“We are of the same blood, but how long must one people live as enemies? Young people like my son must never be sacrificed again.”
For Kang Hyo-nam (84), time stopped on an autumn day 30 years ago.
His son, the late Corporal Kang Jeong-yeong, was killed by a bullet while searching for an armed communist who had infiltrated Gangneung on September 22, 1996. I was a beautiful twenty-one year old.
“I have to go to sleep to forget, but I won’t. Whenever I see a young man in military uniform, I think of my son and my heart breaks.”
When the anniversary of her son's death comes around, Ms. Kang holds a quiet memorial service at home and imagines the life of her son, who would have already been over 50 if he were still alive.
He said, “If he were alive, he would have done his job as a public servant or an office worker,” and “I want to say, ‘My son, you have become a great person. I love you and I am grateful.’” he said, wiping away tears.
The tragedy that took a 21-year-old son away from his family began four days ago, in the early morning of September 18, 1996, in pitch-black darkness off the coast of Gangneung, Gangwon-do.
In the sea at Aninjin-ri, Gangdong-myeon, the sound of 'clacking' rang out as waves collided with objects that could not be identified due to the darkness.
At that moment, a taxi driver passing by on a nearby road noticed suspicious men and a black figure floating in the sea, and ran straight to the police station to report the situation.
As dawn broke, the figure appeared. It was a North Korean submarine stuck on a reef.
Grenades, machine guns, and RPG-7 anti-tank rocket guns were found on the submarine.
At that time, 26 North Korean soldiers, including the reconnaissance team, guide team, and crew, had already escaped to land.
When the fact of armed communist infiltration became known, a 'buzzing' warning sound was issued in most areas of Gangwon, and 'Jindo Dog Hana', the highest level of preparedness for local provocations, was issued.
Helicopters appeared in the sky, warships appeared in the sea, and military vehicles and armed troops lined the roads.
At night, flares illuminated the mountains and villages as if it were daylight, and the sound of gunshots occasionally cut through the darkness.
For Choi Woo-young, a 27-year-old young police officer at the time and head of the Central Police Academy's academic affairs department, Gangneung 30 years ago still remains vivid with its lights and sounds.
15 hours after the taxi driver's initial report. An urgent report was received at the Gangdong Police Station of Gangneung Police Station, where Chief Choi worked, saying, "There is a suspicious person in the grass next to the road. Please come quickly."
The reporting location was a farmhouse in Mojeon-ri, Gangdong-myeon, 2km away from where the submarine was discovered.
Manager Choi arrived at the farmhouse with his colleague, Inspector Jeon Ho-gu, and a man with bushy hair and a tattered T-shirt came into view. Manager Choi set out to confirm his identity, keeping in mind the possibility that he was an armed communist.
“If you move, I’ll shoot.”
The moment he approached the man, aiming a gun loaded with live ammunition, the man's right hand went towards the pistol that was pinned to his waist under his T-shirt.
At that moment, Manager Choi rushed up and struck down his hand, and the pistol containing 13 live rounds fell to the floor. It was a moment between life and death.
“Where are you from?”
When the former police officer pointed the rifle at the man's stomach and pushed hard, the man hesitated for a moment and then opened his mouth with an expression that seemed to have given up on everything.
“It came from the North.”
Manager Choi's hair stood on end and his spine shivered, but he tied the man's hands and bound him. Lee Gwang-soo (31 years old at the time), the only survivor of the North Korean submarine infiltration incident, was captured like that.
Manager Choi recalled, "If Lee Kwang-soo had ignored the warning and immediately pulled out a pistol and fired, the police officer or the reporter could have been killed, and we would have had no choice but to fire," and added, "Even now, when I think of that moment, I feel like I was standing at the crossroads between life and death in a split second."
The two met again at the scene of their capture the following year for broadcast filming.
At first, they faced each other at gunpoint, but no one pulled the trigger, so the two people who survived came to call each other 'lifesavers.'
We still exchange greetings from time to time. Manager Choi described Lee Kwang-soo, who is living his third life after serving as a military civilian, as a 'sincere and warm person with a strong sense of responsibility.'
After the dramatic capture and special relationship, there was anxiety that did not easily go away.
Manager Choi developed the habit of looking back and observing his surroundings every time he commuted to work out of fear of possible retaliation from North Korea.
The following year, anxiety grew after Lee Han-young, a high-ranking North Korean defector, was assassinated in the hallway of an apartment in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do.
At that time, the capture of Lee Kwang-su revealed the number of infiltrators and their route, but the resistance of the armed communists scattered into the mountains continued.
Corporal Kang was also deployed in the search and ambush operation on Mt. Chilseong, searching the mountain during the day and waiting in the cold trenches at night for the enemy soldiers who might appear at any time.
“This writing could be the last of my life… I miss my parents and siblings, and I miss my friends… (omitted) Lord, please protect me. I am now face to face with the enemy. I hope everyone returns alive with flushed faces.” (Diary left by Corporal Kang during his lifetime)
However, this became the last record of his life.
Gongbi, who was hiding in the mountain, shot Corporal Kang in the head, and Corporal Kwon Oh-taek, who was also in ambush, threw a grenade and killed Gongbi.
Afterwards, he picked up Corporal Kang and ran to the top of the mountain where the helicopter was, but Corporal Kang was never able to return to his family.
The pursuit of the armed communist continued from Gangneung through Pyeongchang and all the way to Inje.
The operation, which lasted 49 days, ended on November 5 with the killing of the last two communist secretaries in Yeonhwa-dong, Inje.
Of the 26 North Korean soldiers who infiltrated, 25 were killed and one Lee Kwang-su was captured. On our side, 17 people, including soldiers, police, reservists, and civilians, were killed and 27 soldiers were injured.
30 years have passed, but the incident is not over for those left behind.
Mr. Kang emphasized, "I hope that my son's death will not be forgotten. However, I hope that the memory will not remain in hostility and hatred, but will lead to a path to prevent further sacrifices."
Director Choi also said, "The freedom we enjoy today was built on the contributions and sacrifices of countless national meritorious people who tried to protect our country, and is by no means free. We must not forget the historical fact that many people were sacrificed when a North Korean submarine infiltrated the Gangneung beach, which we enjoy visiting."
Even now, after thirty autumns, some people reminisce about the moments of survival, while others forget about their son for a moment only when they fall asleep.
