Kim In-su, NK-born US Special Forces commando, dies at 92

Kim In-su poses in front of his house in Maryland, U.S., June 16, 2023. Yonhap

Kim In-su, a former member of a U.S. Special Forces unit made up of North Korean defectors, has died. He was 92.

Kim died March 31 in Rockville, Maryland, according to the U.S.-based obituary site Tribute Archive. The cause of death was not disclosed, but the obituary described it as a "peaceful passing."

He served in the 8240th Army Unit, a U.S. Far East Command group that used islands off North Korea’s east and west coasts to launch special operations — gathering intelligence, disrupting supply lines and rescuing prisoners during the 1950-53 Korean War.

Although operated and overseen by the U.S. military, the unit was largely composed of young North Korean defectors familiar with the region's geography, culture and dialect. The unit, referred to in official U.S. military documents as “North Korean Partisans,” grew to about 22,000 members at its peak in 1953.

Born in Pyongyang — now the capital of North Korea — in 1932, Kim went into hiding to escape communist persecution of Christians in 1950 following the outbreak of the Korean War. He later joined the United Nations forces after they captured the city that October.

In a 2023 interview with Yonhap News Agency, Kim said he joined the U.N. forces because they "needed someone who could speak English," noting he learned the language from his grandfather.

In 1951, as China’s People’s Liberation Army entered the war, Kim retreated south with U.N. forces and joined the 8240th Army Unit. Assigned to the Tactical Liaison Office, he gathered intelligence on enemy movements, weapons and terrain. A Pyongyang Medical College graduate, he also treated patients at field hospitals.

After completing his mandatory military service and studying acupuncture and traditional medicine, Kim moved to the U.S. in 1965 and later became an American citizen. He opened a clinic in Washington, D.C., and treated patients for over 40 years before retiring.

In 2014, he received a certificate of appreciation for his wartime service from then–U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations be made to the Korean War Veterans Association, in honor of Kim’s memory and his membership in the organization.