Testimonies of Secret Burials from May 18 at Hyoryeong-dong Cemetery... Gwangju Launches Excavation Investigation

Multiple Testimonies from 31st Division Soldiers and Civilians Align

The former Gwangju Prison exterior. Among the 262 skeletal remains unearthed in 2019 from the unclaimed graves at the former Gwangju Prison, it was confirmed that some belong to individuals who went missing during the May 18 Democratic Movement. Photo by Yonhap News

A new site believed to be the location where missing victims of the May 18 Democratic Movement in 1980 were secretly buried has been identified, prompting authorities to launch an excavation investigation.

According to the city of Gwangju and the May 18 Memorial Foundation on January 7, the city has announced the opening of a site that had been reported as a secret burial location for those who went missing during the May 18 Democratic Movement, designating it as a target area for excavation support.

The site is a cemetery area located at San 143, Hyoryeong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, covering 2,140.8 square meters. Currently, there are 139 graves in the area.

The May 18 Memorial Foundation continued the investigation into missing persons and secret burials that the May 18 Democratic Movement Truth Investigation Committee was unable to complete last year. During this process, the foundation confirmed that testimonies from civilians and soldiers of the 31st Division consistently pointed to the Hyoryeong-dong area.

Hyoryeong-dong was already a cemetery during the May 18 period, and authorities have secured civilian testimony stating that soldiers were seen moving about and engaging in activities believed to be secret burials.

There is also reported testimony from soldiers at the time indicating that bodies temporarily buried within the military unit were later relocated after the uprising.

Based on these findings, the May 18 Memorial Foundation began clearing the overgrown area believed to be the secret burial site, emphasizing the need for excavation. The city of Gwangju subsequently launched an official investigation based on these recommendations.

The city of Gwangju plans to announce the opening of the site until April 5, after which a full-scale excavation will begin.

If skeletal remains are discovered during the excavation, DNA samples will be collected and compared to the genetic profiles of the families of those who went missing during the May 18 Democratic Movement.

A representative from the May 18 Memorial Foundation stated, "With civilian and military testimonies matching, we believe there is a significant possibility that secret burials took place. We hope that, through this excavation, even one missing person can be found."