Lee vows efforts to restore honor of civilians killed in state violence during Korean War
President Lee Jae Myung speaks at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap
President Lee Jae Myung on Friday pledged efforts to restore the honor of civilians killed in state violence around the 1950-53 Korean War, saying it is the state's duty to redress past wrongs.
Lee made the pledge in his message to this year's joint memorial service for civilian victims of state violence before, during and after the Korean War, held at Seoul City Hall. The message was read by Lee's secretary for social cohesion Jeon Seong-hwan.
In the early stage of the war in 1950, U.S. troops opened fire on approaching South Korean refugees at Nogeun-ri, a village in North Chungcheong Province, believing that North Korean soldiers were hiding among them. The incident reportedly left hundreds of innocent civilians dead.
After the revelation about the incident, South Korea launched the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2005 to investigate similar cases, as well as other incidents of state violence.
"It is a duty that today's state is obliged to fulfill: to shed light on the truth covered up by the state in the past and redress the wrongs of history," Lee said.
He vowed to step up efforts to excavate the remains of victims of wartime state violence and identify them so they can be returned to their families.
The president also vowed prompt construction of a memorial facility in Daejeon for victims of state violence and other efforts to restore their honor.