Jeonnam Governor Kim Young-rok Welcomes Submission of 'Yeosun Incident Special Act' to National Assembly

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeonnam Province, expressed his welcome along with 2 million residents regarding the special bill on the Yeosu-Suncheon 10·19 Incident, which was submitted to the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee on the 10th.

This year marks the 72nd anniversary of the Yeosu-Suncheon 10·19 Incident, which, along with the Jeju 4·3 Incident in the early days of the government establishment, is considered a representative case of large-scale civilian casualties caused by state violence.

The special bill aimed at revealing the historical truth of the Yeosu-Suncheon 10·19 Incident and resolving the grievances of the victims was submitted four times from the 16th to the 20th National Assembly sessions but was automatically discarded each time without passing the National Assembly, depriving victims and their families of a proper opportunity for truth investigation.

The submitted bill includes provisions such as ▲establishing a fact-finding committee under the Prime Minister and operating a damage reporting office ▲promoting memorial projects including the creation of memorial cemeteries and parks ▲peace and human rights education ▲exclusion of the statute of limitations on claims for damages caused by the incident ▲and support for medical and living expenses to improve the welfare of victims and their families.

Governor Kim Young-rok said, “I thank everyone who worked hard to propose the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident special bill,” and appealed, “I earnestly request that both ruling and opposition parties set aside ideology and unite in one heart so that the special law for national integration and reconciliation can be enacted as soon as possible in this National Assembly.”

He added, “Jeonnam Province will also spare no support for restoring the honor of the victims and healing the pain of their families through joint memorial services, excavation and maintenance of historic sites, and education to correctly understand history.”

Meanwhile, the Yeosu-Suncheon 10·19 Incident occurred when some soldiers of the 14th Regiment of the National Army stationed in Yeosu refused orders to mobilize on October 19, 1948, to suppress the Jeju people's uprising against the separate elections and establishment of a separate government.

During the process of restoring order, a tragic event occurred in which about 10,000 innocent civilians were brutally killed across Jeonnam, including Yeosu and Suncheon.

Fortunately, in the civilian victim retrial held in January this year, the judiciary confirmed the innocence of the victims and stated, “We hope that a special law will be enacted so that relief can be provided.”

In July, led by National Assembly member So Byung-chul and other lawmakers from the eastern region of Jeonnam, a total of 152 lawmakers newly submitted the “Special Act on the Fact-Finding and Restoration of Honor of Victims of the Yeosu-Suncheon 10·19 Incident” to the 21st National Assembly.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.