder]]
}}
}}
{{Infobox Korean name
{{Infobox Korean name
|hangul={{linktext|문|세|광}}
|hangul=문세광
|hanja={{linktext|文|世|光}}
|hanja={{linktext|文|世|光}}
|rr=Mun Se-gwang
|rr=Mun Se-gwang
|mr=Mun Segwang
|mr=Mun Segwang
}}
}}
'''Mun Se-gwang''' (December 26, 1951 – December 20, 1974) was a [[Koreans in Japan|Japanese-born]] [[North Korea]]n sympathizer who attempted to assassinate [[President of South Korea|South Korean president]] [[Park Chung-Hee]] on August 15, 1974. The assassination attempt resulted in the deaths of Park's wife, [[Yuk Young-soo]], and a high school student, Jang Bong-hwa.
'''Mun Se-gwang''' (26 December 1951 – 20 December 1974) was a [[Koreans in Japan|Japanese-born]] [[North Korea]]n sympathizer who attempted to assassinate [[President of South Korea|South Korean president]] [[Park Chung Hee]] on 15 August 1974. The assassination attempt resulted in the deaths of Park's wife, [[Yuk Young-soo]], and a high school student, Jang Bong-hwa.


==Biography==
==Biography==
Mun Se-gwang was born to an [[Koreans in Japan|ethnic Korean]] family in [[Osaka]], [[Occupation of Japan|Japan]] on 26 December 1951. His family had fled from [[North Korea]] to Japan shortly after the outbreak of the [[Korean War]].
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Mun Se-gwang was born in [[Osaka]] on 26 December 1951, where many [[Koreans in Japan|Zainichi Korean]]s resided. His family were immigrants from [[North Korea]] who fled to Japan shortly after the outbreak of the [[Korean War]]. While in high school, he began actively studying the biographies of [[Mao Zedong]] and [[Kim Il-Sung]], and became a supporter of far-left beliefs. For several years, he began communicating with supporters of [[Juche]] within the Korean community and fell under the influence of several North Korean agents, who eventually convinced him the need to eliminate [[President of the Republic of Korea]] [[Park Chung-hee]] in order to raise a 'popular uprising' in [[South Korea]].


⚫
While in high school, he began actively studying the biographies of [[Mao Zedong]] and [[Kim Il Sung]], and became a supporter of far-left beliefs. For several years, he began communicating with supporters of ''[[Juche]]'' within the Korean community and fell under the influence of several North Korean agents, who eventually convinced him the need to eliminate [[President of the Republic of Korea]] [[Park Chung Hee]] in order to raise a 'popular uprising' in [[South Korea]].
⚫
In November 1973, Mun Se-gwang finally decided to assassinate Park Chung-hee and, was paid 500,000 [[yen]] to prepare and implement his plan. In May 1974, he received a fake [[Japanese passport]] in the name of 'Yuki Kawagami'.


⚫
In November 1973, Mun Se-gwang finally decided to assassinate Park Chung Hee and, was paid 500,000 [[yen]] to prepare and implement his plan. In May 1974, he received a fake [[Japanese passport]] in the name of 'Yuki Kawagami'.
⚫
==Attempted assassination of Park Chung-Hee==
⚫
Stealing a [[Smith & Wesson]] [[.38 Special|.38-caliber]] revolver from an Osaka police box on 18 July 1974, he concealed it in his luggage and flew to [[South Korea]] on 8 August 1974,<ref name="auto">Keon. Page 199.</ref> using a Japanese passport to enter the country.<ref>Oberdorfer. Pages 53-55.</ref> He then booked into the Chosun Hotel.<ref name="auto"/>


