Confession Of Former Soldier Killing and Burring Civilian

A former airborne confessed that he had killed and buried an innocent civilian during the military suppressing operation of the 5.18 Kwangju Democratization Movement 1980.

The Presidential Truth Commission on Suspicious Deaths (chairperson Yang Seong-Kyu) announced yesterday, ``[The Commission] had received an information that the airborne soldiers murdered and buried civilians. While performing a basic investigation, [the Commission] identified the soldiers (44, company employee) who had shot the civilian. Three colleagues of the airborne soldier, who were at the spot, also admitted the incident.``

The Commission revealed that the airborne soldiers had mistaken four civilians passing by (old married couples and 2 men) as riots and, under the order of their captain, they took aim and began to shoot. And one of the civilians, who were running away, was shot downed at his head. The Commission, which launched out last October, is currently investigating 83 deaths related with the democratization movement. This is the first time that the assaulter made a confessional report to the Commission.

According to the Commission, 4 airborne soldiers of unidentified battalion in the 7th Ranger Commando Forces were ambushed around the South Lake in Junam Village on May 22 1980 to block Kwangju area.

By this incident, one man (born in 1955) was killed and buried nearby. A woman (62) who was farming not far away from the spot, said, ``Because the buried spot of the dead was right beside the grave of my father-in-law, my husband and his friends moved the corps to other place the next day. And three days later, the father and brother of the deceased and his three escaped friends came back to take the body.`` She also added, ``The victim was operating a watch store. And they were heading for their rice pad for rice-planting when they were attacked by the airborne soldiers.``

The confessed soldier said, ``I saw that the ID of [the deceased] was two years older than me (born in 1957).``

However, the Commission said that the victim, who was born in Koheong, South Cholla, in 1955, was not listed in the victims’ list of Kwangju Democratization Movement. And the family members have not yet been identified.

The Commission is to decide in the general meeting of the Commission on May 26 whether it will exercise its authority to investigate. ``Once the investigation is decided, the Commission will thoroughly investigate the identity of the victim, the procedure of the airborne soldiers fire, and the intervention of higher ranks on this kind incident.``

The confessed soldier was scheduled for a press conference on May 17 but cancelled was it at the final moment.

Meanwhile, the commanders of the suppressing units denied, at the parliamentary hearing for the Kwangju Democratization Movement in 1988, any incidents of killing and burying innocent civilians during the Kwangju Democratization Movement.

Yang Ki-Dae kee@donga.com