On the 1st, independent lawmaker Yoon Mi-hyang held a press conference at the National Assembly calling for the enactment of a ‘Special Act on Investigating the Truth about the Massacre of Civilians by Korean Soldiers in the Vietnam War’. The core of the special law proposed by Rep. Yoon in June of last year is to establish an investigation committee to determine the truth that the South Korean military committed massacres, mutilation of corpses, and sexual violence on local civilians during the Vietnam War. Representative Yoon’s bill was signed by 12 people, including Representatives Kang Min-jeong and Min Hyeong-bae of the Democratic Party, Representatives Kang Eun-mi and Jang Hye-young of the Justice Party, Representative Kang Sung-hee of the Progressive Party, and Representative Yong Hye-in of the Basic Income Party. Representative Yoon demanded an apology and responsibility from our government at a press conference that day.
The military and organizations related to the Vietnam War said that Rep. Yoon was seriously damaging the honor of veterans by making claims that were different from the facts. The Ministry of National Defense and war veterans organizations maintain that there is no confirmed massacre of civilians during the Vietnam War.
Organizations related to the Korean War criticized Rep. Yoon for making distorted claims by cleverly twisting the facts. While proposing the special law, Rep. Yoon said, “Former Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun expressed their apologies for the massacre of civilians, and former President Moon Jae-in also visited Vietnam and expressed regret.” However, our government has never explicitly mentioned and apologized for the civilian massacre. “There was a time when both countries experienced misfortune” (Former President Kim), “Our people have a debt of heart” (Former President Roh), “I express regret over the unfortunate history between our two countries” (Former President Moon), etc. There was only an expression of . The Vietnamese government is also not demanding an apology or compensation from the Korean government.
Representative Yoon Mi-hyang said in the distributed materials, “The Yoon Seok-yeol government is ignoring the damage and distorting the truth.” However, the first time suspicions of Vietnamese civilian casualties were raised was in 1999 during the Kim Dae-jung administration.
The Vietnam War Veterans Association and the Agent Orange Comrades Association said in a phone call that day, “We express serious regret to Rep. Yoon for insulting our government and veterans with unfounded claims.” These organizations said they were also preparing related rallies to condemn Rep. Yoon.
In February of last year, the Seoul Central District Court ruled that Vietnamese Nguyen Thi Thanh should be compensated for illegal acts, including human rights violations during the Vietnam War, in a lawsuit filed against the Korean government. The Ministry of National Defense said it could not recognize the ruling at the time, and the government appealed, and a second trial is in progress.
2024-02-01 18:53:00
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