⚫
==Attempted assassination of Park Chung-hee==
⚫
Gaining entry to the [[National Theater of Korea|National Theater]] in Seoul, on the day of a ceremony celebrating Korea's independence from Japan which was being attended by [[President of South Korea|South Korean president]] [[Park Chung-Hee]] and his wife, Mun intended to shoot Park in the theater lobby. However, his view was obstructed; and, he was forced to enter and be seated near the back of the theater. During Park's address, he attempted to get closer to the President but inadvertently fired his revolver prematurely, injuring himself. Having alerted security, Mun then ran down the theater aisle firing wildly.<ref name="auto1">Oberdorfer. Page 53.</ref> His second bullet hit the left side of the podium from which Park was delivering his speech. His third bullet was a misfire but the fourth struck Park's wife, Yuk Young-soo, in the head, seriously wounding her. His last bullet went through a flag decorating the rear of the stage. A bullet fired by [[Park Jong-gyu]], one of the President's security detail, in response to Mun's attack ricocheted off a wall and killed a high school student, Jang Bong-hwa. Immediately following the capture of Mun, Park resumed his scheduled speech, despite the wounding of his wife and her being carried from the stage. Following its completion, he picked up his wife's handbag and shoes and left. Despite extensive surgery, Yuk died at 7:00 p.m. that same day.<ref name="auto"/>
⚫
Stealing a [[Smith & Wesson]] [[.38 Special|.38-caliber]] revolver from an Osaka police box on 18 July 1974, he concealed it in his luggage and flew to South Korea on 8 August 1974,<ref name="auto">Keon. Page 199.</ref> using a Japanese passport to enter the country.<ref>Oberdorfer. Pages 53-55.</ref> He then booked into the Chosun Hotel.<ref name="auto"/>


⚫
Gaining entry to the [[National Theater of Korea|National Theater]] in Seoul, on the day of a ceremony celebrating Korea's independence from Japan which was being attended by Park and his wife, Mun intended to shoot Park in the theater lobby. However, his view was obstructed; and he was forced to enter and be seated near the back of the theater. During Park's address, he attempted to get closer to Park but inadvertently fired his revolver prematurely, injuring himself. Having alerted security, Mun then ran down the theater aisle firing wildly.<ref name="auto1">Oberdorfer. Page 53.</ref> His second bullet hit the left side of the podium from which Park was delivering his speech. His third bullet was a misfire but the fourth struck Park's wife, Yuk Young-soo, in the head, seriously wounding her. His last bullet went through a flag decorating the rear of the stage. A bullet fired by {{Ill|Park Jong-gyu|ko|박종규 (1930년)}}, one of the President's security detail, in response to Mun's attack ricocheted off a wall and killed a high school student, Jang Bong-hwa. Immediately following the capture of Mun, Park resumed his scheduled speech, despite the wounding of his wife and her being carried from the stage. Following its completion, he picked up his wife's handbag and shoes and left. Despite extensive surgery, Yuk died at 7:00&nbsp;p.m. that same day.<ref name="auto"/>
⚫
During his interrogation, Mun confessed to have been aided in his bid to assassinate President Park by an official of a [[Chongryon|North Korea aligned residents association]] in Japan. This, and the fact that Mun used a Japanese passport to enter South Korea, strained diplomatic relationships between Japan, North Korea, and South Korea; South Korea concluded that Mun was acting on behalf of North Korea, but Japan refused to accept South Korea's position. Consequently, Park threatened to break off diplomatic relations and to nationalise Japanese assets in South Korea. It required mediation by [[United States]] embassy officials before Japan issued a letter of regret, easing tensions between the two countries.<ref name="auto1"/>


⚫
During his interrogation, Mun confessed to have been aided in his bid to assassinate Park by an official of a [[Chongryon|North Korea aligned residents association]] in Japan. This, and the fact that Mun used a Japanese passport to enter South Korea, strained diplomatic relationships between Japan, North Korea, and South Korea; South Korea concluded that Mun was acting on behalf of North Korea, but Japan refused to accept South Korea's position. Consequently, Park threatened to break off diplomatic relations and to nationalise Japanese assets in South Korea. It required mediation by [[United States]] embassy officials before Japan issued a letter of regret, easing tensions between the two countries.<ref name="auto1"/>
⚫
At the same time, North Korean officials made a statement that they were not involved in the assassination attempt on President Park, but they approved of it, calling Moon Se-gwang a "real communist."

