Gyeonggi-do Begins Excavation of Remains of Seongam Academy Victims... Groundbreaking Ceremony on the 8th

Excavation of suspected mass burial site of Seongam Academy victims
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Gyeonggi Province is set to begin the full-scale excavation of the remains of victims from 'Seongam Hakwon,' where human rights abuses were committed during the Japanese colonial period.

On the 8th, Gyeonggi Province announced on the 4th that a ground-breaking ceremony will be held at the 'Seongam Hakwon Communal Cemetery' located at San 37-1, Seongam-dong, Ansan City, with about 60 attendees including victims of Seongam Hakwon, officials from Gyeonggi Province, Ansan City, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and civic groups. The ceremony will include a moment of silence, memorial speeches, a dedicatory poem, victim testimonies, and a memorial performance.

Prior to the excavation event, Gyeonggi Province conducted a comprehensive survey of graves and issued excavation notices from late April to mid-July in accordance with the 'Act on the Management of Graves and Burials,' which are preliminary procedures for the excavation of remains.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission identified approximately 150 graves presumed to be those of victims in addition to 35 graves that were test-excavated in two phases in 2022 and 2023.

Starting from November, when the excavation is expected to be completed, Gyeonggi Province will carry out anthropological investigations, genetic analysis, cremation, and enshrinement for all excavated remains, including those from the test excavations.

Masunheung, Gyeonggi Province’s Human Rights Officer, stated, "Starting with this ground-breaking ceremony, we plan to excavate the remains of Seongam Hakwon victims as quickly and safely as possible," adding, "We will do our utmost to comfort the souls of those unjustly sacrificed by state power and to fully restore their tarnished honor."

The Seongam Hakwon incident involved the violation of human rights of over 4,700 boys from 1942 to 1982 under the pretext of reforming vagrants during the Japanese colonial period, including forced labor, beatings, harsh treatment, and secret burials.

In October 2022, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission concluded the Seongam Hakwon incident as a 'child human rights violation by public authority' and recommended that Gyeonggi Province, the operator of Seongam Hakwon, and the state, which implemented illegal vagrant policies, prepare support measures for victims and excavate the remains of the victims.

As part of this year’s support measures for victims of the Seongam Hakwon incident, Gyeonggi Province has allocated a total budget of 2.25 billion KRW for victim support funds, medical support, research on preservation and utilization of the former Seongam Hakwon site, installation of memorial monuments, support for memorial festivals, and excavation of victims’ remains.

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