Gyeonggi Province Launches Search for Families of 38 Seongam Academy Victims

Gyeonggi Province is searching for the families of 38 victims of the "Seongam Academy" incident.

Seongam Academy was the site of serious child human rights abuses perpetrated by state authorities. From 1942, during the Japanese colonial period, until 1982, the government illegally detained children, mostly in their teens, at Seongam Academy. These children were subjected to continuous forced labor, sexual violence, and harsh treatment. After the Truth and Reconciliation Commission designated the Seongam Academy incident as a case of child human rights violations and state violence for which the national and local governments must take responsibility, Gyeonggi Province took the lead in supporting victims and promoting memorial and remembrance projects. The current search for bereaved families is a follow-up measure to restore the identities of the victims and to locate their surviving relatives.

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 22nd that it will conduct a "Victim Family Search Project" until February next year for 38 victims, including nine individuals whose DNA was detected during the excavation of the Seongam-dong communal cemetery from August last year to April this year, and 29 others whose deaths were confirmed through records such as the Seongam Academy registry, Seongam Elementary School student records, and materials secured during the truth-finding process.

For the nine individuals whose DNA was detected, the DNA from the excavated remains will first be compared with the DNA information of already registered missing persons and unclaimed deceased persons' families, in cooperation with the National Police Agency and the National Forensic Service. In addition, a public application process will be conducted for the general public.

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

Anyone who believes they have a family member who died or went missing after being held at Seongam Academy can report to Gyeonggi Province and apply for a DNA test. Once an application is received, a DNA sample will be collected, analyzed, and compared with the excavated remains and related records to determine if there is a match. If a match is confirmed and the identity is established, the remains will be handed over, and discussions will be held with the family regarding memorial and burial arrangements, as well as the organization of related records.

For the remaining 29 individuals, Gyeonggi Province plans to further verify their identities by comprehensively reviewing their connections to potential relatives and records from their lifetime, in cooperation with the local governments of their registered addresses prior to admission.

Choi Hyunjung, Human Rights Officer of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "The family search project is our minimum responsibility to find and call the names of as many victims as possible, and to deliver the belated news to their families. If you have ever wondered whether a sibling or relative who disappeared in childhood might have been connected to Seongam Academy, please do not hesitate to contact us, even if you only have a small clue."