Lee Hu-rak

In this Korean name, the family name is Lee.
Lee Hu-rak
Lee Hu-rak, first from left, as the military attaché to the Embassy of South Korea, Washington, D.C. in 1955.
Military service
AllegianceSouth Korea
Branch/serviceRepublic of Korea Armed Forces
Years of service~1950–1961
RankLieutenant(1950), Major General(1961)
Commands
Korean name
Hangul
이후락
Hanja
李厚洛
RRI Hurak
MRI Hurak

Lee Hu-rak (Korean: 이후락; 23 February 1924 – October 31, 2009) was a South Korean politician (chief of staff to Park Chung-hee from 1963 to 1969), diplomat (primarily as an ambassador to Japan from 1969 to 1970) and the Director of the Korea Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) of South Korea from 1970 to 1973. From May 2nd to the 5th 1972, during his time as Director of the KCIA, he traveled to Pyongyang on a secret diplomatic mission to meet Kim Il Sung and Pak Song-chol.[1][2][3] These were the first formal diplomatic contacts between North Korea and South Korea and led to the July 4th North–South Korea Joint Statement.[4] Then, it is alleged that he played a part in the kidnapping of Kim Dae-jung on August 8, 1973 from a Japanese hotel.[5] He was also elected to the National Assembly in 1979 but was prohibited from political activity the following year on corruption charges corruption as a new military junta took power following Park's death. Although the restriction was lifted in 1985, he stayed out of any further participation in politics up until his death in 2009.[6]

References

  1. ^ "Северная Корея в условиях единоличной власти Ким Ир Сена". world.kbs.co.kr (in Russian). Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  2. ^ YOUNG-GI, CHUN; BONG-MOON, KIM (25 Jul 2015). "How Lee Hu-rak did 1972 end run to North Korea". Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  3. ^ Diplomatic Bluebook for 1972: Review of Foreign Relations, April 1972 - March 1973 (Report). Japan Reference Series No. 3 - 73. Tokyo: Public Information Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan. December 1973.
  4. ^ Cha, Victor D. (2013). The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future. Internet Archive. New York: Ecco. pp. 396–397. ISBN 978-0-06-199850-8. LCCN 2012009517. OCLC 1244862785.
  5. ^ Ho, Kwon (2 Nov 2009). "Lee Hu-rak, former top KCIA man, dead at 85". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  6. ^ "Ex-Spy Chief Lee Dies at 85". Archived from the original on 2024-12-31. Retrieved 2024-05-01.

Further reading


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