⚫
At the same time, North Korean officials made a statement that they were not involved in the assassination attempt, but they approved of it, calling Moon Se-gwang a "real communist."{{quote without source|date=August 2022}}


==Execution==
==Execution==
At the trial, Mun Se-gwang also expressed regret that he had failed to kill President Park, and that an innocent schoolgirl had died because of his actions, nevertheless, on December 17, 1974, he was found guilty of the attempted assassination of President Park Chung-hee resulting in deaths of two people and sentenced to death. Four months after his failed attempt to assassinate President Park, Mun was executed by hanging in a Seoul prison.<ref name="auto1"/>
At the trial, Mun Se-gwang also expressed regret that he had failed to kill Park, and that an innocent schoolgirl had died because of his actions. On 17 December 1974, he was found guilty of the attempted assassination resulting in deaths of two people and sentenced to death. Four months after his failed attempt, Mun was executed by hanging in a Seoul prison.<ref name="auto1"/>


==See also==
==See also==
* [[List of Korea-related topics]]
* [[Assassination of Park Chung Hee]]
* [[Park Geun-hye]]
** [[2016 South Korean political scandal]]
* [[History of South Korea]]
* [[History of South Korea]]
* [[Zainichi Korean]]
* [[Koreans in Japan]]
* [[Korean-Japanese disputes]]
* [[Korean-Japanese disputes]]


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* {{cite book | last = Keon | first = Michael | title = Korean Phoenix: A Nation from the Ashes | year = 1977 | publisher = Prentice-Hall International | isbn = 978-013-516823-3 | url = https://archive.org/details/koreanphoenixnat00keon }}
* {{cite book | last = Keon | first = Michael | title = Korean Phoenix: A Nation from the Ashes | year = 1977 | publisher = Prentice-Hall International | isbn = 978-013-516823-3 | url = https://archive.org/details/koreanphoenixnat00keon }}
* {{cite book | last = Oberdorfer | first = Don | title = The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History | year = 1997 | publisher = Addison-Wesley | location = Reading | isbn = 978-0-20140-927-7 | url = https://archive.org/details/twokoreascontemp00ober }}
* {{cite book | last = Oberdorfer | first = Don | title = The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History | year = 1997 | publisher = Addison-Wesley | location = Reading | isbn = 978-0-20140-927-7 | url = https://archive.org/details/twokoreascontemp00ober }}

==External links==
[https://www.military.com/video/operations-and-strategy/assassination/s-korean-first-lady-assassinated/2507728485001 Video of the assassination attempt]


{{authority control}}
{{authority control}}
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[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:1974 deaths]]
[[Category:1974 deaths]]
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[[Category:1974 crimes in South Korea]]
[[Category:Failed assassins]]
[[Category:Failed assassins]]
[[Category:Far-left politics in South Korea]]
[[Category:Far-left politics in Japan]]<!-- See [[East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front]] -->
[[Category:People convicted of murder by South Korea]]
[[Category:People convicted of murder by South Korea]]
[[Category:North Korean assassins]]
[[Category:People executed by South Korea by hanging]]
[[Category:People executed by South Korea by hanging]]
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[[Category:People executed for murder]]
[[Category:South Korean activists]]
[[Category:South Korean activists]]
[[Category:South Korean communists]]
[[Category:South Korean expatriates in Japan]]
[[Category:South Korean expatriates in Japan]]
[[Category:South Korean people convicted of murder]]
[[Category:South Korean people convicted of murder]]
[[Category:Zainichi Korean people]]
[[Category:Zainichi Korean people]]
[[Category:Executed South Korean people]]
[[Category:Executed South Korean people]]
[[Category:Executed failed assassins]]
[[Category:Executed assassins]]
[[Category:Executed assassins]]
[[Category:People executed for attempted murder]]
[[Category:Communist assassins]]
[[Category:1970s murders in South Korea]]
[[Category:Executed communists]]
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[[Category:1974 murders in South Korea]]
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[[Category:People from Osaka]]

Revision as of 10:07, 5 March 2024

In this Korean name, the family name is Mun.

