Jeon Seohyun Stresses "Aging of Bereaved Families... A Race Against Time"
Seohyun Jeon, a proportional representative of the People Power Party in the Jeonnam Provincial Assembly, emphasized during the Yeosun Incident Support Team's work report on the 16th, "This ex officio investigation in the Wando area is the first symbolic case initiated at the Jeonnam provincial level," and added, "It should be expanded to cover all of Jeonnam in the future."
Jeon further stated, "As the aging of the bereaved families of the Yeosun Incident is accelerating rapidly, the province must respond proactively to ensure that the truth-finding process is not rushed by time constraints."
The Wando investigation is the first ex officio investigation conducted within Jeonnam under the Yeosun Incident Special Act, and is considered to have significant institutional and historical meaning. Jeon specifically inquired about whether there were any practical difficulties during the investigation process and what plans exist for expanding to other cities and counties in the future.
In response, Lee Gilyong, head of the Yeosun Incident Support Team, explained, "A task force (TF) has been formed for the Wando area and the investigation is underway. The process is proceeding without any major issues by utilizing township office family register records and other documents."
He continued, "We have secured a list of approximately 2,800 victims through past military court records and materials from the National Archives," and added, "Wando was selected as a priority investigation area in consultation with the Central Committee, as it is seen as a symbolic region where the reality of civilian casualties can be highlighted due to its island characteristics."
The support team plans to use this investigation as a starting point to conduct ex officio investigations on a total of 2,867 individuals, not only throughout Jeonnam by the end of the year but also including some areas of Jeonbuk and Gyeongnam. During the investigation process, they also plan to identify additional victims using related materials such as identity record manuals and anti-communist personal harm investigation forms.
Jeon emphasized, "Uncovering the truth about the Yeosun Incident is not an issue limited to a specific area, but a historical task for all of Jeonnam," and added, "Since there are limits to record-based investigations, the voices of the bereaved families must be heard, and the province should provide foundational investigations and active administrative support to identify the circumstances of the damage in advance."
She also added, "I hope that the scope of the investigation will be expanded beyond the eastern region to include the relatively neglected western and island areas, so that this Wando case becomes the starting point for ex officio investigations throughout Jeonnam."
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