Confirmed 657 Deaths Including Additional 105... Serious Human Rights Violations by State Authority
Forced Detention, Labor, Deaths Recognized... Official Apology and Victim Compensation Recommended
Victims Demand "Further Investigation, Recurrence Prevention, and Urgent Trauma Treatment"
[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] The number of deaths in the Busan Brothers Home incident, known as the "Korean Auschwitz" and considered one of the worst human rights abuses during the past military regime, has been found to be significantly higher than previously reported. The investigation revealed that the state actively supported the establishment and operation of the Brothers Home and even tacitly condoned human rights violations.
The 2nd Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Past Affairs (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) held its 39th meeting at 10 a.m. on the 24th at the Namsan Square Building in Jung-gu, Seoul, where it officially announced the investigation results through a press conference titled "Decision Announcement on the Truth Investigation of the Brothers Home Human Rights Violation Incident."
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission judged the "Brothers Home Human Rights Violation Incident" as a "serious human rights violation caused by the state's unjust exercise of public authority" and made a decision to uncover the truth. This came one year and three months after the investigation began in May last year. The truth investigation targeted 191 applicants out of a total of 544 applicants received by February 2021.
On this day, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission explained that after 35 years, it uncovered △ the unconstitutionality and illegality of the vagrant crackdown regulations △ the illegality of the admission process to the Brothers Home △ serious human rights violations during the operation of the Brothers Home △ medical issues and suspicions regarding the handling of deaths △ the government's awareness of the Brothers Home incident and attempts at systematic reduction and concealment.
105 Additional Deaths Confirmed... Total Deaths Reach 657
First, the truth investigation found that the number of deaths at the Brothers Home was 657, which is 105 more than the previously known figure of 552. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission stated that this was confirmed after comprehensively reviewing 14 documents, including the first-ever secured death statistics and death lists. Notably, in 1986 alone, the number of deaths at the Brothers Home was 135, which was 13.5 times higher than the general population death rate of 0.318% at the time, reaching 4.30%. Among these, the tuberculosis death rate was 0.41%, which was 29.2 times higher than the general population tuberculosis death rate of 0.014% at that time.
Among the Brothers Home detainees, suspicious deaths such as deaths during emergency transport (DOA, Dead On Arrival) occurred, and there were also indications of forged death certificates. The number of people admitted to the Brothers Home was about 38,000 from 1975, when the "Vagrant Custody and Protection Consignment Contract" was signed with Busan City, until 1986, with a peak of 4,355 in 1984.
Evidence of 'Chemical Restraint' Through Excessive Psychiatric Drug Administration
There was also evidence that psychiatric drugs were excessively administered to detainees at the Brothers Home, resulting in "chemical restraint." In 1986, a total of 250,000 chlorpromazine tablets (a symptom-relieving drug for schizophrenia patients) were purchased at the Brothers Home, enough for 342 people (out of a total of 395 psychiatric hospital residents at the time) to take twice daily for a year.
In 1986, the expenditure for "psychiatric patient medicine" in the Brothers Home accounting was about 12.67 million won, which was more than the 10.15 million won spent on general patient medicine. The list of psychiatric drugs purchased by the Brothers Home obtained by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission included haloperidol, a treatment for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder; diphenylhydantoin (Diphel), used for epileptic seizures and arrhythmia; and controlled psychotropic substances such as barium and Dalmadom. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission believes that the Brothers Home arbitrarily administered drugs to maladjusted or rebellious detainees and used the psychiatric hospital as a so-called "disciplinary unit."
During the investigation, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission also uncovered that the Brothers Home failed to pay or embezzled self-reliance savings earned by detainees through forced labor. In 1986, the average deposit per person was 550,819 won, but the average payout per person was only 204,729 won. The difference of 346,090 won per person led the Commission to conclude that the savings were not properly paid and were embezzled. This was revealed through analysis of the "Donation Revenue Resolution" and "Donation Cashbook" seized by prosecutors during the investigation of Director Park.
