김재규 金載圭
Korean military officer and official; the 8th director of the KCIA; principal figure in the October 26 Incident
| Life | 1924 ~ 1980 |
| Era | 근현대 |
| Clan | 김녕 김씨 |
Life & career
Kim Jae-gyu (金載圭) was from Seonsan, North Gyeongsang Province. After graduating from the Korea Military Academy, he served in the army and rose to lieutenant general. He served as commander of the Defense Security Command, as a member of the 9th National Assembly, and as Minister of Construction.
Appointed director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency in 1976, he was at the core of power in the latter part of the Yusin regime. On October 26, 1979, at a KCIA safe house in Gungjeong-dong, Seoul, he shot and killed President Park Chung-hee and chief bodyguard Cha Ji-cheol (the October 26 Incident).
Arrested immediately after the incident, he was tried by court-martial on charges including murder for the purpose of insurrection, and his death sentence was carried out in May 1980. Assessments of the character and motive of his act remain divided to this day.
Grave
Neungpyeong-dong, Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province