Jeonnam Province Accelerates Efforts to Restore Honor of Yeosun 10·19 Incident Victims

6th Working-Level Committee Review

Jeonnam Province announced on the 29th that the 6th Practical Committee for the Investigation of the Truth and Restoration of Honor for the Victims of the Yeosu-Suncheon 10·19 Incident reviewed 366 cases of victims for truth investigation and honor restoration.

The Practical Committee has received 6,960 reports as of June 27, 2023, and has completed the review of a total of 1,036 cases, requesting the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident Committee (central) to decide on the victims and bereaved families.

In response to local public opinion that the investigation and review of the Yeosu-Suncheon 10·19 Incident have been excessively slow, the province has completely revamped the fact-finding investigation method, expanded professional investigative personnel, and allocated a budget for securing additional personnel in the first supplementary budget proposal.

Additionally, to accelerate the investigation and review process, various efforts are being made, such as providing specialized training to city and county investigators. It is expected that from the second half of this year, when the investigation system stabilizes, the pace of investigation and review will significantly increase.

Furthermore, to achieve substantial restoration of honor for the victims and their families, the province supports 38 civilian education and cultural projects aimed at raising public awareness about the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident and is steadily conducting excavation and maintenance projects for 90 historical sites to preserve historical landmarks.

Jeonnam Province has completed the recruitment of businesses for the development of dark tourism courses and pilot projects to nationalize the Yeosu-Suncheon 10·19 Incident and will actively promote these projects starting in July.

Alongside this, projects such as the production of a historical documentary video recording the facts of the Yeosu-Suncheon 10·19 Incident and a research service to establish a basic plan for a systematic memorial project for the incident are also underway.

The province plans to continuously communicate with the bereaved families’ association, civic groups, advisory committee members, and experts, and to gradually implement projects that heal the pain of the bereaved through national consensus and understanding of the Yeosu-Suncheon 10·19 Incident.

Moon Geum-ju, Vice Governor of Jeonnam Province, said, “June 29 is an unforgettable and special day for the victims and bereaved families of the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident,” adding, “Following the passage of the special law on the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident by the National Assembly two years ago after 73 years, it is deeply moving that the number of reviewed cases for victims and bereaved families exceeded 1,000 at the 6th Practical Committee on the 29th.”

He continued, “Although we may not fully meet the expectations of the bereaved families, we will accelerate the investigation and review process to ensure that their pain and wounds heal as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, on the 23rd, marking the second anniversary of the special law’s passage in the National Assembly, Jeonnam Province invited author Jeong Ji-a, who wrote the novel Father’s Liberation Diary, to hold a Jeonnam Forum titled “Understanding and Empathy for the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident through Novels” for provincial public officials. The province continues to provide education for public officials to deepen understanding and empathy regarding the modern history of the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident.

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