[KoreaCase] Hyehwa-dong armed deserter shooting riot


 On April 19, 1993, a significant incident occurred in the Republic of Korea, where Private Lim Chae-seong, serving in the armored company of the 15th Infantry Division located in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, deserted his unit with weapons. Lim stole a K1 submachine gun, approximately 130 rounds of live ammunition, and 22 grenades, taking hostages in Cheorwon and heading to Seoul in a Kia Besta van. This incident unfolded in an unprecedentedly tense situation, reminiscent of a scene from the movie "Terminator."

Disguised as a civilian, Lim passed through several checkpoints and eventually reached Seoul. In Hyehwa-dong, while being pursued by the military, he engaged in urban warfare, opening fire on civilians with his gun and grenades when he was discovered. At that time, downtown Seoul turned into a battlefield, and people fled in panic. Although the police surrounded him, they were no match for Lim's K1 submachine gun with their handguns, and eventually, a special forces unit from the Capital Defense Command was deployed to engage him. Lim was captured after sustaining gunshot wounds to his abdomen and back of the head and was transported to the National Military Hospital for a military trial. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in the first trial and was released after serving 20 years in prison.



During the incident, seven people were injured due to Lim's gunfire, one of whom died. The deceased was a merchant named Go Seong-joo, who led an ordinary life running a vegetable store. He was shot while trying to escape from Lim. Lim's indiscriminate shooting turned downtown Seoul into a scene of terror, and medical personnel nearby were urgently summoned to provide emergency care.

Lim had a history of causing trouble during his military service. After graduating from high school in 1992, he enlisted as a short-term non-commissioned officer scholarship student but often got into trouble with friends. He had also been arrested by the police for extortion before his enlistment and had attempted to desert after joining as a non-commissioned officer candidate. His reputation was poor, and his disillusionment with military service is believed to have led to his desertion.

After deserting, Lim evaded military and police pursuit while passing through several checkpoints on his way to Seoul. The events that unfolded after he reached Seoul shocked the military and police of South Korea, turning the areas of Cheorwon and Seoul into a complete war zone.

This incident continued to attract public attention even after Lim's release. In 2013, Lim re-emerged when the verdict of the 1993 incident was brought to light during another trial. Later, in 2023, he was charged again for committing a crime, this time for threatening and sexually assaulting a woman he met through random chatting with an axe. In this case, he reached a settlement with the victim and was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison in the first trial, and in the second trial, he received a sentence of 1 year in prison with a 2-year probation.

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