Park Chung-hee Assassinated: South Korea in Chaos
Kim Jae-gyu, head of South Korea's intelligence agency, shot and killed President Park Chung-hee in a shocking act of political violence that instantly destabilized the nation. The assassination triggered a power vacuum filled by Choi Kyu-hah as acting president, while Kim faced execution the following May, signaling the end of Park's long authoritarian rule and opening a turbulent path toward eventual democratization.
October 26, 1979
47 years ago
Key Figures & Places
President of South Korea
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May
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Park Chung-hee
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Park Chung-hee assassination
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KCIA
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Kim Jae-kyu
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Choi Kyu-ha
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Choi Kyu-hah
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Assassination of Park Chung-hee
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Kim Jae-gyu
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Korean Central Intelligence Agency
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