gun massacre gun massacre occurred july early korean war number south korean refugees killed air attack actions 7th railroad bridge near village gun korean miles southeast seoul south korean government certified names dead missing wounded added victims names reported south korean government funded gun peace foundation estimated killed women children massacre allegations little known outside korea publication associated_press story veterans korean survivors accounts uncovered orders fire approaching civilians reports north korean refugee groups details disputed massacre account found essentially correct conducted investigation previously rejecting survivors claims acknowledged killings described day event unfortunate tragedy inherent war deliberate killing army rejected survivors demands apology compensation united_states president bill_clinton issued statement regret adding day things happened wrong south korean investigators disagreed report saying believed troops ordered fire refugees survivors group called report later discovered additional archival documents showing commanders ordered troops shoot fire civilians war period documents found disclosed pentagon investigators american historian reported undisclosed documents letter ambassador south_korea stating military adopted theater wide policy firing approaching refugee groups despite demands investigation reopened prompted exposure gun survivors similar alleged incidents filed reports seoul government investigative commission said cases alleged large scale killings military registered air attacks background division japan korean colony zones end world war led years border south_korea soviet allied north_korea june invaded south try peninsula beginning korean war invasion caught south_korea american ally surprise sent defending south korean forces retreat moved troops japan fight alongside troops landed july july divisions korea including american troops trained poorly equipped led inexperienced officers particular lacked training deal war displaced civilians combined south korean forces initially unable stop north korean advance continued retreat july weeks following significant ground troop engagement july estimated south korean civilians fled south passing retreating south korean lines gaps lines forces attacked rear reports spread disguised north korean soldiers refugee columns concerns orders issued fire korean civilians line areas orders discovered decades later military archives issuing orders commander deemed left war zone enemy agents according war correspondent diplomat night july division hearing enemy breakthrough fled forward positions reorganized morning digging near central south korean village gun later day july troops saw hundreds refugees approaching nearby villages killings events july july north korean forces seized town miles west gun troops evacuating nearby villages including hundreds residents villagers joined walked main road south estimated refugees spent night near miles west gun seven refugees killed soldiers group night morning july villagers found escorting soldiers left continued road stopped american troops near gun ordered parallel railroad tracks soldiers searched belongings knives items refugees resting spread railroad embankment midday military aircraft bombed recalling air strike year old boy said attacking planes returned repeatedly chaos broke refugees ran wildly trying away survivor said soldiers reappeared began shooting wounded tracks survivors sought shelter small beneath tracks soldiers ground fire drove double tunnel beneath concrete railroad bridge inside bridge feet long feet wide feet high came heavy machine gun rifle fire troops sides bridge children screaming fear adults praying lives time stopped shooting said survivor year old son year old daughter killed badly wounded communications specialists said remembered orders fire refugees coming command post higher level probably recalled ground fire beginning mortar round landing refugee families followed called small arms fire battalion veterans recalled line company officers ordering open fire assumed enemy people said dying hear people screaming recalled sister 1st battalion observing nearby said soldiers held fire trapped refugees began bodies tried dig ground hide managed escape night troops turned tunnels continued firing said mother died sister second day gunfire reduced occasional trapped refugee moved tried escape recall planes returning second day fire rockets drop bombs survivors resorted drinking blood filled water small stream running bridge killings came sporadic artillery mortar fire advanced intelligence reports showed enemy line miles gun late july day massacre night division headquarters important contact reported 2nd battalion unit documents reported refugee killings hours july 7th cavalry regiment withdrew gun afternoon north korean soldiers arrived outside tunnels helped alive dozen children feeding sending villages casualties earliest published accounts killings august september north korean journalists advancing northern troops reported finding estimated bodies gun area seeing bodies tunnel survivors generally death toll including initial air attack scores wounded pentagon interviews veterans estimates gun dead ranged dozens close look career soldier led patrol gun tunnel said saw bodies south korean government gun victims process claims family registers medical reports documents testimony certified names gun dead missing wounded including later died wounds said reports filed victims passage time factors certified victims percent children percent women children men age south korean government funded gun peace foundation operates memorial park museum site estimated killed aftermath information refugee killings reached command korea pentagon late august form captured translated north korean military document reported discovery massacre south korean agent command confirmed account local villagers weeks later troops moved area agent told investigators evidence high level knowledge appeared late september new_york_times article korea reported detail unnamed high ranking officer told reporter shooting civilians regiment july evidence emerged military investigated incident time petitions postwar president survivors gun fearful official retaliation file public complaints survivor said warned south korean police stop telling massacre following april revolution briefly established democracy south_korea policeman filed petition governments small children killed wife badly