Jeonnam Province Urges Victims of the Yeosun Incident to Report Damage

Enforcement Ordinance Amended
Reporting Period Extended Until August 31

Participants taking a commemorative photo after the Yeosun Incident Fact-Finding Team's job training. Provided by Jeonnam Province

Jeollanam-do has urged active reporting by victims and their families, as the amended enforcement ordinance?mainly extending the reporting period?will take effect on the 18th, following the revision of the Special Act on the Fact-Finding and Restoration of Honor for the Yeosu-Suncheon 10.19 Incident in January this year.

On the 11th, the government passed a revised enforcement ordinance of the Special Act on the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident at a cabinet meeting, extending the reporting period for the incident by six months until August 31.

Accordingly, Jeollanam-do plans to mobilize all administrative resources for receiving reports on the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident, launching campaigns through TV, radio, local festivals, and other public gathering places to guide citizens on how to report.

In addition, the province will provide training for fact-finding investigators in each city and county, operate joint investigation teams by incident, and work actively to eliminate misunderstandings and prejudices about the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident through swift fact-finding, preservation of historical sites, and proper historical education. Additional reporting by victims and their families can be made by visiting Jeollanam-do (including city, county, and township offices) or by mail until August 31.

Kim Chajin, head of the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident Support Team at Jeollanam-do, said, "We welcome the extension of the reporting period for the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident. I sincerely hope that the truth will be revealed and the deep wounds of the victims and their families will be healed," and urged, "Now that the opportunity to report has reopened, please do not hesitate and have the courage to come forward."

The Yeosu-Suncheon Incident began in the early days of the government, when some soldiers of the 14th Regiment stationed in Yeosu refused the government's order to suppress the Jeju 4.3 Incident. From October 19, 1948, to April 1, 1955, chaos, armed conflict, and suppression occurred in Yeosu, Suncheon, and parts of Jeollanam-do, Jeollabuk-do, and Gyeongsangnam-do, resulting in many civilian casualties.