Horim Unit

The Horim Unit was a clandestine guerrilla and reconnaissance unit of the Republic of Korea Army created in 1949 under the Army Headquarters Intelligence Bureau. It was tasked with infiltration into North Korea during the early Cold War period, before the outbreak of the Korean War.

History

The unit was established on 25 February 1949, composed largely of anti-communist North Korean refugees and members of the North-West Youth Association. Its first commander was Major Han Wang-yong.
After training at the Army Reconnaissance School, the unit was split into two battalions, stationed near Seoraksan for infiltration missions into North Korea.
In August 1949, approximately 316 operatives infiltrated North Korea via Gangwon Province. Of the around 240 involved in deep-penetration operations, at least 203 were reportedly killed and 14 captured. There are also attestations of the unit that was covered in a North Korean internal party report about their operations in Inje County on July 4th, 1949. Captured operatives were put on public trial in Pyongyang. Thousands were reportedly gathered at the Moranbong Theatre to witness the proceedings, which were recorded by North Korean media.
In the 2000s, South Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigated the Horim Unit for involvement in massacres of suspected communist civilians during training or anti-partisan operations. Responsibility was linked to then-Intelligence Bureau chief General Paik Sun-yup.

Legacy

In 2024, veterans and nationalist groups formed the Horim Security Council, aiming to honor the legacy of the unit.
The unit and its public trials were featured in investigative news segments by MBC in 2000 and 2006, after footage of the Pyongyang trials was discovered.