When My Hero Gave Favor to His Assassin

Heroes have a strange way of shaping our lives. Some inspire us from the pages of history, others challenge us through their failures, and a few transform our dreams simply by the power of their lives.

But here is a question we rarely ask out loud:

Why do so many of the heroes we admire end up remembered after death —rather than celebrated while alive?

For many of us, heroes symbolize hope. They offer courage where we are weak, direction when life feels confusing, and purpose when society feels uncertain. Yet the deeper meaning of heroism becomes clearer when we see not just their victories but their choices, their struggles, and even the shadows that tested them.

Among the many leaders who reshaped the course of nations, Park Chung-hee stands out as one of the most dramatic, controversial, and transformative figures of the 20th century.

And surprisingly, the man who eventually assassinated him — Kim Jae-gyu — is now regarded by many South Koreans as a “different kind of hero.”

This dramatic tension between heroism and wrongdoing, leadership and corruption, sacrifice and consequence, opens a powerful window for every Filipino student, teacher, and parent who cares about the future of our own nation.

Let us journey through their story—because in it lie lessons not only for South Korea, but also for the Philippines.

The Hero Who Transformed a Nation

I have many heroes in my heart — both foreign and Filipino. Of course, we Filipinos revere Dr. Jose P. Rizal, whose brilliance and courage continue to anchor our national memory.

But another leader captured my admiration as I studied the history of modern nations:

Park Chung-hee, the 3rd President of South Korea

Before South Korea became the technological powerhouse we know today, it was a struggling Third World country—poor, war-torn, uncertain, and desperate for a path forward. When Park assumed the presidency in 1963, the country was nowhere near its current First World status.

Yet the Korea we admire today — Samsung, Hyundai, K-culture, high-speed trains, world-class education, and the globally famous “Miracle on the Han River” — began under Park’s leadership.

Park’s Military Background

• Graduated top of his class at the Changchun Military Academy in 1942

• Trained at the Imperial Japanese Army Academy

• Known for his discipline, precision, and strategic mind

  
  

His vision was unmistakable: turn a poor nation into an industrial powerhouse.

And he pursued this with boldness, determination, and sometimes controversial decisions.

The Legacy of Park Chung-hee

Park understood something that many leaders ignore:

When a nation is sinking, someone has to build the ships. And those ships are industries.

He invested heavily—even recklessly—into infrastructure and export-oriented manufacturing.South Korea’s “scanty” budget went into factories, steel plants, shipyards, and roads.

And the results changed history.

Major Achievements Under Park

• Signed the Status of Forces Agreement with the U.S., strengthening national security

• Sent 320,000 troops to support the U.S. during the Vietnam War, strengthening diplomatic and economic ties

• Received billions in grants, loans, subsidies, technology transfers, and export opportunities

• Declared Ulsan a special industrial zone, giving birth to Hyundai’s rise

• Founded the Kuro Industrial Park

• Created Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO), now one of the world’s biggest steel producers

• Sent thousands of workers and nurses to West Germany in the 1970s, creating strong ties and economic opportunities

• Established relations with Iran, securing stable oil supplies

  
  

BNP Paribas described South Korea’s success as:

“An extraordinary success… born from large-scale cooperation between government and business.”

It was not perfect. It was not gentle. It was not without moral complications. But it built a nation.

The Man Park Promoted… Who Would One Day Kill Him

Among the many names around Park’s presidency, one stands out because of the strange twist of destiny attached to it:

Kim Jae-gyu

Before becoming the Director of the Korea Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA), Kim served as:

• Construction Minister (1974–1976)

• A key figure in expanding Korean construction companies into the Middle East

• The man who helped increase South Korean construction exports twentyfold

• A lifelong friend and batchmate of Park

  
  

Ironically, Park himself handpicked and promoted him to lead the KCIA.

But beneath their friendship was a long, deep history of disagreement:

Kim Jae-gyu Opposed Park’s Actions

• Refused to join Park’s 1961 military coup

• Ordered troops to clean streets instead of arresting civilians

• Expressed disapproval of the Yushin Constitution

• Maintained friendship with leaders of the democratic movement

• Secretly helped the family of a political prisoner

• Sought help from Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan to appeal to Park for reforms

  
  

Kim admired South Korea—but feared what Park’s absolute power might eventually do to it.

This fear eventually exploded on one of the most shocking days in Korean history.

What Made Kim Assassinate Park?

In 1972, Park declared martial law, dissolved the National Assembly, and pushed the Yushin Constitution, which:

• Abolished direct presidential elections

• Gave the president emergency powers

• Allowed Park to appoint all judges

• Suspended parts of the Constitution

• Removed term limits

• Granted one-third of Assembly seats to him

It was, by all standards, a legal structure designed for lifetime dictatorship.

