Việt Nam welcomes ruling on RoK compensation for Quảng Nam massacre victim

Spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Phạm Thu Hằng. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam welcomes the Seoul Court of Appeals upheld the ruling requiring the government of the Republic of Korea (RoK) to compensate more than 30 million KRW (approximately US$20,000) to Nguyễn Thị Thanh, who lost her family in the 1968 massacre in the central province of Quảng Nam in 1968.

In response to reporters' queries regarding Việt Nam's stance on the court's decision, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Phạm Thu Hằng said on Wednesday that it reflects historical truth and contributes to realising the spirit of 'putting the past behind and looking toward the future.'

Việt Nam hopes to work with the RoK to further develop their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, take practical actions to address the consequences of war, and strengthen the friendship and cooperation between the two nations and their people, Hằng noted.

Earlier, RoK's news agency Yonhap reported that a court of appeals last Friday upheld a lower court's ruling in favour of a Vietnamese national seeking compensation from the RoK after losing family members and suffering wounds when RoK marines killed dozens of civilians during the Việt Nam War.

The appellate division of the Seoul Central District Court made the ruling, ordering the South Korean government to pay 30 million won (US$20,580) and the corresponding delay damages to 64-year-old Thanh. She filed the lawsuit in 2020.

Thanh was among the few survivors of a massacre of about 70 Vietnamese civilians, mostly children and women, by RoK troops in Phong Nhất-Phong Nhị village in Việt Nam's Quảng Nam Province in 1968.

At the time, Thanh was 8 years old and suffered an abdominal injury during the raid. The soldiers killed her mother and two siblings, burned down their house, and left. Orphaned, Thanh had to work as a servant and was unable to attend school.

After the ruling by the Seoul High Court, Thanh expressed her joy that justice had been served, saying the verdict provided some consolation for the victims who had passed away.

Thanh stated that if she receives compensation, she would allocate part of it to help other victims and “would not keep it all for herself.”

Kwon Hyun Woo, head of the Korea-Việt Nam Peace Foundation Office, said Thanh pursued the lawsuit with a focus on truth, not monetary compensation. He added that it is challenging for victims of such massacres to file lawsuits due to the lack of legal evidence. Since 2020, many RoK civic groups and legal teams have called on the National Assembly to pass a special law to investigate the truth about the crimes committed by South Korean forces during the Việt Nam War. — VNS

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