Kim Dongyeon "Gyeonggi Withdraws Appeal on Seongam School Child Rights Case... Hopes for New Government Support"

Gyeonggi Province has decided to withdraw its appeal regarding the Seongam School case in Ansan, where the human rights of more than 4,700 young children and adolescents were violated.

On August 5, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dongyeon announced in a post on his social media account, "With the government, which is based on popular sovereignty, deciding to withdraw its appeal regarding compensation for the victims of Seongam School, Gyeonggi Province will also immediately withdraw and cancel its appeal."

He added, "I am truly pleased that the central government is now sharing the burden that Gyeonggi Province had been carrying alone, and that we are moving closer to a fundamental resolution of the Seongam School issue."

Governor Kim emphasized, "Gyeonggi Province has acted with sincerity regarding the Seongam School issue," and explained, "Although these events occurred over 40 years ago, as governor, I have made an official apology to the victims and their families, and have provided consolation payments as well as monthly living stabilization support."

He continued, "Gyeonggi Province also took the initiative in the excavation of the remains of victims, which the central government had neglected," and criticized, "The Yoon Suk Yeol administration has refused to issue a national-level apology or acknowledge responsibility."

Gyeonggi Province Governor Dongyeon Kim's post about Seongam Academy uploaded on his SNS on the 5th

He further stated, "The government even filed an appeal against the court's ruling that recognized the state's liability for compensation," and explained the reason for the appeal, saying, "If Gyeonggi Province were to withdraw its appeal under these circumstances, it would no longer be possible to hold the central government accountable for state violence. Therefore, we appealed together to obtain a ruling on the state's official responsibility."

Governor Kim promised, "Gyeonggi Province will stand even more firmly by the victims of Seongam School, together with the government."

The Seongam School case refers to the violation of human rights of more than 4,700 boys through forced labor, beatings, harsh treatment, and secret burials under the pretext of reformation of vagrants, in accordance with national policy, from 1942 during the Japanese colonial period until 1982.

Previously, on October 2022, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission concluded that the Seongam School case was a "violation of children's human rights by public authority," and recommended that Gyeonggi Province, which operated Seongam School, and the state, which implemented illegal vagrant policies, prepare support measures for the victims of the Seongam School case and carry out the excavation of victims' remains.