Mun Se-gwang
Mun during his trial in 1974
Born
Nanjō Seikō (南条世光)

(1951-12-26)26 December 1951
Osaka, Occupied Japan
Died20 December 1974(1974-12-20) (aged 22)
Seoul Detention Center, Seoul, South Korea
Cause of deathExecution by hanging
Criminal statusExecuted
Conviction(s)Murder
Criminal penaltyDeath
Details
Victims
Date15 August 1974
Mun Se-gwang
Hangul
문세광
Hanja
Revised RomanizationMun Se-gwang
McCune–ReischauerMun Segwang

Mun Se-gwang (26 December 1951 – 20 December 1974) was a Japanese-born North Korean sympathizer who attempted to assassinate South Korean president Park Chung Hee on 15 August 1974. The assassination attempt resulted in the deaths of Park's wife, Yuk Young-soo, and a high school student, Jang Bong-hwa.

Biography

Mun Se-gwang was born to an ethnic Korean family in Osaka, Japan on 26 December 1951. His family had fled from North Korea to Japan shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War.

While in high school, he began actively studying the biographies of Mao Zedong and Kim Il Sung, and became a supporter of far-left beliefs. For several years, he began communicating with supporters of Juche within the Korean community and fell under the influence of several North Korean agents, who eventually convinced him the need to eliminate President of the Republic of Korea Park Chung Hee in order to raise a 'popular uprising' in South Korea.

In November 1973, Mun Se-gwang finally decided to assassinate Park Chung Hee and, was paid 500,000 yen to prepare and implement his plan. In May 1974, he received a fake Japanese passport in the name of 'Yuki Kawagami'.

Attempted assassination of Park Chung-hee

Stealing a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver from an Osaka police box on 18 July 1974, he concealed it in his luggage and flew to South Korea on 8 August 1974,[1] using a Japanese passport to enter the country.[2] He then booked into the Chosun Hotel.[1]

Gaining entry to the National Theater in Seoul, on the day of a ceremony celebrating Korea's independence from Japan which was being attended by Park and his wife, Mun intended to shoot Park in the theater lobby. However, his view was obstructed; and he was forced to enter and be seated near the back of the theater. During Park's address, he attempted to get closer to Park but inadvertently fired his revolver prematurely, injuring himself. Having alerted security, Mun then ran down the theater aisle firing wildly.[3] His second bullet hit the left side of the podium from which Park was delivering his speech. His third bullet was a misfire but the fourth struck Park's wife, Yuk Young-soo, in the head, seriously wounding her. His last bullet went through a flag decorating the rear of the stage. A bullet fired by Park Jong-gyu [ko], one of the President's security detail, in response to Mun's attack ricocheted off a wall and killed a high school student, Jang Bong-hwa. Immediately following the capture of Mun, Park resumed his scheduled speech, despite the wounding of his wife and her being carried from the stage. Following its completion, he picked up his wife's handbag and shoes and left. Despite extensive surgery, Yuk died at 7:00 p.m. that same day.[1]

During his interrogation, Mun confessed to have been aided in his bid to assassinate Park by an official of a North Korea aligned residents association in Japan. This, and the fact that Mun used a Japanese passport to enter South Korea, strained diplomatic relationships between Japan, North Korea, and South Korea; South Korea concluded that Mun was acting on behalf of North Korea, but Japan refused to accept South Korea's position. Consequently, Park threatened to break off diplomatic relations and to nationalise Japanese assets in South Korea. It required mediation by United States embassy officials before Japan issued a letter of regret, easing tensions between the two countries.[3]

At the same time, North Korean officials made a statement that they were not involved in the assassination attempt, but they approved of it, calling Moon Se-gwang a "real communist."[This quote needs a citation]

Execution

At the trial, Mun Se-gwang also expressed regret that he had failed to kill Park, and that an innocent schoolgirl had died because of his actions. On 17 December 1974, he was found guilty of the attempted assassination resulting in deaths of two people and sentenced to death. Four months after his failed attempt, Mun was executed by hanging in a Seoul prison.[3]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Keon. Page 199.
  2. ^ Oberdorfer. Pages 53-55.
  3. ^ a b c Oberdorfer. Page 53.

Bibliography

  • Keon, Michael (1977). Korean Phoenix: A Nation from the Ashes. Prentice-Hall International. ISBN 978-013-516823-3.
  • Oberdorfer, Don (1997). The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History. Reading: Addison-Wesley. ISBN 978-0-20140-927-7.

External links

Video of the assassination attempt

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