Kim Jae-gyu later testified:

“I saw a more chaotic Korea in the hands of Park.”

Many South Koreans hated Park’s authoritarianism even while acknowledging his role in modernization.And in a twist of history that still shocks scholars today, Kim assassinated Park on October 26, 1979.

Thousands asked:

Was Kim a traitor — or a revolutionary?

A Nation Divided on a Single Question

By 2016, during the impeachment of Park Geun-hye, Park’s daughter and South Korea’s 11th President, the country revisited the legacy of her father.

And to the surprise of many, people began visiting Kim Jae-gyu’s resting place, laying flowers in gratitude.

South Koreans, known for their intensity and discipline — as even Lee Kuan Yew noted —once again showed the world how deeply they wrestle with truth, justice, and courage.

What seemed unforgivable in 1979 slowly transformed into a painful but important conversation about dictatorship, democracy, and moral responsibility.

If Kim Assassinated a Dictator Today, How Would We Respond?

Imagine it happened in our generation.

Imagine you knew someone who risked everything to stop a dictator.

Imagine he stood before the court, trembling, facing death.

Would you see him as:

• A murderer?

• A martyr?

• A hero?

• A desperate citizen pushed to the edge?

  
  

Who would defend him?

Who would stand up for someone who committed a terrible act to prevent an even greater tragedy?

One name comes to mind:

Sir Lionel Alfred Luckhoo

Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

Known as the World’s Most Successful Lawyer, with 245 consecutive murder acquittals.

A man of strategy, precision, and deep Christian faith.

Sir Luckhoo once described his courtroom technique:

“Win the one who nods. Then win the one who doubts. Because the life of your client depends on the heart of the one who hesitates.”

Imagine that brilliance defending Kim.

Imagine a courtroom where justice is not only legal — but moral, psychological, and spiritual.

The Spiritual Question: Can God Forgive Someone Like Kim?

This is where many Filipinos—students, parents, teachers—lean closer.

Because law answers one thing.

But faith answers another.

Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:17:

“If Christ did not rise, your faith is futile and your sins have never been forgiven.”

The resurrection is central to Christian belief. It declares that:

• No sin is beyond God’s forgiveness

• No failure is final

• No past is too dark for redemption

  
  

If Kim believed in Christ, then forgiveness was available to him—even if his actions shocked the world.

But forgiveness is never a green light for wrongdoing.

It is a mercy extended to flawed human beings who repent and return to God.

The Question of Greater Sin: Was Marcos to Blame?

A line found in a Wikipedia article suggests:

“Park patterned his self-coup after Ferdinand Marcos.”

Does this mean Marcos carried the heavier sin as the influencer?

The answer is not that simple.

Marcos himself was once convicted of murder—only to be freed when the Supreme Court reversed the decision through Justice Jose P. Laurel.His brilliance, legal skill, and topnotcher status became the reason people admired him.

But the truth remains:

When wrongdoing is not corrected, it escalates.

In families, in schools, in society, and in government.

A person who suffers no consequence slowly believes he can get away with anything—even as years pass.

This principle explains part of the Philippines’ political culture today.

The Missing Link: Morality and Economic Development

Our moral foundation came from Spanish priests who introduced Christianity to the Philippines.But historical accounts show that early Filipino Christianity lacked the deep, systematic, structured formation that shaped other nations.

Compare this with Switzerland, whose Roman Catholic priests invested generations of pastoral care, discipline, and thorough moral shaping.

In the words of Greg Kame:

“Many countries suffering economic downturns also fail in collective human behavior.”

Morality and economic progress are inseparable.

The Swiss understood it early.

South Koreans rediscovered it later.

Filipinos are rediscovering it now.

Final Thoughts: A Message for Students, Teachers, and Parents

We live in a time when individuals and leaders face crossroads moment after moment.

A person steals because he is hungry.

A leader steals because he is greedy.

Both commit wrong — but the impact is vastly different.

Leadership multiplies consequences.

And here is the deeper truth:

**When a person believes life ends at death, he narrows his vision.

When a person believes life continues beyond death, he expands his purpose.**

This is why I always encourage every Filipino—especially the youth—to study:

• Science

• Technology

• Music

• Law

• Business

  and the Bible with equal seriousness.

  
  

Because a nation rises not only through innovation — but through character.

Not only through intelligence — but through integrity.

Not only through laws — but through the moral strength of its people.

And as we raise a New Generation of Leaders, may they carry this truth:

Progress is not just about building economies. It is about shaping souls.

And when the soul of a nation is strong, its future becomes unstoppable.