Pak Jae-gyong (; born 10 June 1933) is a

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

n politician and soldier. A general in the

Korean People's Army The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) encompasses the combined military forces of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). The KPA consists of five branches: the Korean People's Army Ground Force, Ground Force, the Ko ...

(KPA), Pak is a Vice Minister in the

Ministry of People's Armed Forces The Ministry of Defence (, formerly 인민무력성/人民武力省 or Ministry of the People's Armed Forces) is the government agency under the State Affairs Commission tasked with general administrative and logistical coordination of the Kor ...

as well as a full member of the

Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea The Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea is the Central committee, highest organ between National meetings of the Workers' Party of Korea, national meetings of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the ruling party of North Korea. Accor ...

(WPK). Pak is also a delegate of the 12th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA). On the death of Kim Shin-jo on 9 April 2025, he became the only living survivor of 31-member commando unit, known as Unit 124, that was sent to assassinate

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

n president

Park Chung Hee Park Chung Hee (; ; November14, 1917October26, 1979) was a South Korean politician and army officer who served as the third president of South Korea from 1962 after he seized power in the May 16 coup of 1961 until Assassination of Park Chung ...

in the ultimately unsuccessful Blue House raid in 1968.

Early life and education

Pak was born in

North Hamgyong Province North Hamgyong Province (Hamgyŏngbukdo, ) is the northernmost province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Hamgyong Province. Geography The province is bordered by China (Jilin) to the north, S ...

while Korea was under Japanese rule and attended the Kim Il-Sung Political and Military College.

Blue House raid

Pak was one of thirty-one men handpicked for the 1968 Blue House raid (also known as the January 21 Incident in South Korea), an assassination attempt on the life of South Korean President

. Pak was one of only two survivors of the failed mission, the other being Kim Shin-jo, and was the only one to escape back to the North.

Military and political career

In February 1985, he assumed the role of brigadier general of the

(KPA), and was made Head of the Propaganda Department of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army. In 1989, Pak took on the role of political commissar of the 4th Corps of the KPA, and in January 1993 was promoted to major general. Through the December by-elections of the same year, Pak was elected as an official of the

(WPK). In June 1994, Pak was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. In September of the same year, he was appointed General Director of the Propaganda Department under the General Political Bureau. In August 1995 he was re-elected as a member of the Central Committee of the WPK. Pak was promoted to general of the KPA in February 1997. In September 2000, Pak Jae-gyong accompanied Kim Yong-sun, the then vice-chairman of the

Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland The Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK; ) was a North Korean state agency aimed at promoting Korean reunification. The committee was tasked with relations with South Korea, which could not be handled through official chann ...

, on his trip to South Korea at the invitation of then president

Kim Dae-jung Kim Dae-jung (, ; 6 January 192418 August 2009) was a South Korean politician, activist and statesman who served as the eighth president of South Korea from 1998 to 2003. Kim entered politics as a member of the new wing of the Democratic Pa ...

. Pak presented three tons of the famous Chilbo Mountain pine mushrooms as a present from

Kim Jong Il Kim Jong Il (born Yuri Kim; 16 February 1941 or 1942 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader of North Korea from Death and state funeral of Kim Il Sung, the de ...

. In 2007, Pak delivered another gift of pine mushrooms, this time weighing four tons, when he called on President

Roh Moo-hyun Roh Moo-hyun (, ; 1 September 1946 – 23 May 2009) was a South Korean politician and lawyer who served as the ninth president of South Korea from 2003 to 2008. Roh's pre-presidential political career was focused on human rights advocacy for ...

. It is speculated that the choice of Pak was in part due to his involvement in the Blue House raid, and that sending him was a way of mocking the South. From 2007 onwards, Pak has been a Vice Minister in the

and in September 2010 was appointed a member of the

Central Committee of the WPK The Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea is the highest organ between national meetings of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the ruling party of North Korea. According to WPK rules, the Central Committee is elected by the party co ...

. Pak served as a delegate of the 10th and 11th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) and since April 2009 has been a delegate of the 12th SPA. Over the years, Pak has been a member of the State Funeral Committee for the deaths of

Kim Il Sung Kim Il Sung (born Kim Song Ju; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he led as its first Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader from North Korea#Founding, its establishm ...

O Jin-u O Jin-u (; March 8, 1917 – February 25, 1995) was a North Korean general and politician. He was a close associate of Kim Il Sung. O served under Kim in the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, and then as commander of Kim's bodyguard. He was a ...

Yon Hyong-muk Yon Hyong-muk (; November 3, 1931 – October 22, 2005), also spelt Yong Hyong-muk, was a long-serving politician in North Korea and at the height of his career the most powerful person in that country outside the Kim family. He was Prime Mini ...

Pak Song-chol Pak Song-chol or Park Sung-chul (; 2 September 1913 – 28 October 2008) was a North Korean politician who served as Premier of North Korea from 1976 to 1977. He succeeded Kim Il. He also served as foreign minister from 1959 to 1970. Biog ...

, Jo Myong-rok and

. In 2023, Pak participated in the military parade for the 70th anniversary of the end of the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

Awards and honors

A picture of Pak shows Pak wearing the ribbons to all decorations awarded to him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pak, Jae-gyong 1933 births Living people People from North Hamgyong Province North Korean assassins Government ministers of North Korea North Korean generals Members of the Supreme People's Assembly Workers' Party of Korea politicians

Early life and education

Blue House raid

Military and political career

Awards and honors

See also

References