Lee Hu-rak

Lee Hu-rak was a South Korean politician, diplomat and the Director of the Korea Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) of South Korea from 1970 to 1973. From May 2 to the 5th 1972, during his time as Director of the KCIA, he traveled to Pyongyang on a secret diplomatic mission to meet Kim Il Sung and Pak Song-chol. These were the first formal diplomatic contacts between North Korea and South Korea and led to the July 4th North-South Korea Joint Statement. Then, it is alleged that he played a part in the kidnapping of Kim Dae-jung on August 8, 1973 from a Japanese hotel. He was also elected to the National Assembly in 1979 but was prohibited from political activity the following year on corruption charges corruption as a new military junta took power following Park's death. Although the restriction was lifted in 1985, he stayed out of any further participation in politics up until his death in 2009.