SEOUL, Nov. 4 (Yonhap) -- A state reconciliation panel said Wednesday it has decided to launch an official investigation into civilians killed by military and police forces in connection with the 1950-53 Korean War.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) said the first-ever investigation will be based on a list of people executed before, during and after the war, which was compiled in 1978 by the predecessor of the National Intelligence Service (NIS).
The list contains personal information on 26,330 individuals killed by military and police forces during the period surrounding the war, as well as details of 38,135 surviving family members.
Comprising two volumes and 2,041 pages, the list includes the victims' names, dates of birth, family registry locations and addresses, as well as the names, relationships to the victims and occupations of their surviving relatives.
The existence of the list first came to light during an investigation by the Korean National Police Agency in 2007, and the TRC obtained a copy from the NIS in June.
The TRC said it will examine the list to determine the nationwide scale of civilian casualties and the extent of the damage in individual regions.
The commission added that it will also investigate the historical and structural backgrounds of the incidents, as well as how state institutions dealt with their aftermath, in an effort to uncover the truth about the incidents and restore the honor of the victims and their bereaved families.
Song Sang-kyo, chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, presides over its plenary meeting in Seoul on Nov. 3, 2026, in this photo released by the commission. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Song Sang-kyo, chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, presides over its plenary meeting in Seoul on Nov. 3, 2026, in this photo released by the commission. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)