Yeo-Soon Incident Fact-Finding Enters Final Two Months... Completion Expected by End of August

Investigation Teams Dispatched to Six Key Regions Including Yeosu and Suncheon in Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Metropolitan City

The fact-finding process aimed at restoring the honor of the victims and bereaved families of the Yeo-Soon Incident is entering its final phase. Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Metropolitan City is concentrating its investigation personnel in six cities and counties, including Yeosu and Suncheon, where 63% of all reports have been filed, with the goal of completing the fact-finding investigations by the end of August.

The Yeo-Soon Incident Support Team of Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Metropolitan City recently held a meeting to review fact-finding reports and inspect the progress of investigations in key regions, including Yeosu, Suncheon, Gwangyang, Goheung, Boseong, and Gurye.

These regions account for 1,651 out of 2,610 total reports, making them the primary targets for investigation.

The fact-finding for the Yeo-Soon Incident is not a mere administrative procedure. It involves identifying victims and officially documenting the damage at the national level. The investigation results will serve as foundational materials for the national fact-finding report on the Yeo-Soon Incident, scheduled for publication in April 2027.

The Yeosun Incident Truth Investigation Inspection Meeting. Provided by Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City

The current investigation team is reconstructing the situation at the time of the incident by verifying family registry records, searching for bereaved families, interviewing local residents, and talking to witnesses. However, since many of those who filed reports are now scattered throughout the country, conducting remote investigations in areas such as Seoul, Gyeonggi, and the Chungcheong region has become a significant burden.

Currently, the investigation progress in the six major cities and counties stands at approximately 80%. Meanwhile, fact-finding for the remaining 268 cases—covering 13 other cities and counties, five districts in Gwangju, and regions outside the city—has either been completed or is awaiting review by the working committee.

Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Metropolitan City plans to provide additional investigators and inspection personnel on-site during the remaining period, aiming to finish investigations by August 14. The results will then undergo working committee review at the end of August, followed by a resolution at the full meeting in September, before being submitted to the Central Committee.

This schedule is drawing attention because the statutory investigation deadline is set for October 4. The special city intends to complete the investigation more than a month ahead of the legal deadline.

Bae Seongjin, head of the Yeo-Soon Incident Support Team, said, "We are focusing all our capabilities on the fact-finding process that forms the basis of the investigation report," adding, "We will ensure that not a single victim is forgotten by completing the investigation before the legal deadline."

Meanwhile, a total of 2,610 reports were filed for the Yeo-Soon Incident: 191 cases during the first and second reporting periods, and 2,419 during the third. By region, the breakdown is as follows: 479 in Yeosu, 459 in Suncheon, 379 in Goheung, 177 in Boseong, 98 in Gwangyang, and 59 in Gurye.

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