Kim the Snake: A Lesson in the Korean War History

Kim Chang Ryong: Japanese Military Police to Rhee's CIC Chief

김창룡 (金昌龍 1916~1956)

●Striving to become a Japanese Military Policeman

Kim Chang Ryong was born in 1916 to poor peasant family in South Hamgyong Province. By this time Korea became part of Japan and Japanese colonialists were bent on subjugating the Korean people. They suppressed Korean nationalism using barbaric methods on one hand and held up equality with Japanese on the other hand.

The Japanese colonialists feared that lording over the Korean people would intensify anti-Japan sentiments among the Korean people and so they pushed the false notion of "Korea ruled by Koreans." They looked for the right kind of Koreans - those who were sold on the idea that Koreans would better off being Japanese - and pampered them and empowered them to lead the way. Kim Chang Ryong was one of these Korean Quislings.

After graduating from an agricultural vocation school and he got a job at a Japanese factory. He sought after Japanese ways of life and socialized exclusively with Japanese coworkers at the factory. After two years of hard work, Kim endeared himself the Japanese manager, who recommended Kim to a better job - a railway station attendant at Jiangchun (長春驛), Manchuria. There he worked hard for the Japanese station master, who got Kim a job (軍屬) with the Japanese military police in North Chine - this was Kim's dream come true: Imagine a Korean with the Japanese Military Police! He worked at his job of a police aid with due diligence and his dedication was recognized by the Japanese and, at last in 1940, Kim was sent to the Kwangtung military police training center and became a bona fide military police He was 25 years old at the time.

The sooner he came a military policeman, Kim was transformed into an ardent anti-Korean. He was out to show to his Japanese masters that he was not longer a Korean but a true-blood servant of the Emperor. His duty was to go undercover and ferret out anti-Japanese elements in China. His detective work took him to Nanjing (南京), Muchiang (武昌), Hankao (漢口), Youngsu (永修), Ahnyi (安義) and other cities of China. His main job was to uncover spies in the border areas.

In April 1941, Kim engineered the arrest of Wang Gunlai (王近禮), the Chinese spy master in North Hungan Province (興安北省). Kim disguised himself as a beggar and managed to get a job at Wang's residence. Wang operated a department store as a cover and Kim Chang Ryong became his delivery man, an ideal way to track down Wang's contacts. Kim had himself arrested seven times by the Japanese police in order to obtain Wang's trust to the degree that Wang accepted him as one of his own. Thanks to Kim's hard work, the Japanese military force were able to apprehend some 50 agents from the Soviet Union and captured 9 wireless transmitters

Staying out in sub-zero freezing weather on a lookout did not bother Kim. He managed to smash more than 50 anti-Japanese groups. His grateful Japanese masters rewarded him by making a police corporal, an unprecedented honor to a Korean. Unfortunately form Kim, Japan's fortune turned sour in 1945 fast. The Soviet Red Army, which was preoccupied in Europe until then, turned its attention to the Japanese in China. The Soviets declared war on Japan on August 8, 1945 and invaded China en masse. At about the same time, the Americans dropped atomic bombs. Hirohito's days were numbered.

●Beneficiary of Korea's Division

As the Red Army rolled into Tongwha (通化), Hirohito capitulated, upon which Kim Chang Ryong's militart police unit was disbanded. Kim Chang Ryong discarded his police uniform and managed to return home disguised as a refugee. He did bring his Japanese samurai sword as a memento. A refugee with a sword sent a warning signal to the local security police. He was arrested for being a suspicious person and spent seven days in a jail. However, he was released and soon, he married a local woman (都相媛)of his home village. Kim was 29 years old at the time.

He constantly feared being uncovered and he could earn barely enough money to feed himself. In the Fall of 1945, Kim paid a visit to Kim Yun Won (金允元) in Chulwon. The latter worked for Kim Chang Ryong as an informant in China and Chang Ryong figured that his former assistant would help him out. However, Kim Yun Won exposed his former boss and thus, Kim Chang Ryong was arrested, tried and sentenced to death for anti-Korean deeds.

On November 15 of that year, Kim Chang Ryong jumped off the truck carrying him to the Hamhung prison for execution. He roamed the mountains for three days in freezing weather and managed to reach a relative's house in Younghung. There he spent several months recuperating from the wounds he received during the escape. He was waiting for an opportune moment to escape to South Korea. However, he was discovered and arrested again by the local police. Due to communication problems, the local police was not informed of Kim's true identity and were unaware that they had one of the most wanted war criminals in their hands.

