On Saturday, I was honoured to attend the opening of the Sun and Stars of 75 Years exhibitition at the No Gun Ri Peace Memorial in Yeongdong County. The No Gun Ri Peace Memorial tells the story of a massacre that took place over several days between August 26th and 29th, 1950. As part of that story and to commemorate its 75th anniversary, artists Lee Soon-jong and Jung Jung-yeob were commissioned to create artworks to capture the pain and memories involved in those events - feelings that for some continue to this day.
The events that unfolded at No Gun Ri were one of a number of similar painful incidents that occurred within a relatively short period of time in Korea. Villagers in the area had fled their homes to head into the mountains due to fierce fighting around Yeongdong County, but they were confronted by US troops who blocked their movements and searched their belongings before disappearing. Shortly afterwards, US planes dropped bombs on the villagers and those who were not killed by the bombs and found shelter under the bridge were fired upon by US ground soldiers. At least 150 people were killed, but the death count is thought to be much higher. There were survivors, and some of them are still alive today. An elderly gentlemen who attended the launch was one of those people. He was only 10 years old when the events at No Gun Ri took place. The now deceased father of Chung Koo-do — Director of the No Gun Ri Peace Memorial and Chairman of the No Gun Ri International Peace Foundation, who was also present at the opening — was a massacre survivor too.
Details of the No Gun Ri massacre remained hidden for many years, only becoming well known when Associated Press published a report in 1999 citing declassified military documents. American President Ronald Reagan issued a statement of regret in 2001, without issuing an apology, and there have been unsuccessful attempts by those affected to claim compensation, therefore painful memories continue to exist on a variety of levels. The Sun and Stars of 75 Years exhibition is one of many ways to ensure conversations about such difficult memories continue to take place. The No Gun Ri Peace Memorial building also does this through its main exhibition which tells the story of No Gun Ri, focusing on how the massacre has and is being addressed. The nearby modern day shrine that holds the ancestral tablets of massacre victims acts in the same way, as does the No Gun Ri Peace Garden, whilst a variety of events continue to take place to discuss and remember No Gun Ri. This continual addressing of the massacre through remembrance and discussion not only means that our understanding of various aspects of the incident may become clearer, but also that knowledge of No Gun Ri spreads further afield. This in turn allows further opportunities for difficult conversations to take place, giving us a chance to both honour the victims and reaffirm the shared responsibility that we all have in confronting our difficult pasts.