The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    4 Chinese, 4 Russian military planes enter Korea's air defense zone without notice

  • 3

    'The Second Husband' co-stars to the tie knot, expecting child in real life

  • 5

    Egyptian national arrested for possession of cannabis cookie

  • 7

    Presidential office's plan to revamp TV viewing fees causes stir

  • 9

    Samsung family takes out stock loans to pay inheritance tax

  • 11

    Incheon announces plans to become hub for overseas Koreans

  • 13

    Saudi mega-city project NEOM secures $5.6 bil. for workforce housing

  • 15

    Controversy grows as fisheries ministry stresses safety of seafood, salt, beaches

  • 17

    Hyundai Motor, IKEA join hands to promote sustainable outdoor activities

  • 19

    Seoul Queer Culture Festival venue moved to Euljiro

  • 2

    Asiana Airlines pilots union to initiate mass flight delays

  • 4

    Korean food's global popularity leads to copycat products in China, Japan

  • 6

    'Dynamite' tops 1.7 bil. YouTube views to become most-watched BTS MV

  • 8

    ROK-US alliance is now nuclear-based: President Yoon

  • 10

    International Yoga Day to celebrate well-being of body, mind

  • 12

    Heart transplant recipients tie the knot

  • 14

    S. Korea wins seat on UN Security Council for 2024-25

  • 16

    JYP founder to work as guest commentator for NBA finals on Korean cable

  • 18

    JPMorgan chief meets with Korean financial leaders

  • 20

    14 injured as escalator reverses at Sunae Station in Bundang

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Thu, June 8, 2023 | 13:17
-------------------------
US saw NK involvement in KAL bombing: dossier
Posted : 2012-07-19 20:45
Updated : 2012-07-19 20:45
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link

North Korean agent Kim Hyun-hui, center wearing a mask, is escorted from a plane upon her arrival at Gimpo Airport in Seoul after being arrested in connection with her bombing of KAL 858 in this file photo taken on Dec. 15, 1987. / Yonhap

By Kim Young-jin

The United States has made public documents related to its investigation of the 1987 bombing of a South Korean passenger jet, which found North Korea to be behind the act, it emerged Thursday.

Posted on the U.S. State Department, the dossier backs Seoul’s finding that the mid-air bombing of the Korean Air (KAL) 858 – which killed 115 people – was an act of terrorism by the communist state.

It says that the U.S. government interrogated Kim Hyun-hui, the North Korean now living in the South who confessed to the act, and confirmed her culpability, citing, among others factors, a linguistic analysis that “demonstrates that the words she used are North Korean (dialect)."

After the incident, Kim said she and a male accomplice planted a bomb made from liquid explosive and a detonator hidden in a radio on the plane on order from the late Kim Jong-il, who at the time was heir apparent to his father, country founder Kim Il-sung.

In recent years, Kim has reaffirmed her involvement in the incident in response to lingering suspicions that the explosion was orchestrated by the intelligence agency to help then presidential candidate Roh Tae-woo win the election days after the bombing. The previous Roh Moo-hyun administration reinvestigated the incident but did not find evidence that supported the conspiracy theory.

Kim and her companion, pretending to be Japanese tourists, flew on the plane on the first leg of its journey from Iraq, left before it took off for Seoul. Both tried to poison themselves during questioning; her accomplice succeeded.

One U.S. cable said that Kim, in “a situation we controlled,” picked out photographs of 3 North Koreans who had contacted her after she departed from Pyongyang, out of a collection of 26 photographs.

Other cited factors included Tokyo’s assertion that the fake passports the two had traveled on were provided to them by an individual wanted in Japan as a North Korean agent; that they carried the names of contact points in North Korean missions along the way and Pyongyang’s past record of terrorism.

Kim was sentenced to death in 1989 for the bombing over Myanmar but later received a presidential pardon.

The documents also show that President Chun Doo-hwan did not consider military retaliation. A cable quoted him as saying it was because “South Korea was in the course of a political transition and had to host the Olympics."
Emailyjk@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
wooribank
Top 10 Stories
1Heart transplant recipients tie the knot Heart transplant recipients tie the knot
2Seoul Queer Culture Festival venue moved to Euljiro Seoul Queer Culture Festival venue moved to Euljiro
3Experts skeptical about effectiveness of S. Korea's UNSC seat to rein in NK Experts skeptical about effectiveness of S. Korea's UNSC seat to rein in NK
4Korea, Poland celebrate rollout of Warsaw's first FA-50 Korea, Poland celebrate rollout of Warsaw's first FA-50
5Samsung to unveil new foldable phones at Galaxy Unpacked in Seoul Samsung to unveil new foldable phones at Galaxy Unpacked in Seoul
6Yido bridges East, West via fusion cuisine in crafted ceramics Yido bridges East, West via fusion cuisine in crafted ceramics
7Coupang, Baemin under pressure from radical labor groups Coupang, Baemin under pressure from radical labor groups
8Rise in temperatures, solar radiation by 2100 inevitable: weather agency Rise in temperatures, solar radiation by 2100 inevitable: weather agency
9Umbrella union boycotts negotiating body to protest labor crackdownUmbrella union boycotts negotiating body to protest labor crackdown
10Tax on domestic cars to be lowered in July Tax on domestic cars to be lowered in July
Top 5 Entertainment News
1Frieze Seoul unveils stronger lineup of Asian galleries for its second edition Frieze Seoul unveils stronger lineup of Asian galleries for its second edition
2'Leaving Las Vegas' director Mike Figgis puts Korea in spotlight in new film 'Leaving Las Vegas' director Mike Figgis puts Korea in spotlight in new film
3[REVIEW] 'The ODD Of LOVE' concert: Taeyeon shows why she is among K-pop's top vocalists REVIEW'The ODD Of LOVE' concert: Taeyeon shows why she is among K-pop's top vocalists
4Baritone Kim Tae-han wins Queen Elisabeth Competition Baritone Kim Tae-han wins Queen Elisabeth Competition
5Busan Film Festival accepts director Huh Moon-yung's resignation Busan Film Festival accepts director Huh Moon-yung's resignation
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group