wounded gun petitions calling investigation apology compensation filed decades later survivors committee ignored petition south korean governments local seoul newspapers reported book published events raising awareness allegations inside south_korea year korea dismissed gun petition asserting killings took place combat survivors committee battle gun officials refused reconsider survivors filed claim south korean compensation committee status forces agreement time claims service responded citing claimed combat situation asserting evidence gun area survivors research official army history war indicated april seoul government committee final ruling gun survivors citing long ago year statute limitations june south_korea behalf gun survivors sought help asked pentagon investigate march army told council looked gun allegations found information claim operational records units associated_press story months army private correspondence church group associated_press reporters researching operational records found orders shoot south korean civilians news agency reported rejection survivors claim april begun investigating gun allegations earlier year trying identify army units possibly involved track soldiers year internal struggle releasing article published investigative report massacre based accounts gun survivors dozen veterans annihilated quoted machine gunner saying journalists research military documents uncovered recorded instructions late july line units shoot south korean refugees approaching positions liaison officer sister 8th cavalry regiment relayed word unit headquarters fire refugees trying cross lines major general neighboring advised civilians found areas supposed cleared police considered enemies treated accordingly order relayed staff considered shot day gun killings began ordered units stop refugees crossing lines subsequent articles reported south korean civilians killed military blew bridges packed refugees refugee columns aircraft war months team sang awarded pulitzer prize investigative reporting reporting gun receiving major national international journalism awards expanding work june reported existence memo july operations chief korea said air_force refugee columns approaching positions memo dated july day gun killings began said requested attacks civilians date complied army request document later emerged pilots aircraft carrier uss valley forge reported army told attack groups people south_korea fighter bomber pilots regarded korean civilians white clothes enemy troops south korean scholar later conclude reviewing air force mission reports challenged skeptical magazine article team additional archival research reported soldiers quoted original gun article incorrectly identified eyewitness instead passing second hand information pentagon spokesman said affect army gun investigation noting daily guy talking army officer veteran collaborated article fellow association member published book gun military history korean war incident repeating reporting flawed methods conclusions defended lengthy detailed pulitzer committee reaffirmed award credibility reporting south korean military investigations hours publication report defense secretary ordered army secretary initiate investigation seoul government ordered investigation proposing inquiries conduct joint document searches joint witness interviews americans refused ensuing month conducted inspector general office seoul interviewed obtained statements veterans army researchers reviewed million pages archival documents final weeks marked press reports seoul sharp disputes korean teams january governments issued separate reports report years dismissing allegations report army acknowledged military killed unknown number south korean refugees gun small arms fire artillery mortar fire held orders issued fire civilians result hostile fire refugees firing meant control point suggested soldiers misunderstood stop refugees order mean shot time described deaths unfortunate tragedy inherent war deliberate killing army report dismissed testimony soldiers spoke orders shoot gun said remember wording originating officer having received order directly report questioned early south korean government estimate killed missing wounded gun citing aerial reconnaissance photograph area said taken days killings ended said showed indication human remains mass graves years report seoul government committee certified identities minimum casualties south korean report report south korean investigators acknowledged documents showed specific orders gun shoot refugees pointed gaps documents dealing operations missing documents included 7th cavalry journal communications log july record carried gun orders missing explanation place south korean report said air_force pilots told directed civilians period veterans testified believed orders shoot gun refugees noted veterans battalion communications specialists especially good position know orders relayed citing order july stop refugees korean report concluded likely possible means stop approaching refugees said south_korea national security director young believe order fire joint statement mutual issued reports repeat report flat assertion orders shoot issued gun korean investigators cast doubt report suggestion possible gunfire refugees surviving documents said gun 7th cavalry enemy killed action korea gun survivors denied battalion veterans interviewed team spoke hostile fire aerial imagery report said suggested lower death toll south korean investigators drawing accounts survivors area residents said bodies taken away relatives buried soldiers abandoned days killings remained inside tunnel thin layers dirt sight airborne cameras awaiting later burial mass graves addition south korean military specialists questioned reconnaissance photos pointing irregularities including fact gun frames roll film raising possibility claimed august days killings clinton statement offer day report issued president bill_clinton issued statement declaring deeply regret korean civilians lost lives gun late july day told reporters things happened wrong offer apology individual compensation sought survivors south korean government instead offered million plan memorial gun scholarship fund survivors later rejected plan memorial dedicated war south korean civilian dead gun victims reaction report evidence emerges gun survivors committee called report command responsibility massacre hours innocent people hunted like animals said committee head survivors rejected notion killings deliberate