29/07/2026
Today in Korea’s Democracy Movement History: The Dongbaekrim Saggeon(동백림 사건, East Berlin Case)
On July 8, 1967, the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) announced the first results of its investigation into the “North Korean Communist Infiltration Network Based in East Berlin,” commonly known as the Dongbaekrim (East Berlin) Case. The KCIA alleged that, between September 5, 1958, and May 20, 1967, the suspects had repeatedly visited the North Korean Embassy in East Germany, engaged in activities benefiting North Korea, and that some had traveled to Pyongyang to receive secret ideological training aimed at advancing the communist takeover of South Korea.
The investigation began after Lim Seok-jin, an assistant professor at Myongji University who had returned from studying in Germany, voluntarily reported himself to the authorities. Ultimately, 194 people were implicated in the case, including world-renowned composer Isang Yun, painter Lee Ungno, academics such as Hwang Seong-mo and Lim Seok-jin, and prominent student activists of the so-called “June 3 Generation,” including Kim Jung-tae and Hyun Seung-il, who had played leading roles in the movement against the Korea–Japan Normalization Treaty. Those implicated also included university professors, artists, physicians, and government officials. A total of 107 individuals were formally charged or placed under arrest and investigation.
On January 26, 2006, the National Intelligence Service Truth Commission concluded that the Dongbaekrim Case had been greatly exaggerated by the KCIA for political purposes, particularly to divert public attention from the controversy surrounding the 1967 presidential and parliamentary elections. The Commission noted that although prosecutors had referred 66 individuals for prosecution, including 23 on espionage charges, the Supreme Court ultimately did not uphold espionage convictions for any of them.
The Commission also found that the KCIA had expanded the investigation without sufficient grounds to include the Seoul National University Comparative Nationalism Study Group (Minbiyeon) Case, a prominent student organization of the time, and that it had publicly announced the progress of the investigation seven separate times while the investigation was still ongoing.
Furthermore, the Commission determined that more than 30 artists, professors, and students residing overseas were illegally brought back to South Korea, and that various forms of torture were likely used during interrogations. It also uncovered internal KCIA documents suggesting attempts to influence prosecutors and judges through bribery during the trials.
In light of these findings, the Truth Commission recommended that the South Korean government issue a comprehensive official apology to all those affected by the Dongbaekrim (East Berlin) Case.
