Jeonnam Province Launches Investigation into Civilian Victims of the Korean War Before and After the Conflict

First Comprehensive Survey Conducted... Establishing Foundation for Restoring Honor and Memorial Projects

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam Province is launching its first comprehensive survey to restore the honor and establish a foundation for memorial projects through truth verification of civilian victims before and after the Korean War.

The province announced on the 25th that, with an estimated 200,000 civilian victims in the Jeonnam region before and after the Korean War, it held a kickoff meeting for a fact-finding research project to systematically manage the victims.

According to the 1955 Ministry of the Interior Statistics Bureau's "Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Korea," among the nationwide 128,936 massacre victims, 69,787 were from the Jeonnam region, accounting for 54%.

The 1952 Ministry of Public Information Statistics Bureau's "List of Victims of the June 25 Incident" recorded 43,511 out of 59,964 nationwide victims, accounting for 73%.

Meanwhile, the 2010 first-term Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigation revealed 34 cases with 4,985 victims caused by military and police forces, and 20 cases with 2,093 victims caused by hostile forces, partially uncovering the truth. However, this investigation was based on reported cases and did not reveal the total scale of victims.

Accordingly, this fact-finding research project was initiated based on the judgment that truth verification for a significant number of victims remains insufficient and that an accurate damage survey at the Jeonnam provincial level is necessary.

Through a comprehensive survey by region and incident, data will be systematically constructed to allow a clear view of the total number of victims and the historical events.

Jeonnam National University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, selected as the research project operator in April, will conduct the investigation over nine months until January 2023.

The first survey areas were set as Mokpo, Haenam, Yeongam, Muan, Hampyeong, Yeonggwang, Jindo, and Sinan, where relatively many victims occurred.

Through literature review, field investigation, victim-related testimonies, and verification of damage facts, a comprehensive survey will be conducted on civilian mass victims illegally caused by military, police, and hostile forces before and after the Korean War.

Kim Gyu-woong, Director of the Jeonnam Province Autonomous Administration Division, said, "It is the task of our generation to verify the truth and restore the honor of those innocently sacrificed in the Korean War. I hope this fact-finding research project will serve as a catalyst for restoring the honor of all victims," and added, "We will do our best to establish a foundation for memorial projects that residents and bereaved families can feel."

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