5·18 Martial Law Troops' National Cemetery Tombstone, from Killed in Action to Died in the Line of Duty... 'Correction' After 40 Years

A helicopter circling around the Jeonil Building during the May 18 incident.

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter]The epitaph on the tombstones of the martial law troops who were deployed in the forced suppression operation during the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement and died has been changed from 'killed in action' to 'died in the line of duty.' This is a follow-up measure after changing the 'death classification' of 22 people classified as 'May 18 martial law troops killed in action' to 'died in the line of duty' on the 18th.

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 29th, the replacement work of the tombstones of the 22 martial law troops buried at the National Seoul National Cemetery has been completed. This means that after 40 years since the Gwangju Democratization Movement, their status was changed from killed in action to died in the line of duty.

Originally, these deceased were recognized as killed in action according to the 'Army Regulation 1-31' (Handling of Killed and Missing Soldiers) enacted in June 1972. This regulation defined 'killed in action' as "those who died due to acts to suppress armed riots and rebellions or died from injuries sustained during such acts." However, in 1997, the Supreme Court ruled that "the protests by the May 18 Gwangju citizens were not acts of rebellion disrupting the national order but legitimate acts to protect the constitutional order," thus the classification of the martial law troops who died at that time as killed in action no longer met the criteria.

Accordingly, the Ministry of National Defense's Military Service and Sacrifice Review Support Group, considering the demands of the National Assembly and related organizations, re-examined the cases and decided to change the status of the 22 individuals from killed in action to died in the line of duty, and also removed the term 'rioters' from the initial death circumstance descriptions recorded in the cremation and burial reports.

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