Later, Kim Chang Ryong claimed that his maternal uncle Kim Young Jo (金榮助), the local police chief, was the one who fingered him. However, the truth is that he was over-heard saying - "Let's kill the Soviets and their puppets - let's kill them all and their seeds", and the police was duly informed of this anti-Soviet. On April 11, 1946, he was tried, convicted and sentence to die for war crimes - all over again - at Jungpyong. Once again, Lady Luck smiled at him: his Soviet guard fell asleep and Kim knocked him out with a chair and escaped. He traveled to Pyongyang where he found safety with his wife's relatives.

After having been sentenced to die thanks to his own relatives, Kim realized that North Korea was no place for him; he could not trust anyone - not even his own kin. He began his journey to freedom and his 'long yearned for Motherland". He walked through Namchun (南川), Gumgok (金谷) and climbed over Mount Songak and finally, reached the safety of South Korea.

It is doubtful that his 'ordeals' in North Korea were factual. The Kim Chang Ryong story has not been independently corroborated. He needed some colorful stories to buy Rhee Syngman's trust.

●I will do anything to eradicate Communists

Kim arrived at Seoul in May 1946 and lived the life of a beggar, since he had no contacts in that city. One day, he ran into Park Gi Young (朴基炳), a close friend from his days in China. Park was lieutenant in the Constabulary and worked at the Headquarters. Kim told Park about his narrow escapes in North Korea and said he would do anything to go after the communists to revenge for his tribulations.

Park told Kim that he would be welcome at the police or the army, and Kim chose to join the army because he believed the army would someday liberate North Korea from the Soviets. Park recommended Kim Chang Ryong to Gen. Won Young Duk, who had Kim accepted into the newly formed 5th Regiment in Pusan under Baik Sun Yup.

KIm Chang Ryong wanted to enter the officers training school, but he could get the regimental recommendation. The regiment's deputy in charge of personnel, Lt. Baik Nam Gwon (白南權), a former student volunteer for Hirohito, thought that Kim's past record of being a Japanese military police disqualified for an officer of the Korean army. Kim Chang Ryong was offended and left the regiment.

Kim returned to Seoul looking for his friend, Park Gi Young, but Park was no longer in Seoul - je had been transferred to the 3rd Regiment in I-ri. At that time, Maj. Kim Baik Il (金白一) commanded the regiment and Capt. Kim Jong Oh (金鐘五) was in charge of personnel. Kim Chang Ryong went to I-ri and promptly was assigned to G-2 (intelligence) under Capt. Oh Il Gyun. In those days, leftists held many key positions in the army. Cpl. Kim Chang Ryong accused Capt. Oh of being a leftist and Oh was transferred to the officers training school. With Capt. Oh out of the way, Kim Chang Ryong was free to hunt for leftists. He planted informants everywhere and made his own hit list.

Capt. Kim Jong Oh agreed to recommend Cpl. Kim Chang Ryong for the 3rd class of the officers training school. Cpl. Kim passed the entrance exam and enrolled in the school on January 13, 1947. After completing the 95-day curriculum, he was commissioned a lieutenant on April 19. The 3rd class was a mix of leftists and rightists. Later these officers fought each other. The Yosu mutiny of October 1948 was led by Lt. Kim Ji How (金智會) and Lt. Hong Soon Suk (洪淳錫), both members of the Class 3, and most of the royal field officers were their classmates.

●The Kim Do Young Saga

Kim Chang Ryong's one-track crusade against communism had more to do a personal vendetta than any ideology. He was out to even the score no matter what and used every guile, deception and means to satisfy his pathological animosity towards Korean communists and leftists. In fact, he used his power to get even with anyone - anti-communists included - who had stepped on his toes. His vendetta against Kim Do Young is a case in point.

Kim Do Young was a corporal in the Japanese army before liberation and commanded a squad (the 3rd Regiment) in the Korean army. One day, Kim Do Young ordered Kim Chang Ryong to report to him as soon as Chang Ryong had completed his evening round, but Kim Chang Ryong disobeyed the order, whereupon the angry squad leader struck Chang Ryong several times with a stick and reprimanded him. Some weeks later, Kim Chang Ryong was commission and became an intelligence officer.

Three years later in 1949, Kim Do Young commanded a battalion (the 6th Regiment) on Cheju trying to put down the April 3rd Uprising that began in 1948. Kim Chang Ryong had Do Young arrested on suspicion of being a rebel sympathizer and consequently, Do Young was arrested, tortured and imprisoned for six months. Eventually, he was cleared of any wrong doing and regained his command.

