Silmido (), or Silmi Island, is an uninhabited island in Incheon, South Korea. The island is in the
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea, also known as the North Sea, is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea.
Names
It is one of four ...
and is closest to
Muuido, which is connected to the mainland by ferry. It is about southwest of
Yongyu Island, where
Incheon International Airport
Incheon International Airport is the main international airport serving Seoul, the capital of South Korea. It is also one of the largest and busiest airports in the world.
This airport opened for business on 29 March 2001, to replace the old ...
is located. Most of Silmido island consists of hills that are around high.
Unit 684
On January 21, 1968, a group of 31 North Korean military soldiers were sent to South Korea by
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 ...
to kill 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 ...
. A firefight began when the commandos were just 800 yards from the
Blue House
Cheong Wa Dae (), also known as the Blue House in English, is a public park that was the former Office of the President of South Korea, executive office and residence of the president of South Korea. Located in Seoul's Jongno District, directl ...
(the South Korean Presidential Palace). The attempt failed and all but two of the 31 North Koreans were either killed by the South Korean security forces or committed suicide.
In retaliation for the attack, South Korea established a secret military unit,
Unit 684, to assassinate Kim Il Sung. From January 21, 1968, to August 23, 1971, Silmido served as the training ground for the unit. Under circumstances which remain unclear, the members of the group mutinied and went to
Seoul
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
in 1971, where they were killed or committed
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death.
Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
.
The 2003 film
Silmido is about Unit 684 and depicts the island.
See also
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Islands of South Korea
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Geography of South Korea
South Korea is located in East Asia, on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula located out from the far east of the Asian landmass. The only country that shares a land border with South Korea is North Korea, lying to the north with of ...
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Tourism in South Korea
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List of islands
This is a list of the lists of islands in the world grouped by country, by continent, by body of water
A body of water or waterbody is any significant accumulation of water on the surface of Earth or another planet. The term most often refer ...
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Desert island
An uninhabited island, desert island, or deserted island, is an island, islet or atoll which lacks permanent human population. Uninhabited islands are often depicted in films or stories about shipwrecked people, and are also used as stereotypes ...
References
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Uninhabited islands of South Korea
Islands of Incheon
Islands of the Yellow Sea