Unjust Use of Public Authority... Confirmation of Forced Detention Process
Furthermore, the unconstitutionality and illegality of Ministry of the Interior Directive No. 410, "Guidelines on Reporting, Crackdown, Detention, Protection, Repatriation, and Post-Management of Vagrants," which was the basis for indiscriminate vagrant crackdowns and detention at the Brothers Home, were confirmed. The directive stipulated that people identified as vagrants could be sent to detention facilities indefinitely without any criminal procedure by a joint vagrant crackdown team composed of city, county, district offices, and police. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's investigation found that this directive violated the principles of legal reservation, clarity, prohibition of excess, due process, warrant requirement, and systemic legitimacy.
Additionally, the Commission secured documents from the Republic of Korea Army Security Command (hereafter Security Command) confirming that the Security Command closely managed the Brothers Home. The Security Command infiltrated agents disguised as staff to monitor Kim, a repatriated abducted fisherman detained at the Brothers Home (aged 29 at the time), and on May 8, 1986, approved this investigation operation named "Applause Operation." The Security Command regarded the Brothers Home as "a group highly likely to provoke organized collective actions by subversives" and "a place with stricter discipline and control than prisons." The Security Command received a pledge from Director Park of the Brothers Home and established a continuous management system.
It was also revealed that violators of the National Security Act, Defense Security Act, and Anti-Communist Act were classified as persons of special interest and forcibly detained and monitored at the Brothers Home. The government at the time managed 15 public security offenders under the Social Safety Act and the Regulation on the Coordination of Surveillance Subjects. These facts were confirmed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission through documents related to surveillance and security measures from the Military Security Support Command, as well as lists of security subjects from the Busan District Prosecutors' Office Public Security Division.
For the first time, a Security Command document was disclosed showing that the National Security Planning Department (hereafter NSPD) convened a meeting of related agencies to discuss measures regarding the Brothers Home. On March 24, 1987, a "Related Agencies Countermeasure Meeting on the Brothers Home" was held in the NSPD meeting room, chaired by the NSPD 2nd Bureau Chief. This was the day after about 30 detainees escaped collectively and exposed the conditions of the Brothers Home. Two days later, a high-level meeting attended by the Blue House Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, NSPD 2nd Bureau Chief, Deputy Minister of the Interior, Deputy Prosecutor General, Chief of the National Police Agency, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, and Deputy Mayor of Busan discussed plans to reform the Brothers Home.
Truth and Reconciliation Commission: "The State Must Officially Apologize to Victims and Bereaved Families"
Based on the investigation results, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission concluded that this incident involved comprehensive human rights violations, including the active involvement of police and other public authorities in indiscriminately cracking down on unspecified civilians without due process and detaining them for extended periods at the Brothers Home. The Commission emphasized, "The state must officially apologize to the victims and bereaved families of forced detention at the Brothers Home and prepare measures for victim recovery and trauma healing," adding, "Strict management and supervision must be implemented to ensure that detainees' human rights are not violated during detention and operation at various facilities, and the National Assembly should promptly ratify the UN Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which passed the Cabinet meeting on June 21, 2022."
The Commission did not specify the subject of the apology. Chairman Jeong Geun-sik of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission said regarding the recommendation target, "The specific department responsible for executing the recommendation has not been decided yet," and "Who will apologize and how will be discussed in the future." Standing Commissioner Lee Jae-seung added, "Considering the discrimination suffered in society after leaving the Brothers Home, society members should also apologize," and "The state, government, and judiciary can apologize, and specifically, Busan City could also be a subject."
Victims: "Additional Investigation, Measures to Prevent Recurrence... Urgent Trauma Treatment Needed"
Han Jong-seon (47), representative of the Association of Survivors and Bereaved Families of the Brothers Home, called for a prompt additional investigation and measures to prevent recurrence. Han said, "The results of just over a year of investigation are not enough to ease our minds, so please conduct further excavation and complete the investigation," adding, "This must be recorded as policy and history to ensure such incidents never happen again, and we ask for much cooperation so that the state can apologize."
Another survivor, Yeon Saeng-mo (54), tearfully pleaded, "I earnestly ask reporters and Chairman Jeong that trauma treatment is more urgent than compensation," and "Please open the way so that trauma treatment can be provided." Yeon said, "Even now, when I come to places like this, my body trembles all over," and appealed, "I earnestly ask that trauma treatment be provided for those still suffering after the Brothers Home."
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