During the Korean War, Kim Do Young was deputy commanded of the Pusan military training camp. At about the same time, Kim Chang Ryong commanded \the Pusan security command. Kim Chang Ryong renewed his attack on Do Young. When they met in Pusan, Chang Ryong sneered - "Why aren't you with the enemy?", whereupon, Young Do pulled out his pistol and was about to shoot his tormentor, Their associated intervened and go the two sworn enemies separated.

In 1954, soon after the armistice, Kim Chang Ryong had Young Do arrested again. Young Do commanded a military training camp in Nonsan at the time. Chang Ryong claimed that Young Do planning to stage a coup with his students and that Sin Ik Hee, a prominent political opponent of Rhee was behind the alleged coup attempt. Young Do was tortured for four months but he persisted in denying the charges. Once again, Young Do was released. Although the charges against him were dropped, his chance of becoming a general was ruined. For two years, until Kim Chang Ryong was killed, Young Do went without any command job.

This was how Kim Chang Ryong abused his authority to gratify his pathological vendetta against anyone stood in his sick way. He had Rhee Syngman's unswerving support and wielded enormous power second only to Rhee himself.

●A Necessary Evil in a Transition Period

In time, Kim Chang Ryong's personal crusade against communism became more and more psychotic. He was betrayed twice by the people he thought he could trust and apparently because this bitter trauma, he trusted no one and did everything by himself. People suspected of leftist ideology was immediately arrested and tortured until they "confessed'. It got to the point that he became physically agitated by anything red - women in red skirts, people selling or eating red peppers aroused his suspicious mind. To his sick mind, anything red was associated with communism. He had a severe case of red-phobia.

In the aftermath of the 1948 Yosu-Sunchon army mutiny, the 1st Regiment stationed at Taerung began a red hunt on its own initiative. The man in charge of this man hunt was none other than Kim Chang Ryong. Major Lee Sung Gah commanded the regiment at the time. Lee made Kim Chang Ryong his intelligence aide. Chang Ryong formed a special unit made of former Japanese policemen and military policemen. They were instrumental in smoking out leftists officers and soldiers of the regiment. Later these men formed the counter intelligence corps (CIC).

There were forces critical of Kim Chang Ryong. The commander-in-chief of the Constabulary, Gen. Song Ho Sung (宋虎聲), took note of the fact that Kim Chang Ryiong worked for the Japanese military police and purged countless patriots. Gen. Song ordered his chief legal officer, Capt. Kim Wan Ryong (金完龍) to investigate Kim Chang Ryong's past and get rid of him. There were letters of protests against Kim Chang Ryong's excesses as well. Some people wondered how this notorious Japanese collaborator managed to acquire so much power in liberated Korea. At the time, Kim Chang Ryong was after leftist officers such as Lee Byong Wi, Kim Jong Suk (金鐘碩), Choe Nam Gun (崔楠根), Kim Ji Hoe, Oh Il Gyun and many others.

Gen. Song's order was deep-sixed by Kim Chang Ryong's superiors on the excuse that Kim Chang Ryong was needed. They had him swear loyalty to Korea and dropped the case. Later, Gen. Song Ho Sung himself was mustered out of the army thanks to Kim Chang Ryong.

● Red Hunts and Prominence

The Yosu-Sunchun army mutiny triggered a nation-wide manhunt for communists and leftists in the army, and Kim Chang Ryong led the way. The division of Korea had saved him from certain death for his treachery and the army mutiny ensured his prominence. The army chief-of-staff, Lee Ung Joon, was given a list of communists and leftists in the army compiled by the Japanese police. The list was to Rhee Syngman and Rhee gave a copy to Lee and told him to take care of them. Accordingly, Lee ordered Sin Chang Sul, the military police chief, and Lt. Col. Baik Sung Yup, the intelligence head, to check it out.

The task of checking out the people on the list fell on Kim Chang Ryong and Major Kim Ahn Il (金安一). They set up an "army purification HQ" within the army HQ in Seoul. The military police was given the job of arresting the suspects, who were interrogated by Kim Chang Ryong and his staff of 30, recruited from the 8th graduating class of the officers training school. They received instructions on intelligence from American advisors and formed the core of the Korean CIC - counter intelligence corps.

