Goyang Geumjeong Cave massacre
1950 killings in South Korea
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The Goyang Geumjeong Cave massacre (Korean: 고양 금정굴 민간인 학살; Hanja: 高陽衿井窟民間人虐殺; lit. 'Goyang Geunjeong Cave civilian massacre'[1][4]) was a war crime of 153 unarmed civilians conducted between 9 October 1950 and 31 October 1950 by police at the site of a former gold mine in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do district of South Korea.[1][4][5][6] After the victory of the Second Battle of Seoul, South Korean authorities arrested and summarily executed several individuals along with their families on suspicion of sympathizing with North Korea.[4] The killings in Goyang coincided with the Namyangju massacre in nearby Namyangju.[7]
| Goyang Geumjeong Cave massacre | |
|---|---|
 Goyang Geumjeong Cave (South Korea) | |
| Location | Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea |
| Date | October 9, 1950 – October 31, 1950[1] |
| Target | Individuals and their family members for being suspected of being communists or communist sympathizers[2] |
Attack type | Massacre |
| Deaths | 153[3][4] |
| Perpetrators | South Korean Police[2] |
In 1995 the bodies of the 153 victims were excavated by their families.[8] In June 2006 the Truth and Reconciliation Commission demanded that the South Korean government apologize and erect a monument for the victims.[8] However, the government did not show any intention of following through on the TRCK recommendation.[8] In 2007 the Truth and Reconciliation Commission again demanded that the government apologize, provide compensation, and erect a memorial for the victims; however, the government still refused.[9][10][5] The Truth and Reconciliation Commission also clarified most of the victims, including 8 teenagers and 7 women, had no relation to rebels.[5]
On November 28, 2011, the Seoul central court ordered the South Korean government to apologize, pay reparations and fund a memorial to the victims' families.[1]