Recommendations Including Apology from the North Korean Regime
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has made its first decision to ascertain the truth regarding the Christian victim incidents in the Jeonnam region among the 'Religious personnel victim incidents caused by hostile forces before and after the Korean War,' and has recommended follow-up measures to the state and related ministries.
Memorial Monument at the Korean War Abductees Memorial Hall in Paju-si, Gyeonggi Province[Photo by Yonhap News]
On the 21st, the TRC announced that it made this decision at its 85th committee meeting held the previous day at the Seoul Jung-gu office. This decision marks the fifth truth ascertainment decision by the TRC on religious personnel victim incidents investigated ex officio. It decided to ascertain the truth concerning 124 church members from Yeom-san Church, Yawol Church, Baeksu Church (currently Baeksu-eup Church), Beopseong Church, Yeonggwang-eup Church (currently Yeonggwang-dae Church), and Myoryang Church, centered around the Yeonggwang area in Jeonnam.
The Christian victim incidents in the Yeonggwang area of Jeonnam occurred over approximately five months from September 1950 to January 1951. The perpetrators, local leftists, partisans, and guerrillas, sequentially killed church members starting around September 1950 during the retreat of the People's Army, and the victimization continued until January 1951, before the complete suppression of partisans and guerrillas in the Yeonggwang area.
The victims were targeted because they were Christians, local influential figures or their families, or because they attended welcoming rallies for the entry of the Republic of Korea Army.
Among the 124 individuals subject to truth ascertainment, 65 (52.4%) were male and 59 (47.6%) were female, with males being slightly more numerous. Victims under 19 years old accounted for 70 (56.5%), constituting the majority. Ordinary church members numbered 100 (80.7%), deacons 16 (12.9%), and pastors and elders 8 (6.4%).
The TRC recommended follow-up measures including urging an apology from the North Korean regime, apologies to victims and bereaved families, support for damage recovery and memorial projects, and strengthening peace and human rights education.
Meanwhile, the TRC also decided to ascertain the truth regarding the 'National Guidance Alliance and Preliminary Detention Incidents' in Geochang, Gyeongnam, and Yeongdeok, Gyeongbuk. This incident involved dozens of local residents who were preliminarily detained as members of the National Guidance Alliance or as persons under surveillance around late June to July 1950, shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War, and were victimized by the police and the Republic of Korea Army.
The TRC recommended that the state and local governments issue official apologies to the victims and their families, take measures for damage restoration, support memorial projects, reflect the incidents in historical records, and conduct peace and human rights education.
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