Kim Shin-jo, Former North Korean Assassin Turned Pastor, Dies at 82

Kim, once a commando in a failed 1968 plot to kill South Korea's president, later renounced communism and became a pastor after being pardoned.

Kim Shin-jo, a former North Korean commando, passed away at the age of 82 due to old age, with his funeral scheduled for Saturday at Sungrak Church in Seoul.
He was the only survivor captured alive from a 31-member unit that attempted to assassinate South Korean President Park Chung-hee in 1968.
The failed mission, which resulted in the deaths of about 30 South Koreans, prompted significant security reforms in South Korea, including the establishment of reservist forces and mandatory military training for students.
After his capture, Kim was pardoned, renounced communism, and became a vocal critic of North Korea, eventually being ordained as a pastor in 1997.
Conflicting accounts persist about the 1968 mission, with Kim attributing it to orders from Kim Il Sung, while Park Geun-hye’s autobiography suggests it was the work of extremists.