On October 15, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun extended an apology regarding the tragic fate of members of the Silmido unit, a secret commando group trained for infiltration into North Korea.
This marks the first time in over half a century that the government has formally issued an apology for the circumstances surrounding the execution of these soldiers.
The apology was delivered on Kim’s behalf during a ceremony to inaugurate an excavation project aimed at recovering the remains of four Silmido unit members who were secretly buried after their execution in 1972.
“May those who were sacrificed during the Silmido incident rest in peace, and I express deep apologies and condolences to bereaved family members for their suffering and sadness,” the statement read, reflecting a somber acknowledgment of past injustices.
This move comes on the heels of an August report indicating that South Korea’s defense minister would formally apologize in the coming months for the controversial covert operations conducted during the Cold War era, which are considered one of the darkest chapters in South Korea’s military history.
The Silmido unit was formed in the late 1960s and comprised 31 commandos who underwent extensive training to infiltrate North Korea and capture its leader. However, in August 1971, after enduring poor treatment, the commandos revolted against their harsh conditions.
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Their rebellion culminated in a violent escape from the island, during which they killed the guards, hijacked a bus, and fled to Seoul. The ensuing confrontation with military police resulted in the deaths of most of the commandos, either by gunfire or suicide, while four survivors faced execution.
This apology marks a crucial moment, being the first from a defense chief in 53 years. In addition to the apology, the South Korean military is working to recover the remains of the executed commandos for proper burial.
The apology and associated initiatives are in alignment with recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and an internal committee from the Ministry of National Defense.
The Commission’s 2022 findings highlighted that the families of the executed commandos were denied information about the executions and funerals, which constituted serious human rights violations.
The Tragic Saga of South Korea’s Unit 684
In 1968, during a particularly tense period in the Cold War, 31 North Korean operatives infiltrated the heavily fortified border separating North and South Korea.
Their goal was to reach close to the South Korean presidential palace, then occupied by President Park Chung Hee. However, their incursion was thwarted before they could accomplish their mission.
In response to this audacious attempt, the South Korean military devised a counterstrategy. They began recruiting 31 men from various backgrounds, including prisons and the streets, to undergo specialized training on a rocky islet in the Yellow Sea.
The mission was clear: these recruits were to cross into North Korea, reach Pyongyang, and assassinate the then-North’s leader, Kim Il Sung.
The recruits were taken to Silmido Island, located off the eastern coast of South Korea, where they formed what would be known as ‘Unit 684.’ They underwent grueling training at the hands of Special Forces soldiers, designed to prepare them for their dangerous mission.
Yang Dong-soo, a former trainer for Unit 684, revealed that the selection process for recruits was heavily focused on physical appearance.
“Intelligence officers sought out individuals who seemed athletic and physically fit,” Yang explained. “Many of them had backgrounds as shoeshine boys, newspaper vendors, cinema workers, or bouncers.”
The unit derived its name from Silmido Island, its clandestine training ground. Communication with the outside world was strictly prohibited for both recruits and trainers, creating an insular environment.
The training regimen was unforgiving. Tragically, during the rigorous sea survival training, one recruit succumbed to exhaustion. Between 1968 and 1971, the unit lost seven of its members due to a combination of fatalities and executions.
According to the Defense Ministry, two men were executed for desertion, another was killed for threatening a trainer, and several others either died or were executed after a disastrous escape attempt during which they assaulted a local woman.
Despite the extensive training, the remaining 24 members of Unit 684 were never deployed to North Korea. In addition to the executions and tragic losses, the initial promises made to the recruits quickly faded.
A 2006 report by the Truth Commission revealed that after the first three months on Silmido, the command structure halted salary payments, and the recruits were given substandard food.
As tensions between North and South Korea eased unexpectedly, the planned assassination mission was aborted.
Some reports indicate that government officials were concerned the recruits might reveal sensitive information, leading them to conclude that the men could no longer be permitted to live normal civilian lives.
This revelation led to growing anxiety among the commandos, who realized they would likely remain trapped on the island.
On the fateful morning of August 23, 1971, desperation turned to rebellion. The members of Unit 684 revolted against their trainers, resulting in the deaths of 18 of their commanders on the island.
Their uprising did not stop there; they managed to escape to the mainland, where they sought to reach the presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, also known as the Blue House. On their way, they hijacked a bus to Seoul, leading to violent clashes with security forces. The chaos resulted in numerous casualties among both law enforcement and civilians.
The confrontation reached a deadly conclusion when an explosion aboard the hijacked bus killed 20 of the mutinous commandos. Only four survived the blast. They were subsequently subjected to a secret trial, culminating in their execution on March 10, 1972.
In the aftermath of this shocking rebellion, the Air Force commanders responsible for Unit 684 engaged in a significant cover-up, destroying documents related to the catastrophic events.
The South Korean government initially denied the existence of the anti-communist unit, maintaining this secrecy until the story resurfaced in popular culture with the release of the film “Silmido” in 2004.
In the years following the revelation, families of the victims sought justice through compensation lawsuits, some of which resulted in settlements.
The tragic story of Unit 684 highlights the extreme measures that individuals and governments may take during times of political unrest and the devastating outcomes that can arise when duty intersects with desperation.
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