Gwangju Uprising

[Anchor Lead]

A Defense Ministry special committee has begun its investigation into the military crackdown during the May 1980 democratic uprising in Gwangju, including allegations the army fired at demonstrators from a helicopter. The probe committee said it can also investigate claims of a secret burial at the Gwangju prison at the time of the protests, as testimony about this incident are coming forth in recent days.

[Pkg]

The Defense Ministry's special probe committee into the May 1980 pro-democracy uprising which was launched Monday has begun its activities in the city of Gwangju. Committee officials paid respects at a national cemetery in Gwangju commemorating victims of the democratic movement, and vowed that there would be no limit to the scope of their investigation. They also left open the possibility of looking into claims of a secret burial that allegedly took place at Gwangju prison during the protests, as related testimonies have come to light recently.

[Soundbite] Lee Geon-ri(Committee Chief) : "If any concrete facts are confirmed during the investigation, we will notify the defense ministry or government of our findings."

The committee members have inspected a building left with traces of bullets that are believed to have been fired from a helicopter. They promised their best efforts to unveil the facts, saying that it can't be claimed that there was no shooting merely because no bullets were found. Civic groups demanded a proper investigation.

[Soundbite] Kim Hoo-sik(Association of Injured Victims from the 1980 Pro-democracy Uprising) : "This should be an opportunity for the truth to come to light and history to be accurately filed."

The Defense Ministry's probe team will attempt to shed light on the helicopter crackdown incident and allegations that the military also considered ordering fighter jets to bomb the city. The committee will operate through November, conducting field inspections and testimony hearings.