Gimpo International Airport bombing explained
| Gimpo International Airport bombing |
| Coordinates: | 37.566°N 126.8°W |
| Date: | 14 September 1986 |
| Time: | 3:12 pm[1] |
| Timezone: | UTC+9 |
| Fatalities: | 5 |
| Injuries: | 30–36 |
| Perpetrator: | North Korea |
-->}}On 14 September 1986, a bomb blast at Gimpo International Airport, the then-main airport serving Seoul in South Korea, killed five people and injured around 30 others. All the victims were South Koreans.[2]
Officials blamed agents acting on behalf of the government of North Korea for the attack.[3] It took place just six days before the start of the 1986 Asian Games hosted by Seoul. National Police Director Kang Min Chang said North Korea performed the terrorist attack in an attempt to disrupt the Asian Games. He also said the attack was similar to the Rangoon bombing in 1983 when dozens of South Koreans lost their lives.[4]
These bombings, including that of Korean Air Flight 858 in 1987, caused the South Korean government to apply massive security measures for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.[5]
Notes and References
- News: 5 DEAD, 36 HURT IN AN EXPLOSION AT SEOUL AIRPORT. The New York Times. 15 September 1986. Clyde. Haberman. 23 November 2018. 17 August 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160817011358/http://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/15/world/5-dead-36-hurt-in-an-explosion-at-seoul-airport.html. live.
- Web site: The bombing at Kimpo International Airport appears to have.... 2018-07-11. 2018-07-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20180712030809/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/09/20/The-bombing-at-Kimpo-International-Airport-appears-to-have/2144527572800/. live.
- Web site: Routledge Handbook of Sport and Politics. Alan. Bairner. John. Kelly. Jung Woo. Lee. 4 October 2016. Routledge. Google Books.
- Web site: Bomb Kills 5 in Seoul; North Koreans Blamed. SAM. JAMESON. 15 September 1986. LA Times. 2018-07-11. 2015-09-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20150919214749/http://articles.latimes.com/1986-09-15/news/mn-11820_1_north-korea. live.
- Web site: Massive Security For Seoul Olympics. 2018-07-11. 2018-07-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20180712025634/https://apnews.com/cc3ef69fa0e26bb14423ba8b5763bfc2. live.
