Four Sets of Remains Discovered at Presumed May 18 Secret Burial Site...Skull Found with Possible Gunshot Wound

The remains will be compared with the families' DNA data
"Detailed forensic analysis for gunshot wounds... Final identification will take considerable time"

Four intact sets of human remains have been discovered at the presumed secret burial site related to the May 18 Democratic Movement in Hyoryeong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju. Authorities have begun a full-scale process to identify the remains, including DNA extraction.

On the 13th, excavation investigation of the suspected burial site of the May 18 Democratic Movement is being conducted around San 143, Hyoryeong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the May 18 Memorial Foundation on June 18, an excavation investigation was conducted from May 13 to June 5 over approximately 1,000 square meters in the San 143 area of Hyoryeong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju. As a result, four complete sets of remains and several incomplete bone fragments were recovered.

Among the excavated remains, one skull was found to have a small hole that could be indicative of a gunshot wound, drawing attention to whether a direct link to the May 18 Democratic Movement can be established. However, no bullets were found at the site.

This excavation focused on areas without burial mounds, given the site's history as the former Hyoryeong Cemetery. In addition to other bone fragments, items such as rope and clothing were also discovered at the scene. However, these artifacts and fragments either did not yield DNA or their connection to the May 18 Democratic Movement has not yet been confirmed.

This investigation was prompted by a citizen's report in May of last year. The informant, a resident near the presumed secret burial site, specifically testified, "While planting rice during the May 18 events in 1980, I witnessed a military truck moving toward the foot of a mountain. Afterward, soldiers unloaded bloodstained sacks and carried them away with shovels."

The May 18 Memorial Foundation believes it is highly likely that victims who were taken by martial law troops were secretly buried at the site, or that bodies previously at Sangmu Base were secretly relocated here. The foundation plans to continue investigating. The recovered remains will undergo DNA analysis and be compared with the DNA data of families of missing persons. It is expected that it will take about two to three weeks just to confirm whether normal DNA extraction is possible.

Park Kangbae, Executive Director of the May 18 Memorial Foundation, stated, "Given that the site was previously a cemetery, the discovery of remains itself was expected. However, a detailed forensic analysis is needed to determine whether the hole in the skull is evidence of a gunshot wound. Rigorous legal procedures, including comparison with data from families of missing persons, remain, so final identification will take considerable time."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.