Witness to Vietnam War massacre by South Korean forces dies before memorial realized

Lee Van Hien, the first person to publicly testify about a massacre of civilians by South Korean forces in Vietnam's Binh Thuan province, has passed away at the age of 79. His death marks the loss of a crucial voice in documenting the atrocities that occurred during the Vietnam War.

Hien had shared his harrowing account with The Hankyoreh newspaper in August 2023, detailing how his father, Lee So-an, and brother, Lee Tta-o, were killed by South Korean soldiers in September and October 1966. He also testified that 62 other villagers were victims of the violence during that period.

Binh Thuan village, located about 10 kilometers northeast of Binh Hoa, is known for its 'Monument of Hatred' commemorating over 430 victims of a massacre in December 1966. However, the extent of civilian killings in Binh Thuan by the Republic of Korea Marine Corps' Blue Dragon Brigade during the same period had remained largely unknown until Hien's testimony in 2023. This information was not recorded in the official 'History of the Korean War' published by South Korea's Ministry of National Defense.

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My father Lee So-an and my brother Lee Tta-o were killed by the Korean army in September and October 1966, respectively, and 62 villagers were sacrificed in this area.

Hien recounted that after village elders presented Korean troops with harvested chili peppers and a letter in Chinese characters pleading for the safety of the villagers, the soldiers retaliated a month later. They gathered residents, deployed smoke grenades, and opened fire with machine guns.

In his later years, Hien dedicated himself to collecting testimonies and compiling a list of victims. He had expressed a strong desire to propose the construction of a memorial facility for the victims to the local People's Committee, similar to the one in Binh Hoa. However, he passed away before this wish could be fulfilled. His final words emphasized the need to "hate such things forever," referring to the fact that the victims were primarily the elderly, women, and children.

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These things should be hated forever.