By Associated Press
Washington — Some 80 protesters opposing the U.S. military presence in South Korea rallied outside the White House June 25, seeking an apology for alleged U.S. massacres during the Korean War. The group was made up mainly of South Koreans living in Korea, the United States, Europe, Canada and Japan.
Carrying signs reading “Pentagon War Criminals: Apologize to Korea” and “U.S. Troops out of Korea,” the group consisted largely of students, union organizers and pacifists — but included several people who claimed they were survivors of the war.
The rally was sponsored by Veterans for Peace, International Action Center and the Korea Truth Commission, a private organization of activists from North Korea and South Korean labor, and church and women’s groups who say the United States committed dozens of massacres in North and South Korea. The group defined carpet-bombings as massacres.
The United States led U.N. forces that fought from 1950-1953 with South Korea against North Korean invaders, who were backed by China and the former Soviet Union. The United States has denied the charges.
In a Pulitzer Prize-winning series, in 1999 The Associated Press quoted ex-GIs and Korean survivors as saying refugees were killed at the southern village of No Gun Ri by U.S. troops in 1950. The U.S. and South Korean governments investigated, concluding later that the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment killed “an unconfirmed number” of refugees there between July 26 and July 29, 1950.
The U.S. Army found no orders were given to kill civilians and implied the shooting should be blamed instead on confused, inexperienced soldiers. |
