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| Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo bows during a nationally-televised press conference at the ministry, Wednesday, to apologize for rape and other sexual crimes committed by soldiers against women during the crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Gwangju in 1980. Yonhap |
By Kim Yoo-chul
Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo offered a public apology, Wednesday, for rape and other sex crimes committed against women by soldiers during the crackdown on the pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju in 1980.
"The ruthless and brutal crackdown by troops caused tremendous pain for innocent women in Gwangju in 1980. I offer a sincere apology for the terrible pain and suffering that the victims are still forced to endure," Jeong said during a nationally-televised press conference.
Jeong said the reports of human rights abuses of women during the crackdown had been confirmed.
"The victims included high-school students and women in their 20s and 30s," Jeong said.
A government-led fact-finding team recently reported that there was brutal sexual torture, rape, sexual misconduct and sexual harassment by troops during the crackdown. Jeong said the ministry admitted the findings were true.
The joint investigation team launched in June this year was composed of officials from the ministries of gender equality and defense, and the National Human Rights Commission.
"The military should always stand with the people to defend them from external threats. The sole obligation of the military is to treat citizens with respect and dignity. What the ministry has to do is to console the victims in a very sincere way," he said.
Tens of thousands of students and other protesters poured into the streets of Gwangju, South Cheolla Province, in the spring of 1980. They were protesting the state of martial law that had been in force since a coup the previous year following the assassination of then President Park Chung-hee.
As the protests spread to neighboring cities, President Chun Doo-hwan, the coup leader, expanded an earlier declaration of martial law and sent heavily armed troops to the city, where they killed many of the protesters.
Word of the "massacre" spread throughout the province and anti-government protests broke out in the cities of Mokpo, Gangjin, Yeongnam and Hwasun. The army fired on those protesters as well.
Casualties, including deaths, were estimated to have been in the thousands, while the exact number is still unknown, according to sources.
