Axis of Evils: N. Korea and Burmese regime


On October 9 of 1983, three North Korean agents were sent on a mission to assassinate South Korean President Chun Doo-Hwan during his six-nation tours of Asian as the first stop to Burma. The mission was led by Maj. Zin Mo, Capt. Kang Min Chul and Capt. Kim Chi Oh. The three elite officers pre- planted powerful remote control bombs in the roof of the mausoleum in Rangoon as President Chun Doo-Hwan was to pay homage to Burma’s fallen national hero Aung San and his colleagues.

President Chun narrowly escaped as the agents detonated the bombs a few minutes before Chun and Burmese minister for Information, Aung Kyaw Myint arrived at the national mausoleum however 21 people were killed including four of South Korean cabinet ministers.
In the evening of October 9, Chun left for Soul as Burmese President San Yu had seen him off at the airport and made promise to arrest perpetrator(s).

Two days later, the three agents were spotted near Pazundaung creek while they were preparing to leave by waterway and arrested by Burmese policemen with the information and help of local Burmese people. Kim died during the arrest and Zin and Kang were brought to a special trial in Rangoon. Zim Mo was executed and Kang Min Chul was kept alive and sentenced to life in Burma’s prison due to his cooperation with the Burmese investigation for the case. North Korean regime denied all allegations.
The diplomatic relationships between North Korea and Burma came sour and the two countries seldom have diplomatic ties since.

But twenty-three years after an attempted assassination, the last known surviving agent Capt. Kang Min Chul expressed in 2006 that he hopes to settle in South Korea if he is free, according to a former South Korean intelligent and representative of official opposition party.

On the contrast, Communist North Korea and no-certain poly Burma had reportedly secret meetings to re-establish their diplomatic ties since Burma has been under the military boots meanwhile democratic South Korea has a strong business ties with Myanmar regime, formerly known as Burma. South Korean investments are an important financial resource for Burmese regime. Burmese regime is the double-edged. It could jeopardise Burma.

For over the half of century, the two totalitarian governments, North Korea and Burma, have been strongly condemned from world leaders and international community for repression, human rights abuse and crackdown on political dissidents as well as civilians.

The recent meeting of the two of the world’s most repressive regimes took place in Burma which was highly restricted to the media and presumably it signaled that the twos have common ground to achieve strengthening military power. Burmese regime has reportedly purchased military hard-wares from North Korea and North Korea schemes to develop nuclear missiles against the west and its neighbours, Japan and South Korea.

North Korea was labelled as a member of axis of evils by the United States which along with Iran and Iraq. Iraq is no longer able to be evil government as Saddam Hussein Hussein was executed but Iran and North Korea governments are left to be defeated. The United States didn’t label that Burma is included axis of evils.

Apparently, the world still leaves evil Burmese regime alone for doing more evil things.