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Mar. 29  2024
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Documents on a Civilian Slaughter Found

Korea·USA·Vietnam Joint Investigation

Source  :  Korean

The Truth Committee on Civilian Slaughter in the Vietnam War (henceforth, Truth Committee) co-representative Hae-dong Lee, made public at a cafe in An-kook Dong on November 14 that documents and photos were acquired supporting the suspicion of civilian slaughter by the Korean Army in the Vietnam War.

These materials, which contain various kinds of investigation reports of the Headquarter of US Forces in Vietnam and about twenty photos, had been kept in the National Archives & Records Administration and removed out of confidential documents, allowing for the Truth Committee to acquire them. The Truth Committee also stated "that besides the materials already made public, we have additional documents from the United States and will open it to the public as soon as it's arranged."

These materials contain reports on three civilian slaughter cases (69 victims) including Pong-ni village in Kuang-nam on February 12, 1968. But Myung-shin Choi, major general of the Korean army in Vietnam, denied the fact that the Korean army was involved in the slaughter in the letter sent to US Army. US army reports, however, did not concur with the Korean army's view and concluded that the slaughter seemed to be the responsibility of the Korean soldiers specifying the operation unit on a company level.

From these materials, the most notable fact is that the slaughter case of Puokmai village in April 1969 became an international issue at that time, thus creating a joint investigation by Korea¡¤USA¡¤Vietnam.

A civilian slaughter case has been dealt with indirectly through individual accountability by the testimony of Korean soldiers or Vietnamese victims in the Korean court.

"A good many of civilian deaths in the Vietnam War was caused by bombing or slaughter." noted Hong-gu Han (professor), a member of the executive committee of Truth Committee, "The documents revealed does not indicate that the principal of civilian slaughter in Vietnam War was done by the Korean army." Also a certain member of the executive committee appealed, "All material related to the Vietnam War should be opened to the public and the truth must be revealed, regardless of the time passed."

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