Gangbuk-gu, 15 Remains of Civilian Victims from the Korean War Excavated

Excavation of Unrecovered Civilian Victims' Remains from the Korean War in Ui-dong 338 Area, Gangbuk-gu... 44 Artifacts Including Bullets Recovered... Final Report Meeting on Civilian Victims' Remains Excavation Investigation on the 30th

Gangbuk-gu, Seoul (Mayor Lee Soon-hee) will excavate and recover 15 unidentified civilian victims' remains from the Korean War in the area of 338 Ui-dong and hold a final report meeting on the 30th.

The excavation survey, conducted as part of the "Remains Excavation Local Government Subsidy Project" by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (hereinafter referred to as TRC), was undertaken by the Samhan Cultural Heritage Research Institute (Director Yang Ha-seok). Shin Seok-won, a special researcher at Dong-A University Seokdang Academy (former forensic officer of the Ministry of National Defense Remains Excavation and Identification Team), participated in the investigation and conducted forensic analysis on the excavated remains.

The investigation proceeded in the order of ▲ a ground-breaking ritual to console the spirits of the victims (October 11, 2023) ▲ remains excavation (October 16?20, 2023) ▲ dry cleaning and forensic analysis (November 7?December 26, 2023). As a result, 15 sets of remains and 44 relics were discovered.

The remains left in the 338 Ui-dong area were first discovered during the renovation of the old retaining wall of Insucheon in November 2017. Following forensic analysis by the Ministry of National Defense Remains Excavation and Identification Team, the remains were identified as civilian victims. The remains and relics were then transferred to the Korea War Post-War Civilian Victims Nationwide Bereaved Families Association (hereinafter referred to as the Bereaved Families Association) the following month. Subsequently, the district preserved the excavation site (reburial) in January 2018 under the supervision of the Bereaved Families Association after consultation with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety for future additional excavations.

The 15 remains excavated in this investigation include eight remains that were partially recovered for forensic analysis in 2017. The remains recovered at that time consisted of four individual remains such as skulls and limb bones and four grouped upper body parts that could not be specifically identified. According to TRC officials, these remains were placed in the Memorial House in Sejong City in 2018 after forensic analysis by the Ministry of National Defense Remains Identification Team in 2017.

Forensic analysis determined the age of 13 out of the 15 remains, excluding two adult remains. The age distribution is as follows: ▲ infants (1?5 years old) 3 remains ▲ children (6?11 years old) 2 remains ▲ early adults (20?29 years old) 4 remains ▲ late adults (30?39 years old) 3 remains ▲ middle-aged (40?59 years old) 1 remain ▲ unknown (adult) 2 remains. Gender was identified in 10 remains, excluding five children whose gender could not be determined. Among them, six were male and four were female.

The relics recovered include 44 items such as bullets, buttons, footwear, dentures, hairpins, and lighters.

According to the "2023 Gangbuk-gu Civilian Victims Remains Excavation Service Result Report" by the Samhan Cultural Heritage Research Institute, no direct bullet wounds were found on the bones of the recovered remains. However, considering the numerous ammunition items (such as M1 and carbine rifle casings and bullets) excavated within the investigation area and the discovery of bullets in contact with bones during the cleaning process, it is highly likely that the victims recovered in this excavation died from gunfire.

Although the exact details of the Gangbuk-gu civilian massacre remain unclear, eyewitness testimonies suggest that the Ui-dong massacre occurred around October 1950. It is presumed that the massacre in Ui-dong happened for the same reason as other massacres during the period after the recapture of Seoul on September 28, when suspected collaborators were hunted down and killed.

The district plans to hold a final report meeting at 3 p.m. on the 30th in the third-floor conference room of Gangbuk-gu Office and gather opinions from advisory committee members. Attendees will include TRC officials, the director and staff of the Samhan Cultural Heritage Research Institute, district officials, Honorary Professor Park Sun-joo of the Department of Archaeology and Art History at Chungbuk National University, and Kim Bok-young, president of the Korea War Post-War Civilian Victims Nationwide Bereaved Families Association, who will participate as advisory committee members.

After consultation with the Bereaved Families Association, the district will decide whether to enshrine the excavated remains at the Memorial House in Sejong City. Upon completion of the final report meeting and related projects, the excavation case will be handed over to the TRC.

Lee Soon-hee, Mayor of Gangbuk-gu, said, "This project was undertaken with the hope that the honor of civilians who were unjustly sacrificed through past history reconciliation will be somewhat restored," and added, "I express my deep condolences to the victims who have been buried underground for over 70 years."

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