Geochang County Launches Petition Drive Urging Passage of Compensation and Restitution Bill for Civilian Massacre Victims

Jointly organized with Sancheong and Hamyang counties... Targeting 30,000 signatures in November
State compensation and restitution still unresolved 75 years after the incident... Calling for swift passage of relevant legislation
Petition and signatures to be submitted to the Blue House, National Assembly and Ministry of the Interior and Safety on Dec. 3

Geochang County in South Gyeongsang Province has launched a countywide petition drive jointly with Sancheong County and Hamyang County to resolve the issue of state compensation and restitution for the victims and bereaved families of the Geochang, Sancheong and Hamyang civilian massacres.

The county said it would hold the petition drive from Nov. 2 to Nov. 30, calling for the National Assembly to swiftly pass legislation on compensation and restitution for the victims of the Geochang, Sancheong and Hamyang civilian massacres.

[Photo provided by Geochang County] Geochang County Governor Lee Hong-gi poses with officials who took part in a countywide petition drive urging the National Assembly to swiftly pass a law providing compensation and reparations for the victims and bereaved families of the Geochang-Sancheong-Hamyang civilian massacre.

This year marks 75 years since the 1951 civilian massacres, but the issue of state compensation and restitution for the victims and their bereaved families remains unresolved.

Geochang County will join forces with Sancheong County and Hamyang County to conduct the petition drive, aiming to collect 10,000 signatures in each county, for a total of 30,000. The drive will be carried out primarily in each town and township, and the counties also plan to invite relevant institutions and civic groups to participate.

The Geochang, Sancheong and Hamyang civilian massacres refer to the deaths of 1,424 civilians in February 1951, during the Korean War, in the course of South Korean military operations against communist guerrillas.

Efforts to restore the victims' honor and establish the truth have continued since the incident, but the issue of state compensation and restitution remains unresolved because no relevant legislation has been enacted.

According to the county, bills on compensation and restitution for the victims and their bereaved families have been introduced 17 times, but none have been enacted, including because parliamentary terms expired.

In 2025, Assemblymen Shin Seong-beom and Min Hong-cheol each introduced related bills, continuing legislative discussions on resolving the compensation and restitution issue.

The petition calls for the National Assembly to swiftly pass the relevant compensation and restitution bill during its regular session in the second half of this year and for the government to actively organize memorial events.

The county plans to use the petition drive to convey the demands of the victims and their bereaved families to the government and the National Assembly, and to raise awareness of the need to enact the relevant legislation.

Geochang County Governor Lee Honggi said, "Even 75 years after the incident, state compensation and restitution for the victims and their bereaved families have yet to be provided. Through this petition, we will work to ensure their wishes are conveyed to the government and the National Assembly and that the relevant bill is passed as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, Geochang County plans to compile the signatures by Nov. 30 and submit them with the petition on Dec. 3 to relevant institutions, including the Blue House, the National Assembly and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

Sancheong County and Hamyang County will also take part in the joint petition drive and call for legislation to resolve the issue of state compensation and restitution for the victims and their bereaved families.

With the issue of state compensation and restitution still unresolved 75 years after the incident, attention is focused on how the joint petition will affect the National Assembly's review of the relevant bill and legislative discussions.

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