Sancheong-gun Holds Joint Memorial Ceremony for Civilian Victims of Sicheon and Samjang Incidents

Honoring the Spirits of the Victims of the 'Yeosu-Suncheon Incident'

Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam held a joint memorial service for civilian casualty incidents.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] On the 17th, Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam held the "73rd Anniversary 29th Joint Memorial Service for the Civilian Victims of Sicheon and Samjang" at the Gokjeom Memorial Altar in Sincheon-ri, Sicheon-myeon.

The memorial service was organized to console the souls of civilians who were victims in the Sancheong area during the "Yeosu-Suncheon Incident."

Hosted by the Bereaved Families Association of the Civilian Victims of Sicheon and Samjang, about 100 people including bereaved families, association members, heads of related organizations, and residents attended the memorial service.

They sought to soothe the restless spirits of the innocently sacrificed civilian victims and comfort the grief and sorrow of the bereaved families.

County Governor Lee Seung-hwa said, "We mourn the civilian victims of Sicheon and Samjang who were unjustly killed without knowing the reason, and I pay tribute to the efforts of the bereaved families who have worked hard to uncover the truth despite living a life of sorrow after losing their loved ones. Moving forward, we will create projects shared with the residents, including support for the memorial service, to prevent such tragic history from repeating."

The Sicheon and Samjang civilian victim incident occurred on October 19, 1948, when the rebel forces who initiated the Yeosu Incident and the suppression army continued fighting in Jirisan. After the suppression army was nearly annihilated, they accused nearby villagers of being accomplices, massacred them, and burned houses, causing civilian casualties. Some truths were uncovered through the "Past Truth and Reconciliation Commission."

The Past Truth and Reconciliation Commission and local governments are accepting reports on unresolved incidents such as mass massacres during the Japanese colonial period and around the Korean War until December 9.

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