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Vietnam is a country that resembles Korea in many aspects. The two countries belong to the Chinese character culture, and have lived under powerful countries' influence. Korea was colonized for 36 years by Japan. Vietnam was colonized for more than 100 years by France and after that, was ruled by Japan for some while. After gaining independence, the two countries were internally divided owing to ideological difference, and waged war among themselves for reasons of ideology. And in each country remains the wound of the slaughter of innocent people.

Since the Treaty of Amity in 1992, Korea has influenced Vietnam in many ways in economy and culture. The expanding Korean enterprises are helping the economic growth of Vietnam. Korean TV dramas are being broadcast with popularity in Vietnam. That is, Korea has a good image in Vietnam.

But, in September of 1999, a report, which was handed over to Hankyoreh- 21 by a correspondent, Gu Su Jeong, disclosed the Korean army's slaughtering of innocent people in Vietnam. It influenced Vietnam as well as Korea. In the report named "Remember Vietnam's Malignant Spirits," the Vietnamese survivors testified to the Korean soldiers' slaughtering of innocent people 30 years ago, in the Vietnamese War. The Korean army, armed with anti-Communist ideology, was notorious for their intrepid spirit which was superior to any other army. But it was not a justifiable war. Now, the intervention of the U.S.A. in the war for Vietnamese national liberation is clearly being condemned as "an imperialist usurpation in the 3rd world." Starting in 1964, until 1973 when the war ended, 5,000 Korean men were killed, and 100,000 were wounded. It is hard to acknowledge any facts about the Vietnamese War for the surviving Koreans who fought on the battlefield and are suffering from defoliant troubles. The purpose of our poor sons' participating in that war was not preventing the communization of Vietnam nor of killing the enemy, but only surviving and coming back.

-Tuoi Tre- a Vietnamese newspaper.
"Protest against the effort to find the historical truth: the Hankyoreh incident on june 29th."

Korea built an expressway and propelled the Saemaul Movement, accomplishing rapid economic growth in the 1970s using the foreign currency they earned from the Vietnam War. What the ex-soldiers want is the honor as intrepid soldiers, but the appraisal they are getting for laying down their lives is that they were just mercenary troops of the U.S.A. who received less than half of American soldiers' salary. It might be reasonable that they are angry at the article blaming them.

After the report in September, Hankyoreh21 is has been raising a campaign and fund drive in the name of "Let's beg forgiveness for our shameful history." Again having their honor impaired, furious ex-soldiers of the Vietnam War besieged the Hankyoreh Press on June 27. It is true that innocent victims are a natural consequence of any war. For all that, it cannot be justified.

What about the Korean War 50 years ago, which has left the scars of slaughter including the Nogunri massacre? The Korean people are demanding a full investigation, but the government is anxious about anti-U.S.A. emotions. So the Nogunri case is not being investigated properly. Similarly, the countermeasures of the Korean government for the war crimes in Vietnam are insufficient because they are afraid of stimulating Vietnamese anti-Korean emotions.

To acknowledge a national wrongdoing is always hard. Japan has not admitted their crime of "comfort women." The U.S.A. has not admitted their war crimes. However, when Germany repented massacring the Jews, all the world re-evaluated the German people.

It is hard to acknowledge the truth about the Vietnam War. But the disclosure of the truth by one courageous Korean has moved Vietnam. For Korea, acknowledging the immorality of the Vietnam War and the historical fact of the slaughtering of innocent people is the best method to pay back our historical debt and to maintain friendly relations with Vietnam.