Govt. ordered to reveal records of civilian massacre in Vietnam War

The South Korean government should make public the records involving three soldiers’ alleged role in a civilian massacre during the Vietnam War, Seoul’s Administrative Court ruled Friday.

In a second trial ruling on the matter instigated by a local civic group against Seoul’s spy agency, which holds the records, the court ordered the release of records after redacting the soldiers’ dates of birth.

In 2018, the spy agency refused to uphold both the trial and appeal rulings in favor of the civic group because making public the soldiers’ names and dates of birth could constitute privacy infringement.

The spy agency is believed to be holding the records of a civilian massacre during which Korean soldiers are alleged to have killed 74 locals in central Vietnam in 1968.

The civic group said the spy agency should now accept the ruling and not seek another appeal.

By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)