Following the perpetrator's 'false confession'... Representative of the 3 organizations for victims of the 5.18 Democratization Movement: "Even with shortcomings, it took courage."

The representative of the Jeongseong victim organization, this person, described the lieutenant who made a false confession during the Jeongseong education training incident as having "a slight defect, but their testimony is courageous," sparking controversy. On the 30th, this person, president of the Jeongseong Education National Victim Union, appeared at the "1981 5th Division Jeongseong Education Training Massacre Victim Identification Public Witness Press Conference" held by the union.

The lieutenant, 72, claimed that the majority of his claims were not accurate. The newspaper <Kyunghyang Shinmun> reported that this person had admitted to committing violent acts in the investigation by the National Fact-Finding Committee on the President's Remarks, which was established by the National Peace Committee. According to the investigation report, this person was a key figure in the violent incident that occurred on June 20, 1981, where a collective protest by guard soldiers turned violent, resulting in the death of one guard soldier and injuries to five others.

During the press conference on the 20th, this person denied any involvement in the violent incident and any participation in the fact-finding investigation. However, the investigation report states that this person was questioned by the fact-finding committee on August 20, 2002, at the Seoul Suwon Office of the National Fact-Finding Committee.

This person claimed to have forgotten the events of the day due to shock, but acknowledged the violent act upon examination of the fact-finding committee's records. The president of the Jeongseong Education National Victim Union stated that this information should not be trusted as it is not verifiable through official channels.

This person stated that their act of using a weapon was an act of courage, and that they were looking beyond the mistakes of the military leadership in the 1980s. The new shooting by the army is not a new revelation, as the fact-finding committee investigated over 25 people, including the lieutenant and the major, as well as 75 victims, including guard soldiers, police officers, and their families, and concluded that it was a case of "excessive military action."

The president of the Jeongseong Education National Victim Union organization, who has been fighting for truth and reconciliation since the late 1980s, expressed disappointment that the lieutenant's claims were not given due consideration.