Truth and Reconciliation Commission Uncovers Remains from Chungju National Guidance Alliance Incident

by Kong Byeongseon

Published 11 Apr.2023 14:47(KST)

The 2nd Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) has begun excavating remains related to the Chungju National Guidance Alliance incident.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 11th, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission announced that it held a ground-breaking ritual to console the spirits of the victims near Konkuk University Practice Farm in Hoam-dong, Chungju, Chungbuk, and officially started the excavation work.

The excavation is being conducted at two sites around Ssarijae in Hoam-dong. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission estimates that about 50 remains are buried here. The excavation is expected to be completed within this month.

The Chungju National Guidance Alliance incident occurred on July 4-5, 1950, when members of the National Guidance Alliance and other preemptively detained individuals were shot in Hoam-dong, Chungju. The victims had been taken by military police, police, or detained in the Chungju Police Station jail, and were reportedly shot during transport. Most of the victims at the time were farmers in their 20s to 30s.

The National Guidance Alliance was an anti-communist organization formed by those who had defected from the left in 1949. When the Korean War broke out, the military and police, fearing that those who had defected from the left would sympathize with the People's Army, reportedly shot them without confirming any specific illegal activities.

Kim Kwang-dong, chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, said, "The excavation area is presumed to be where civilians who were preemptively detained in the Chungju area were sacrificed," adding, "Through the excavation of remains, we hope to not only uncover the truth and restore honor but also provide some consolation by showing that the state takes responsibility for the sacrifice of its people."