Korean Air Flight 858
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Korean Air Flight 858 was a flight that flew from Abu Dhabi International Airport in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates to Gimpo Airport near Seoul, South Korea via Bangkok International Airport in Bangkok. On November 29, 1987, it mysteriously disappeared.
According to the South Korean authorities, the Boeing 707 (registered HL7406) took off from Abu Dhabi and was flying to Bangkok on the way to Seoul. Two passengers who departed from the plane at Abu Dhabi left a radio and liquor bottle containing explosives in an overhead rack on the airplane. The bomb exploded while the plane was over the Andaman Sea near Thailand. Radar contact was lost at the time of the explosion.
All 11 crew members and 104 passengers on Korean Air 858 were killed, making it the deadliest terrorist attack against South Korea.
Two North Korean agents were arrested by South Korean officials shortly after the bombing. One killed himself with a suicide pill but the other, Kim Hyun Hee, was captured. She told investigators that the bombing was ordered by Kim Il Sung's son, Kim Jong Il. The story against North Korea reinforced the country's place on the United States terrorism supporter's list.
People who believe the event is a conspiracy theory say that the event was engineered by the South Korean authorities for political aims, citing a lack of hard evidence.
External links
- KAL기사건 진상규명 시민대책위원회 (http://www.kal858.or.kr/) - The KAL's Flight-858 Incident (in Korean, and translated imperfectly into English.)ko:KAL기 폭파사건