ALLEGATIONS INVOLVING MAY 18TH MOVEMENT

[Anchor Lead]

There have been allegations that during the May 18th pro-democracy movement in Gwangju, civilian victims were buried by military forces under martial law. Even some soldiers gave supporting testimonies. However, the allegations have never been confirmed with no buried bodies found. But in a recent study, it's identified that the remains found in a cemetery for those with no relatives, located on the site of the former Gwangju Prison, matched the DNA of a person who went missing during the uprising. This discovery is shedding light on the truth of the burial allegations that began 42 years ago.

[Pkg]

Allegations of civilians secretly buried by military forces are at the heart of activities to find the truth related to the May 18th pro-democracy movement in Gwangju. There have been overwhelming testimonies not only from Gwangju citizens but also from soldiers who participated in operations to quell protesters against the government. Military records also back the allegations. After questioning more than 1,800 soldiers participating in the Gwangju operation, the May 18 Democratization Movement Truth Commission concluded that the burial allegations were true. But no buried remains or dead bodies have been found. The remains excavated on the site of the former Gwangju Prison, which is one of the major areas suspected to be the secret burial locations, match the DNA of a person who went missing during the Gwangju movement. In December 2019, some 260 unidentified bodies were discovered in a cemetery on the prison site, while a law park was being built there by the Justice ministry. The May 18 truth commission compared specimens from the discovered remains with the DNA of some 370 family members of those who allegedly went missing during the Gwangju movement. The analysis found a sample matching one missing person's DNA. This is the first time in 42 years such a finding was made. A commission official said gene samples were collected from some 160 dead bodies among the newly discovered unidentified remains. Additional analysis is underway as it appears two more samples could find matches. The former Gwangju Prison was the site where large casualties were reported during the military's Gwangju blockade operation. A large number of soldiers also testified that they had been assigned with tasks to bury people there. The May 18 truth panel will work to find out how the DNA-confirmed missing person died. It also plans to launch more excavation projects on other suspected burial locations.