He was assassinated by the right-wing terrorist group the White Shirts Society in 1947.

All of the defendants were found guilty, with 8 being sentenced to death by hanging and the other two to 10 years in prison each.

After reviewing the case, U.S. Army General John R. Hodge confirmed two of the death sentences of Park Gwang-ok and Bae Hee-beom, who were viewed as the ringleaders, but reduced the other six death sentences to prison terms.

Park Gwang-ok and Bae Hee-beom were both executed after the Korean War began.

Another convict, Kim Seok-hwang, was later captured and executed by the North's Korean People's Army.