Kim Chang Ryong interrogated more than 3,000 captured rebels of the Yosu-Sunchun mutiny and found 150 members of the Labor (Communist) Party of South Korea. For this feat, he was promoted to the rank of captain on August 15, 1948 and barely 70 days later on November 5, 1948, to major - an unprecedented fast track for a Japanese corporal. Until that time, his anti-red crusade was confined to the 1st Regiment, but with his promotion, his mandate extended to the whole army.

By the Spring of 1949, the red hunts in the army wound down. Several hundred officers and soldiers were arrested and housed in a warehouse awaiting to be tortured by Kim's men. In May 1949, two battalions of the army mutinied and defected to North Korea, which rekindled the red hunts all over again. The army was in a turmoil. In addition to Kim's army-wide red hunts, regional commands conducted their own local red hunts. Gen. Lee Woon Joon (李應俊) was relieved and Chae Byong Duk became the army chief-of-staff.

By the time the nation-wide red hunts completed, in July 1949, 4,749 soldiers and officers of the army, about 5% of the army strength, were had been purged.

●Evil Deeds in the Name of 'Army Purification'

The 'purification' process saw many innocent lives ruined and countless barbaric acts committed by Kim Chang Ryong and his men. Sin Sang Chul commanded the military police at the time and recollects as follows:

"Our most urgent mission was to complete the purification process as soon as possible. We had no clear evidence against the accused and therefore, we had to wring out confessions with physical tortures. Those with proper connections were spared the hardship - if you know so and so, and if they swear for your innocence, you can leave". Many innocent people were falsely arrested and tortured on account of the fact their names sounded like those on the black list. They had the same or similar names but wrong people. Suspects were tortured until they named names, and many did so, just any names, because they could stand the torture.

There were numerous excesses. For example, Kim Chang Ryong arrested 40 members of the Air Force, which was being formed at the time. Almost the entire Air Force officers and servicemen were arrested. One of the arrested was Lt. Park Won Suk, later to become the Air Force commander in 1965. Col. Kim Jung Ryul (金貞烈) knew Lt. Park well and vouched for him. Kim Chang Ryong told the colonel that he had no hard evidence against Park but he the hunch that Park might become a leftist in the future.

Kim Chang Ryong's power was so unlimited and no one was exempt from his fury. Lee Ung Gi, a judge, thought it strange that a group of special forces troops of several hundred had singed confessions that were more or less identical. Lee looked into this strange case on his dock and found that the men were arrested by Kim Chang Ryong merely for the fact that they sang a communist song. It turned out that the special forces men. mostly from North Korea, were partying at a bar. They got drunk and sang songs. One of the men was asked to sing a song by his commander, but he demurred saying the only songs he knew were North Korean. The officer told him to sing it anyways. Unfortunately, an informant heard it and called in Kim Chang Ryong. Kim rushed there with his troops and arrested the merry-makers. They were tortured to name names and they did - they named other members of the special forces unit. Judge Lee Ung Gi could not believe his eyes and ordered the men release at once. Kim Chang Ryong protested and threatened the judge himself: "You are a communist and you will be the next". Lee feared for his life for months after this.

In late September 1949, Goh Hee Du (高羲斗, 47 years old at the time), a prominent businessman in Seoul was tortured to death by Kim Chang Ryong's men. Goh had influential friends and the perpetrator, Doh Jin Hee was arrested and sentenced to 9 years in prison for Goh's death and Kim Chang Ryong was relieved of his command (of the CIC). Doh was released from prison at the outbreak of the Korean War, which had not only restored Kim Chang Ryong's power, but amplified it many-fold during and after the War. Rhee Syngman maintained his one-man rule in the name of anti-communism and relied on thugs like Kim Chang Ryong to eliminate his opponents. But Kim had made too many enemies and his days were numbered.

●Did Kim Chang Ryong Order Kim Gu's Murder?

On June 26, 1949, Kim Gu, the most revered nationalist leader, was killed by Lt. Ahn Doo Hee. On April 13, 1992, Dongah Ilbo published an alleged confession of Ahn Doo Hee, the convicted assassin of Kim Gu. Ahn claimed that Kim Chang Ryiong ordered Kim Gu's assassination. Who was behind Arh Doo Hee? Is it true that Kim Chang Ryong was the mastermind? Surprisingly, few people in Korea knew who this Kim Chang Ryong character was.

