Kidnapping of Kim Dae-jung

Believing the accident to be an attempt on his life, Kim fled to Japan where he eventually began an exile movement for democracy in South Korea, following Seoul's declaration of the Yushin Constitution in October 1972 while seeking medical treatment.

Around 11:00 am of August 8, 1973, Kim was attending a meeting with the leader of the Democratic Unification Party held in the Room 2211 of the Hotel Grand Palace in Tokyo.

[citation needed] Kim's hands and feet were tied with weights while aboard the boat heading toward Korea, indicating that the kidnappers had intended to drown him by throwing him into the Sea of Japan.

Ambassador Philip Habib found out the KCIA was involved and intervened with the South Korean government.

[5] On October 24, 2007, following an internal inquiry, South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) has admitted that its precursor, the KCIA, undertook the kidnapping, saying it had at least tacit backing from then-leader Park Chung Hee.