Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon announced that he has fulfilled his promise to provide subsidies to the victims of the Seongam Academy. He added that he would actively promote the Seongam Academy victim support project.
On the 24th, Governor Kim posted on his social media, "We have provided support funds to 123 victims of the Seongam Academy incident residing in Gyeonggi Province," and reflected, "It has taken more than 40 years since the closure of Seongam Academy on September 30, 1982."
He continued, "I am not pleased with the label 'the first local government support' regarding this support fund from Gyeonggi Province," explaining, "Since the promise to support victims last October, many victims have moved to Gyeonggi Province and received support."
Furthermore, he stated, "Gyeonggi Province continues to search for victims," and promised, "With the cooperation of 31 cities and counties within the province and metropolitan local governments nationwide, we will actively promote the 'Seongam Academy Incident Victim Support Project.'"
He also added, "Once again, I offer my deep apologies and condolences to the victims who suffered irreparable wounds from state violence during their childhood."
On the same day, the province provided consolation money of 5 million KRW and monthly living stabilization support of 200,000 KRW to 123 victims of the Seongam Academy child human rights violation incident residing in the province, marking the first such payment by a local government nationwide.
Earlier, as a follow-up measure to the 'Comprehensive Plan for Healing and Restoring Honor for the Seongam Academy Incident' announced last October, the province announced support measures for Seongam Academy victims including ▲monthly living stabilization support of 200,000 KRW ▲consolation money of 5 million KRW ▲medical service support up to 5 million KRW annually at Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center ▲medical expense reimbursement up to 2 million KRW annually at advanced general hospitals within the province.
The Seongam Academy incident was a human rights violation case where, under national policy from 1942 during the Japanese colonial period until 1982, over 4,700 boys were subjected to forced labor, beatings, malnutrition, and harsh treatment under the pretext of reforming vagrants.
On October 20 last year, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Past Issues concluded that the incident was a 'child human rights violation by public authority' and recommended that Gyeonggi Province, the operator of Seongam Academy, and the state, which implemented the illegal vagrant policy, prepare support measures for the victims of the Seongam Academy incident.
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