Ahn claimed that he met Kim Chang Ryong at the Continental Trading, a CIC front, located in front of Hotel Korea. The two of them met alone in Kim's private office and planned Kim Gu's murder. Capt. Kim Chang Ryong headed the G-2 section of the 1st Regiment and frequented the CIC front office. It was Kim Chang Ryong who hijacked Ahn Doo Hee from the military police after Kim Gu was shot (Ahn was arrested on the spot).

Kim Chang Ryong treated Ahn like a royalty and made sure that his charge had enough to eat and a comfortable place to sleep. Arh was tried and sentenced to life in prison. He maintained that he acted alone, and the police bought his story. Ahn's sentence was reduced to 15 years in jail. Even that, Ahn did not serve: when the Korean War broke out, Kim Chang Ryong rushed to the prison and released Ahn and Doh Jin Hoe (in prison for the torture-murder of Goh Hee Du). In July 1950, Arn was reinstated and promoted to colonel by the time he was discharged from the army in 1953. Kim Chang Ryong was behind Ahn's spectacular rescue.

●One Day, in the Morning, Three Shots

Kim was promoted to colonel soon after the war broke out and was in charge of security for the Gyongnam region. After the Inchon landing, he commanded a joint security command of police and military and wielded life and death power over anyone who was opposed to, or even suspected to oppose tp, Rhee's dictatorship. The National Assembly declared Kim's organization illegal and it was disbanded in May 1951. Kim Chang Ryong moved on to head the Korean CIC and continued his service to protect Rhee's personal fiefdom. Rhee appreciated his dedication and promoted him to brigadier in 1953 and major general in 1955. Thus a corporal in the Japanese army in 1945, became a major general in South Korea - in ten years.

In the early morning of January 30, 1956, Kim Chang Ryong, on the way to his office, was shot three times by two assassins less than 100 meters from his home in Yongsan, Seoul. He died instantly. Kim was Rhee Syngman's most trusted henchman and Rhee went into a frenzy and order an all-out investigation into this affair.

In less than a month, the assassins were arrested on February 23 by CIC investigators. Col. Huh Tae Young (許泰榮, 37), commander of the Seoul military region, Col. Lee Jin Young (37), Major Ahn Jung Soo (military police, 55, and the CID Unit 12 commander), Lt. Huh Byong Sik (military police, 27, Col Huh's brother), Lee Yu Hoe, Sgt, Lee Yu Hoe (Col. Huh's driver, drove the getaway car), Song Yong Goh (29, shooter, CIC civilian employee), and Sin Cho Sik (31, shooter, CIC civilian employee). They were tried for the crime by a special military court. Col. Huh and company were former or current members of the CIC, and worked under Kim Chang Ryong. The two shooters were current members of the CIC.

Col. Huh claimed the responsibility at the court-martial and received a death sentence, whereupon his wife stepped forward and disclosed that her husband was ordered to commit the crime by his superiors - Lt. Gen. Kang Moon Bong (姜文奉). commander of the 2nd Army, and Brigadier Gong Guk Jin, former commander of the military police. Both generals denied any involvement, but they were arrested, tortured and tried. At the hearing, Lt. Gen. Kang stated that Kim Chang Ryong was a cancer in the army which was eating away the army by causing tension and dissension among the officers and men, and indeed, he wanted to cut out this cancer. However, he insisted that did not order Col. Huh to kill Kim Chang Ryong.

Col. Huh told the court that he had Kim Chang Ryong killed because Kim framed senior officers on false charges in order to curry Rhee Syngman's favors and also to satiate his insatiable lust for blood. Huh cited the case of an assassination plot on the occasion of a commencement ceremony of the military academy. There was no such plot - it was concocted by Kim Chang Ryong to please Rhee. Kim Chang Ryong spied on senior officers of the army and dug up dirt in their private life.

After lengthy hearings, lasting for over 2,000 hours, the court found all accused guilty as charged. Lt. Gen. Kang was sentenced to die. In the appeals court, Col. Huh, Song Yong Goh and Sin Cho Sik were received the death sentence and Gen. Kang's death sentence was commuted to life in prison. Subsequently, Huh, Sin and Song were executed. Lt. Gen. Kang was released and reinstated after the April 19th military coup of Gen. Park Jung Hee.

