GWANGJU UPRISING VICTIM IDENTIFIED

[Anchor Lead]

Authorities seeking to determine the identity of those killed in the 1980 Gwangju democratic uprising have identified another victim by the name of Shin Dong-nam. Shin’s body has laid nameless at the cemetery for the past 41 years. A fact finding committee is also conducting DNA analysis on the remains of two other people.

[Pkg]

In one corner of the May 18th National Cemetery, there are five tombs with no names or photos. A fact finding committee on the Gwangju uprising has been trying to identify the nameless victims. After collecting DNA samples of three of the remains late last year, officials have now verified one person as Shin Dong-nam who died at age 30. The late Sin was shot by the then martial law army near Gwangju train station on May 20, 1980. He was sent to hospital but died during surgery. While the body was lying at the hospital, another family mistakenly thought it was their loved one and even held a funeral. The mishap was realized later on and the remains were eventually transferred to the unmarked grave. Shin’s identity was unveiled during the course of sifting through piles of records, including the deceased persons list kept at the old Gwangju Red Cross hospital.

[Soundbite] (Shin’s brother) : "I was 12 at that time. Now that we found him, we will take good care of his resting place. Thank you."

Shin’s family filed a missing persons report in 1993 but the request was dismissed the following year. The latest find was the committee's first identification since it was launched last year.

[Soundbite] Song Seon-tae(The MAY 18 Democratization Movement Truth Commission chief) : "The latest find underlines the need for more thorough investigation into the deceased and further efforts to verify the number and whereabouts of missing people related to the uprising."

The committee is also working on DNA samples collected from two other unidentified remains.