"A senseless death": Lee Woong-pyeong, who defected with a fighter jet, died without spending a single won of his 1.56 billion won reward [Kkoko-mu] [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

'Kkoko-mu' revealed the tragic death associated with the 'Captain Lee Woong-pyeong MiG defection incident,' which turned South Korea upside down.

The 239th episode of SBS's 'Stories That Follow Each Other,' aired on the 3rd, was titled "Turn the Wheel Back to Freedom! - Lee Woong-pyeong from North Korea," featuring ONF's Hyojin, singer Cheongha, and actor Yoon Yu-seon.

On this day, the cast followed the life of Lee Woong-pyeong, who lived under surveillance, fear, and guilt over his family left behind in his hometown. Lee Woong-pyeong, an elite North Korean soldier and Air Force captain, discovered a single instant noodle packet on a beach during his vacation. The phrase printed on the back, "Products spoiled during distribution will be exchanged immediately," awakened him to the fact that South Korea was a society where consumers' rights were guaranteed, causing a major crack in his common sense. Meanwhile, when his father was purged due to family issues, he instinctively sensed the contradictions of the regime and decided to risk his life by defecting.

In February 1983, Lee Woong-pyeong, then 29 years old, broke away from his formation during flight training and executed a low-altitude flight to evade radar detection. An air defense alert was sounded across the entire Seoul metropolitan area. Amidst a tense situation that shook the skies of Seoul, as South Korean Air Force fighter jets surrounded him, Lee Woong-pyeong eventually signaled surrender and landed at Suwon Air Base.

For defecting with the claim "I came to expose North Korea's secrets," the South Korean government provided a massive reward of 1.56 billion won—enough to purchase 78 high-end apartments at the time—and granted him a formal commission as an Air Force major in exchange for securing the entire Soviet-era MiG fighter jet, the most advanced mainstay aircraft of North Korea, and providing its military secrets. Hearing the vivid account of Lee Woong-pyeong's defection, Cheongha exclaimed, "It gives me chills," unable to contain her surprise.

Despite becoming a 'pro-anti-communist idol' who delivered over 900 security lectures in a single year and drew crowds of 1.5 million people—enjoying popularity comparable to BTS—behind the glamour lay a tragic life waiting for him.

While living a silver-spoon life under the threat of assassination, he was constantly plagued by fear of poison attacks and surveillance from state institutions. Nevertheless, after marrying Park Sun-young, the daughter of a private tutor he fell in love with at first sight, he was finally able to escape surveillance thanks to his wife's firmness; she personally removed listening devices installed in their newlywed home and protested directly to the Security Command chief.

Lee Woong-pyeong did not rest on his luxurious life but took the lead in supporting North Korean defectors. In 1987, when Kim Man-cheol, a doctor from Kyongbuk Chongjin Medical University, and his family of 11 were drifting in Japanese waters before being transferred to Taiwan by the government as secret envoys, Lee was dispatched urgently to Taiwan as a special envoy to persuade Kim Man-cheol to defect to South Korea. Later, he even invited defected soldiers and even spies to his home, openly sharing their daily lives and helping them change sides.

Furthermore, with the hope that compatriots and soldiers in North Korea would find freedom, he took family photos every season and sent them on anti-North Korean leaflets (pamphlets). Yoon Yu-seon remarked, "He is incredibly brave."

However, in 1997, he was given a terminal diagnosis due to liver cirrhosis, forcing him to cross the threshold of death once again. Thanks to his wife's utmost efforts, he received an opportunity for a liver transplant surgery that was virtually unprecedented in South Korea at the time, given the underdeveloped medical technology. Yet, before the surgery, he expressed deep regret and sorrow, saying, "I won't see reunification."

Although the surgery was successful, Lee Woong-pyeong suffered from severe guilt after learning of tragic news about his family members, including his sister who had been imprisoned in a North Korean political prison camp. He left behind the 1.56 billion won reward he received upon defection without spending a single won, intending to save it for his family remaining in North Korea after reunification, demonstrating how deeply he cared for them. Ultimately, he was transferred to a hospital and passed away in 2002 at the age of 48. Yoon Yu-seon expressed her sorrow, saying, "Such a senseless death."

At the end of the broadcast, Lee Woong-pyeong's wife, Park Sun-young, shared her thoughts: "I hope he is remembered as someone who brought even a little help and resonance to society," leaving a touching aftertaste.

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*This content was translated by AI.