Lee vows efforts to restore honor of civilians killed in state violence during Korean War

President Lee Jae Myung has pledged to restore the honor of civilians killed in state violence during the Korean War, emphasizing that it is the state's duty to redress past wrongs. This pledge was made during the joint memorial service for civilian victims of state violence before, during, and after the Korean War, held at Seoul City Hall.

The incident that prompted this pledge occurred in 1950 when U.S. troops opened fire on approaching South Korean refugees in Nogeun-ri, a village in North Chungcheong Province, believing that North Korean soldiers were hiding among them. This resulted in the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians. In response, South Korea established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2005 to investigate similar cases and other incidents of state violence.

President Lee vowed to step up efforts to shed light on the truth covered up by the state in the past and redress the wrongs of history.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.