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Map of Silmido and environs.
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Silmido is an uninhabited island in the Yellow Sea, off the west coast of South Korea. It has an area of about .25 km². It lies within the borders of Incheon metropolitan city, and is about 5 kilometers southwest of Incheon International Airport. Silmido lies just offshore of the larger, inhabited island of Muuido, which is connected to the mainland by ferry.
Silmido became historically significant when it was used as the training ground (January 21, 1968 to August 23, 1971) for Unit 684, a South Korean group meant to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Il-sung in revenge for The Blue House Raid assassination attempt against Park Chung-hee. Traces of the training facilities can still be seen. Under circumstances that have still not been fully brought to light, the members of the group mutinied and went to Seoul in 1971, where they were killed or committed suicide.
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The Blue House Raid
On January 21, 1968, a group of 31 North Korean military soldiers was sent to South Korea by Kim Il Sung to kill President Park Chung Hee. A firefight began when the commandos were just 800 yards from the Blue House (the South Korean Presidential Palace). In all, 68 South Koreans were killed and 66 were wounded, including about two dozen civilians. Three Americans also died and three were wounded.
Unit 684
In response to the attempted assassination of Park Chung-hee, South Korea began training Unit 684, a group of death-row inmates who were told they would win their freedom and a new life if they succeeded in killing Kim Il-sung. At end of training they were sent to the North but were immediately recalled due to unknown reasons.
The South Korean Government planned to kill them to cover up the project and keep the world from knowing. Unit 684 revolted after discovering the government planned to kill them regardless of the outcome of their mission. They hijacked a bus to Seoul. Eventually stopped by army roadblocks, they committed mutual suicide with hand grenades.
Movie
Silmido is well-known today as the principal setting of the 2003 movie of the same name, which is loosely based on the Silmido Incident. Thanks to the movie's success, the island has become a fairly popular tourist destination.
See also
Further reading
- Tim Beal (2005), North Korea: the struggle against American power, Pluto Press, ISBN 9780745320144, http://books.google.com/books?id=4GFyAAAAMAAJ.
Coordinates: 37°24′06″N 126°23′30″E / 37.40167°N 126.39167°E
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