● Kim Chang Ryong's 'Achievements'

ㅇ Uncovered a plot to poison officers foods at the 1st Regiment dining hall. ㅇ Arrested Lee Byning Ju (李炳周), the first provost martial; arrested Lt. Col. Choe Nam Gun (崔楠根), commander of the 15th Regiment ㅇ Uncovered Soviet spies in the Soviet legation in Seoul. ㅇ Arrested Lee Jai Bok (李在福), the military section head, South Korean Labor (Communist) Party - SKLP
ㅇ Arrested Lee Joong (李重業), the head organizer, SKLP
ㅇ Arrested Kim Hyong Yuk (金炯六), a secretary of SKLP ㅇ Arrested Kim Soo Im (金壽壬), a spy. ㅇ Arrested Kim Sam Ryong (金三龍) and Lee Ju Ha (李舟河), top guerrilla commanders
ㅇ Exposed Gen. Song Ho Sung (宋虎聲), Supreme commander of the Constabulary, as a left sympathizer. Song was fired. ㅇ Arrested Kim Young Sik (金永植), the military commander, SKLP ㅇ Smashed underground networks of SKLP ㅇ The case of guerrillas disguised as beggars ㅇ Arrested Ahn So Ju (安小柱), the chief SKLP secretary of Gyong-gi Province ㅇ Exposed women guerrillas disguised as peddlers ㅇ The case of In Ae Association (仁愛會) welcoming North Korean troops
: 　● Kim Chang Ryong's Fake Cases
"The People's Liberation Army": In September 1948, one month prior to the Yosu mutiny of the 14th Regiment, Maj. Oh Dong Gi, the regimental commander, and other senior officers of the regiment allegedly plotted a rebellion. Kim 'uncovered' this plot. Maj Oh served with Chiang Kaisek's army in China; he was 50 at the time of his arrest. Oh was court-martialed and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Oh insisted that he was being framed by Kim Chang Ryong and Chae Byong Duk, both his adversaries in the Japanese army during WWII.
"The Coffin Case": A group of young men, in funeral outfits, was found carrying a coffin and moving toward Taegu. Kim Chang Ryong "found" more than 50 carbines in the coffin and arrested the would-be mourners. The truth of the matter is that there was no such incident.
"The Pusan Mt. Gumjung Guerrilla Case": Kim Chang Ryong promised some inmates of the Taegu prison that they would be released if they performed a certain task. The prisoners were taken to Mt. Gumjung and told to put on guerrilla uniforms. As soon as they donned the uniforms, Kim Chang Ryong's men opened fire and kill all of the prisoners. Their bodies were displayed and Rhee Syngman decreed a martial law in Pusan.
"Jung Guk Un International Espionage": Kim Chang Ryong arrested Jung Guk Un on August 31, 1953 and claimed that he was a spy. Jung was a noted reporter in South Korea. He was editor of Taeyang sinmun. After the paper was shut down, Jung worked for Yonhap until the war broke out, when he went to Japan as a foreign correspondent. In Tokyo, he attended press meetings and had access to military "secrets". Jung was tried, convicted and executed on February 19, 1954.
　
"The East Sea Coup Plot": Col. Kim Hwa San, chief of personnel of the 1st Army at Sokcho (Lt. Lee Hyong Gun, commander), plotted to kill Rhee Syngman and then take over the government. After killing Rhee, Col. Kim was to lead 1,000 troops to Pusan, where Lt. Gen. Kim Jong Pyong was waiting to mount a full-scale coup.: 　
"Plot to kill Rhee Syngman": On October 14, 1955, Rhee Syngman announced that a plot to kill him was uncovered and the plotters were arrested. Among the arrested were a number of leaders of political parties opposed to Rhee. The suspects were tried and convicted by a military court. It turned out that the alleged gunman, Lee Jong Tae was an undercover agent of Kim Chang Ryong. Lee approached Rhee's political enemies and volunteered to be the shooter, and the unsuspecting victims swallowed the hook. At the trial, the supposed shooter starred as the key witness for prosecution. Many of the accused were Kim Gu supporters.

"The Cotton Cloth Case": In the 1950's, army commanders were permitted to use military vehicles for business transactions, proceeds from which were supposedly to feed their ill-fed, ill-clothed troops. One profitable business was to cut down trees, truck them to cities for fire woods. Since the trees were free and the army trucks were paid for by the government, this tree business was enormously profitable. Rhee Syngman learned of this practice from Kim Chang Ryong and had it stopped to the great anger of the army brass. The 'cotton' case came about when cotton worth $500,000, intended to cloth the troops, were sold for cash in the black market and part of the money went to Rhee's political allies. Kim Chang Ryon was the money trail when he was gunned down.

Source: http://banmin.or.kr/n_chungsan60/gun/kcr.htm 일제 관동군 헌병에서 대한민국 특무부장까지