The History and Characteristics of Exhumations of Civilian Massacre Victims During the Korean War

This study examines the historical trajectory and symbolic significance of the exhumation of civilian massacre victims during the Korean War. During the conflict, numerous civilians were summarily executed by state authorities under false accusations of being “communists.” The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of the Republic of Korea (TRCK), established in 2005, formally investigated these incidents and confirmed that the victims were unjustly killed as a result of state-perpetrated violence. Efforts to recover the remains of these victims—those who perished at the hands of state power—first began in the wake of the April 19 Revolution in 1960, but were later suspended during the decades of military dictatorship. Exhumations resumed in 2007 under the auspices of the TRCK, which continues its work as of 2025. Exhumation, which incorporates archaeological, physical anthropological, and forensic techniques, extends beyond the act of unearthing “truth buried in the ground.” It carries profound symbolic weight, serving as a key emblem of a society’s politics of memory and commemoration. In the South Korean context, early exhumation efforts were largely framed in funerary terms, emphasizing proper burial and ancestral rites. Over time, however, these practices have evolved toward a broader emphasis on universal human rights and social commemoration. This transformation signals a shift from private mourning of “uncommon deaths” within individual families to a collective, public engagement with memory and justice.