pointing accounts veterans documents line orders shoot civilians ruling opposition party south_korea criticized position congressman california outside advisers inquiry write detailed analysis afterward agreed saying thought army report letter defense secretary adviser retired marine general expressed sympathy hard pressed troops said killings american command responsible loss innocent civilian life gun journalists scholars subsequently noted report address presented incomplete versions key documents previously reported news media news reports pointed review describing july air_force memo acknowledge said refugees army request researchers found review disclosed existence mission reports period documenting apparent refugee groups air strikes gun vicinity report address commanders july instructions 25th saying civilians war zone considered shot saying orders issued gun army disclose log held orders missing army issued report learned disclosed researchers discovery additional documents showing high ranking commanders ordering authorizing shooting refugees korean war early months communications commander gay division officer consider refugees north line fair game shoot refugees coming river addition interview obtained freedom information act requests showed army reported repeated testimony soldiers word heard kill everybody early days korea american historian reported discovery document united_states ambassador korea notified day gun killings began military fearing adopted policy shooting south korean refugee groups approached lines firing warning shots pressed south korean government pentagon eventually acknowledged deliberately omitted letter report law war gun january president clinton told reporters evidence clear responsibility wrongdoing high chain command army effect government responsible american lawyers gun survivors rejected rationale saying troops acted formal orders massacre civilian refugees mainly elderly women children clear violation international law united_states liable doctrine command responsibility pay compensation writing army inspector general office lawyers pointed numerous orders issued war shoot civilians said military self investigation allowing enforcement subject discretion alleged ultimate violation victims rights report south korean government panel gun victims cited south korean legal studies saying gun constituted crime humanity gun massacre overtly basic principles law war customary international law legal scholar wrote study committee concluded united_states_of_america responsibility gun incident american experts military law agreed events violated laws war prohibiting targeting said soldiers half century later practical army secretary said early investigation couldn rule statement survivors later complained veterans later developments continuing appeals supported south korean politicians newspaper editorials gun survivors repeated demands reopened investigation compensation went meeting south korean officials survivors asked government seek action human rights forums rebuffed spokesman south_korea governing party called new inquiry defense ministry later warned reopened probe damage korean relations disclosure pentagon investigators omitted letter final report documents testimony prompted calls action leaders appealed joint investigation congressional body took gun issue book political chief gun investigation wrote meeting survivors demands set undesirable precedent similar cases korea delegation visit gun annual general_assembly adopted resolution june calling church leadership urge president congress issue apology appropriate compensation gun killings graves memorial park gun villagers said later decades mass graves holding victims remains disturbed bones removed project farming activity excavations places near bridge turned little team said hadn found time passed remains exposed elements soil erosion railway work cultivation highly acidic soil united_states refused offer compensation survivors rejected plan war memorial scholarship fund south_korea february adopted special act review restoration honor gun victims established committee examined certified identities dead wounded provided medical subsidies surviving wounded act envisioned memorial park gun site begun attracting visitors year acre gun memorial peace park built million government funds featuring memorial museum peace education center opened october established nearby cemetery victims remains moved family plots publicly financed gun international peace foundation sponsored annual peace conference gun peace prize summer peace camp park international university students gun culture south_korea gun story inspired works fiction theater arts major korean studio released gun feature film little pond written directed featuring moon korean stars donated work commercial release south_korea movie screened international film festivals including new_york london artist published volume graphic narrative told story massacre half century struggle truth thousands drawings based book korean language work published translation europe united_states britain gun central secondary theme english language novels including finalist james_bond thriller british author gun articles prompted hundreds south come forward report alleged incidents large scale civilian killings military form air attacks created investigate allegations human rights violations southern korea 20th century commission eventually held cases described civilian massacre committed soldiers commission work military documents survivors accounts confirmed representative cases found killings hundreds south korean civilians including refugees crowded cave attacked bombs shoreline refugee deliberately shelled warship commission alleged military repeatedly conducted attacks failing distinguish combatants non combatants significant finding commission confirmed south korean authorities executed thousands suspected south_korea possibly outbreak war officers present taking photographs american wars korean conflict believed deadliest civilians proportion killed including north south korean non combatants killed extensive bombing north_korea south korean civilians executed invading north korean military commission recommended seoul government negotiate united_states large scale civilian killings military occur assistant secretary state quoted saying seoul outset gun investigation united_states consider investigating similar korean war killings came light investigation conducted united_states
No Gun Ri Massacre