Geochang massacre

Coordinates: 35°34′03″N 127°55′32″E / 35.56750°N 127.92556°E / 35.56750; 127.92556
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Geochang massacre
11th Division
of the South Korean Army
Geochang massacre victims

The Geochang massacre (

Sancheong-Hamyang massacre two days earlier. The general commanding the division was Choe Deok-sin.[7]

On February 8 the 3rd Battalion, 9th Regiment, 11th Division of the

South Korean army
during their withdrawal from the region.

On February 10, the "Hwang Division" rounded up 136 men, from six villages in the region, and brought them to the nearby Paksin Valley where they were all killed with machine guns. On February 11, all those who remained in the region were gathered at the playground of the Sinwon Primary School under the pretense of evacuation. They were taken to a remote mountain valley and all shot to death. Most of the victims were old people, women, and children. Only the families of

South Korean army members, local police, and public officials
were spared.

In an effort to cover up the massacre, the

South Korean army had eliminated "communist bandits", not innocent civilians. Attempting to minimize his complicity in the massacre, the Commander of the 11th Division, Kim Jong-won, said: "Could anyone issue such an order, which goes against common sense?"[8]

In March 1951,

clemency to the criminals.[5] This massacre is pointed out as an example of oppression under his rule.[10]

In April 2004, the Geochang Massacre Memorial Park was founded in memory of the victims, in Geochang.[1][11]

On 20 February 2006,

National Archives and Records Service reported the files about the massacre were found.[6]

In 2001, a local court ordered the South Korean government to pay reparations to the victims' families.[4] On 18 May 2004, a general court ruled that a charge of massacre against the South Korean government was barred by limitation.[4]

On 5 June 2008, the South Korean Supreme Court confirmed that the charge was barred by limitation.[3]

In June 2010,

National Defense Ministry official documents on his thesis that the massacre had been done under official South Korean Army order in order to annihilate citizens living in the guerrilla influenced area.[12] On September 9, 2010, An was fired for disclosing Geochang massacre documents.[12] The National Defense Ministry accused An of disclosing the documents which he had been only permitted to view under the condition of nondisclosure.[12]

In the late 1950s, Kim Jong-won was sentenced to four years in prison for his involvement in a sniper attack on Vice President Chang Myon. He served his sentence at Seodaemun Prison. Jon-won was released from prison on health grounds in December 1961, since he was suffering diabetes. He died on January 1964.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^
    Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 2009-04-17. Archived from the original
    on June 11, 2011. Retrieved 2010-07-09.
  2. ^ .
  3. ^
    Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 2008-06-05. Archived from the original
    on 2011-06-08. Retrieved 2010-07-09.
  4. ^
    Chosun Ilbo
    (in Korean). 2004-05-18. Retrieved 2010-07-09.
  5. ^
    JoongAng Daily
    . 2003-02-10. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
  6. ^
    JoongAng Daily
    . 2006-02-21. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
  7. Ohmynews
    (in Korean). 2000-05-16. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
  8. ^ Ri, In-mo (1997). My Life and Faith. Democratic People's Republic of Korea: Foreign Languages Publishing House. p. 133.
  9. ^ .
  10. JoongAng Daily
    . 2007-04-27. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
  11. ^ "2008 외국어 관광안내표기 용례집" (PDF). Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea. 2008. p. 28/278. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2010-07-20.(in Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and English)
  12. ^
    Hankyoreh
    (in Korean). 2010-10-11. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  13. ^ "이승만 덕에 한평생 편히 살았던 '전직 일본군' 김종원". 시사IN, 시사인 (in Korean). 2021-05-22. Retrieved 2023-05-30.

External links

35°34′03″N 127°55′32″E / 35.56750°N 127.92556°E / 35.56750; 127.92556