Secret Grave Excavation

[Anchor Lead]

An excavation began Monday at the former site of Gwangju prison where people who went missing during the May 1980 Gwangju Uprising are believed to have been secretly buried. Whether such burials indeed occurred should come to light as early as this week.

[Pkg]

On the first day of excavation, four pipes including gas pipes were found some 30 centimeters underground. The excavation began from the northern section of the former Gwangju prison, based on testimony that witnesses observed the burial of people who went missing during the 1980 democratic uprising in Gwangju city. The gas pipes were confirmed to have been laid in 1999 but traces indicate the ground has been dug up at least one time.

[Soundbite] Jeong Il(Daehan Institute of Cultural Properties) : "Once PVC pipes are removed, we will dig deeper from the western sections to verify whether there are traces of holes dug up to bury remains."

Ten workers took part in the excavation this day. They used their bare hands or hoes to carefully examine the soil starting from the surface. For more accuracy, a method used in surveying cultural relics was employed. A 117-meter stretch will be exhumed in total at ten meters each day. As deep as 1.5 meters will be dug up. According to testimony from an airborne unit officer stationed in this area at the time of the uprising, at least 12 bodies were buried in the excavation area. The very first section of the excavation is the most probable area for the alleged burials. The May 18 Memorial Foundation says results will come out as early as Friday.