A member of an excavation team moves human remains recovered in Gokgye Cave in Danyang, North Chungcheong Province, in 2022. (via Investigation Report on the Excavation of Remains at Gokgye Cave)
Seventy-five years after the Korean War, the Korean government seems poised to reckon with the US bombing of Gokgye Cave in Danyang, North Chungcheong Province, which left hundreds of refugees and other civilians dead. As Koreans learn about war crimes committed by the US — including the infamous massacre at No Gun Ri (Nogeun Village) — the government is taking steps to honor the victims and provide assistance to their loved ones.Rep. Eom Tae-young of the People Power Party (representing Jecheon city and Danyang County in North Chungcheong Province) was one of 12 lawmakers who introduced a bill concerning the “restoration of honor and compensation for victims of the Danyang Gokgye Cave Incident” to Korea’s National Assembly on Monday.“Although the Danyang Gokgye Cave Incident is a tragic episode in our modern history, the surviving family members have had to live with that pain, without receiving any compensation, for 75 years. We hope that restoring the honor of the incident’s victims and their family members and providing them with compensation from the state will promote human rights and national unity,” said Eom, who is the bill’s lead sponsor.The bill was modeled on the special act for the No Gun Ri Incident, another massacre of Korean civilians by US bombing during the Korean War.The No Gun Ri Incident took place on July 25-29, 1950, in the early days of the Korean War. In the incident, hundreds of refugees and other civilians were killed in the US bombing of Ssanggul Bridge, on the Seoul-Busan railroad line, in the village of No Gun Ri (Hwanggan Township, Yeongdong County). The special act sought to restore the honor of the victims and compensate their families.The bill on the Danyang Gokgye Cave Incident would set up a committee to review victim rehabilitation and compensation; disburse compensation, medical assistance and living expenses; safeguard the rights of the victims and their families; and organize memorial projects.The amount of compensation suggested by the bill is 90 million won (US$60,050) for deceased and missing individuals and up to 90 million won for individuals with lasting disabilities. The envisioned projects include organizing memorial events, building a monument, establishing a foundation and operating a memorial center.The families of victims of the massacre were gratified to hear about the bill.“Better late than never. This bill will help me stand proudly before my ancestors,” said Cho Byeong-gyu, the 79-year-old chair of an action committee for victims of the Gokgye massacre.“We hope the bill passes so that compensation for the families and memorial projects can become a reality,” Cho said.The Danyang Gokgye Cave Incident occurred in Sang Village, Yeongchun Township, Danyang County, on Jan. 20, 1951, while the Korean War was raging.
