1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incident
Encyclopedia
The 1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incident occurred on September 18, 1996, near the South Korea
n town of Gangneung
. The incident was one of the more serious instances of North Korea
n espionage
involving naval forces.
On September 15, a North Korea
n Sang-O class submarine
landed a three person special operations reconnaissance team on the shores near Gangneung. Their mission was to spy on the naval installations in the area and then return. The submarine made a failed attempt to collect the team on the 17th, and returned the following day. The submarine, however, ran aground in the attempt, and all efforts to try to make her free were in vain.
The crew then decided to destroy the sensitive equipment in the submarine and try to make it to the DMZ
. The crew split up in several groups but one was soon spotted by a civilian who became suspicious and alerted the authorities, who quickly mobilized 40,000 soldiers, along with helicopters and search dogs.
A 49-day long manhunt ensued, from 18 September through 5 November, resulting in the capture or elimination of all the crew and members of the reconnaissance team, except one, who is believed to have made it back to North Korea. 16 South Korean soldiers and civilians died and 27 were wounded. Of the 26 North Korean infiltrators, 1 was captured, 11 were murdered by the other members or died from a murder-suicide, 13 were killed in firefights with the ROK Army, and 1 reportedly escaped back to North Korea. Some analysts suspected that the motivation behind the assassination of Choe Deok-geun
, South Korean consul for the Russian Far East
, was retaliation for these killings.
The submarine was salvaged and towed to a naval base for investigation. One captured crewmember, the submarine's helmsmen, Lee Kwang Soo, gave in after much interrogation and revealed much of the plans. He later became an instructor in the South Korean Navy.
North Korea was at first reluctant at taking responsibility and claimed that the submarine had suffered an engine failure and had drifted aground, but issued an official apology on December 29. The following day, the remains of the infiltrators were returned to North Korea.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n town of Gangneung
Gangneung
Gangneung is a city in Gangwon-do, on the east coast of South Korea. It has a population of 229,869 . Gangneung is the economic centre of the Yeongdong region of eastern Gangwon Province. Gangneung has many tourist attractions, like Jeongdongjin, one of the most famous towns in Korea...
. The incident was one of the more serious instances of North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
involving naval forces.
On September 15, a North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n Sang-O class submarine
Sang-O class submarine
The Sang-O class submarines are in use by North Korea, and are the country's largest home-built submarines. A single unit was captured by the Republic of Korea Navy after it ran aground on 18 September 1996 in the 1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incident...
landed a three person special operations reconnaissance team on the shores near Gangneung. Their mission was to spy on the naval installations in the area and then return. The submarine made a failed attempt to collect the team on the 17th, and returned the following day. The submarine, however, ran aground in the attempt, and all efforts to try to make her free were in vain.
The crew then decided to destroy the sensitive equipment in the submarine and try to make it to the DMZ
Korean Demilitarized Zone
The Korean Demilitarized Zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. The DMZ cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half, crossing the 38th parallel on an angle, with the west end of the DMZ lying south of the parallel and...
. The crew split up in several groups but one was soon spotted by a civilian who became suspicious and alerted the authorities, who quickly mobilized 40,000 soldiers, along with helicopters and search dogs.
A 49-day long manhunt ensued, from 18 September through 5 November, resulting in the capture or elimination of all the crew and members of the reconnaissance team, except one, who is believed to have made it back to North Korea. 16 South Korean soldiers and civilians died and 27 were wounded. Of the 26 North Korean infiltrators, 1 was captured, 11 were murdered by the other members or died from a murder-suicide, 13 were killed in firefights with the ROK Army, and 1 reportedly escaped back to North Korea. Some analysts suspected that the motivation behind the assassination of Choe Deok-geun
Choe Deok-geun
Choe Deok-geun was a South Korean consular official for the Russian Far East who was assassinated by poison in October 1996....
, South Korean consul for the Russian Far East
Russian Far East
Russian Far East is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i.e., extreme east parts of Russia, between Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia and the Pacific Ocean...
, was retaliation for these killings.
The submarine was salvaged and towed to a naval base for investigation. One captured crewmember, the submarine's helmsmen, Lee Kwang Soo, gave in after much interrogation and revealed much of the plans. He later became an instructor in the South Korean Navy.
North Korea was at first reluctant at taking responsibility and claimed that the submarine had suffered an engine failure and had drifted aground, but issued an official apology on December 29. The following day, the remains of the infiltrators were returned to North Korea.
Timeline of North Korean casualties
- September 18 16:30 - 11 submarine crew members who had committed mass suicide were found
- September 18 16:40 - 1 captured
- September 19 10:15 - 3 killed
- September 19 14:10 - 3 killed
- September 19 16:10 - 1 killed
- September 22 01:30~06:40 - 2 killed
- September 28 06:45 - 1 killed
- September 30 15:18 - 1 killed
- November 5 10:30 - 2 killed