Kim Shin-jo, North Korean commando sent to kill South’s president, dies at 83



Features Kim Shin-jo, North Korean commando sent to kill South’s president, dies at 83 A survivor of 1968 Blue House raid, Kim stayed in the South and underwent an improbable transformation into a man of God Fyodor Tertitskiy April 11, 2025 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Kim Shin-jo and South Korea's Blue House \| Images: play 채널A YouTube channel and Wikimedia Commons South Korea quietly said goodbye this week to one of the most extraordinary North Koreans to ever cross the 38th parallel — Kim Shin-jo — who died at the age of 83 on Wednesday. While many are now familiar with the defectors and refugees who make dangerous journeys to escape the DPRK, Kim did not belong in this category. He wasn’t fleeing the regime when he crossed the heavily militarized inter-Korean border in 1968; he was following orders to infiltrate the South, marching through the snow with weapons on a mission to kill the president. South Korea quietly said goodbye this week to one of the most extraordinary North Koreans to ever cross the 38th parallel — Kim Shin-jo — who died at the age of 83 on Wednesday. While many are now familiar with the defectors and refugees who make dangerous journeys to escape the DPRK, Kim did not belong in this category. He wasn’t fleeing the regime when he crossed the heavily militarized inter-Korean border in 1968; he was following orders to infiltrate the South, marching through the snow with weapons on a mission to kill the president. Try unlimited access Only $1 for four weeks Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

Features

Kim Shin-jo, North Korean commando sent to kill South’s president, dies at 83

A survivor of 1968 Blue House raid, Kim stayed in the South and underwent an improbable transformation into a man of God

Fyodor Tertitskiy April 11, 2025

Kim Shin-jo, North Korean commando sent to kill South’s president, dies at 83

Kim Shin-jo and South Korea's Blue House | Images: play 채널A YouTube channel and Wikimedia Commons

South Korea quietly said goodbye this week to one of the most extraordinary North Koreans to ever cross the 38th parallel — Kim Shin-jo — who died at the age of 83 on Wednesday.

While many are now familiar with the defectors and refugees who make dangerous journeys to escape the DPRK, Kim did not belong in this category. He wasn’t fleeing the regime when he crossed the heavily militarized inter-Korean border in 1968; he was following orders to infiltrate the South, marching through the snow with weapons on a mission to kill the president.

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Kim Shin-jo, North Korean commando sent to kill South’s president, dies at 83

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