The South Korean Court of Appeals has upheld a ruling requiring the country to compensate victims of the 1968 massacre in Phong Nhat and Phong Nhi villages (now in Quang Nam province).
Yonhap News Agency reported on January 17 that the Seoul Central District Court's appeals court decided to uphold the first instance court's ruling, requiring the Korean government to compensate 30 million won (522 million VND) and damages arising from delay to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh (64 years old) related to the massacre in Phong Nhat and Phong Nhi villages.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh (middle) talks about the incident at a 2019 event in Korea.
PHOTO: YONHAP SCREENSHOT
Ms. Thanh sued the South Korean government in 2020, claiming that she was injured and lost relatives in the massacre in Phong Nhat and Phong Nhi villages in 1968.
The Phong Nhat and Phong Nhi massacre took place on February 12, 1968 in the Phong Nhat and Phong Nhi villages (now Dien An ward, Dien Ban town, Quang Nam province). South Korean military units carried out a mass massacre of unarmed civilians, mostly women and children.
In February 2023, the Seoul Central District Court ruled that the South Korean government should compensate Nguyen Thi Thanh. It was the first time a South Korean court had acknowledged the country’s responsibility to compensate victims of the massacre.
At the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on February 9, 2023, answering the press about Vietnam's assessment of the Seoul Court's ruling, Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Doan Khac Viet at that time affirmed that the above massacre was one of many massacres that foreign troops caused to citizens of Vietnamese localities in the late 20th century.
Regarding the Seoul Court's ruling, Mr. Doan Khac Viet said that Vietnam is closely following the ruling and attaches great importance to protecting the legitimate rights of Vietnamese citizens.
According to the Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at that time, in the spirit of putting the past behind and looking towards the future, Vietnam hopes to develop a comprehensive strategic partnership with South Korea; overcome the consequences of war, and bring practical benefits to citizens of both countries.
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