9 Remains Excavated in Reported Secret Burial Site from 5·18 Incident

Investigation Committee Verifying Identity Through Genetic Testing

Also Probing Process of Moving Secretly Buried Body Again

The 5·18 Truth Investigation Committee has conducted an investigation based on reports of secret burials related to the May 18 Democratic Movement of 1980, uncovering nine remains and currently verifying their identities through DNA testing.

Over the past two years, the 5·18 Investigation Committee has received and investigated reports of secret burial sites from Gwangju Metropolitan City and the 5·18 Memorial Foundation, covering 53 locations.

[Photo by 5.18 Jinsang Gyumyeong Investigation Committee]

They conducted on-site investigations based on testimonies from 56 martial law soldiers who either ordered, carried out, or witnessed the secret burial of civilian bodies who died during the Gwangju outskirts lockdown operation. Excluding cases where the reported locations overlapped with soldier testimonies or where the terrain had completely changed making excavation impossible, surface surveys and excavation investigations were conducted at 17 sites.

As a result, nine remains were excavated and recovered: six at the Yeongam communal cemetery site, two near a military base in Haenam County, and one on a hill in front of Gwangju Prison.

At Gwangju Prison, where soldier testimonies were concentrated, surface surveys were conducted at 11 locations with the presence of the martial law soldier who directly carried out the secret burial, but no remains were confirmed due to complete changes in the terrain. One set of remains identified as female found on a hill opposite Gwangju Prison is currently being examined to determine any connection to the May 18 Movement.

The committee has completed preliminary investigations of the 53 reported sites and plans to finish surface surveys and excavation investigations at six sites to confirm the existence of secret burials within this year.

Meanwhile, DNA testing to verify the connection to the May 18 Democratic Movement and identify the 242 remains excavated at the Solomon Law Park construction site on the former Gwangju Prison grounds is currently undergoing additional analysis. Since the number of detected genetic markers in these remains was insufficient, further investigation will be conducted by examining other bone fragments for individual classification.

Additionally, considering the unique family relationships of the missing persons' families who reported disappearances, the committee plans to complete a comparative investigation in the second half of this year by matching the blood DNA of 18 newly secured relatives of missing persons.

Furthermore, the committee has obtained testimonies from soldiers that numerous civilian bodies secretly buried at Gwangju Prison were moved to the 31st Division base and then disposed of. An investigation is underway to verify the facts regarding the final handling process of these bodies.

On May 24, 1980, two soldiers from the 20th Division, who took over the operational area around Gwangju Prison from the 3rd Airborne Brigade, testified that they collected multiple civilian bodies between the 3rd and 4th guard posts of Gwangju Prison and transported them by truck.

Additionally, testimonies from four soldiers of the 31st Division confirmed that about ten civilian bodies at the 31st Division base were loaded onto a truck and moved to the 31st Division guerrilla training ground.

The Investigation Committee is conducting a fact-finding investigation regarding the testimonies of 36 members of the 3rd Airborne Brigade who ordered, executed, or witnessed the secret burial of civilian bodies who died around Gwangju Prison.