和泉守兼定

The Phong Nhị Massacre — Vietnamese Civilians Killed by South Korea’s Blue Dragon Brigade On 12 February 1968, South Korean marines came under sniper fire in or near Phong Nhị, central Vietnam. One soldier was wounded. The Blue Dragon Brigade’s 1st Company, 1st Battalion was operating in the village. Nguyễn Thị Thanh was a child. Soldiers shot her in the abdomen. Her older brother was badly wounded. Their mother, older sister and younger brother were killed. She survived multiple operations and about eight months in hospital. In Phong Nhị and neighbouring Phong Nhất, 74 villagers were killed. A U.S. report the following month described Phong Nhị as retaliatory killing after Korean troops received fire. It did not establish the full chain of orders. The sniper fire did not prove the civilians were responsible. U.S. personnel helped the wounded, photographed the aftermath and investigated. In 2020, Thanh sued South Korea. The government disputed its troops’ responsibility and argued that her claim was too late. She won in February 2023. An appellate panel upheld the compensation ruling in January 2025. As a Korean, I could have avoided this subject. But I could not look away. Speaking for myself, I offer my heartfelt apology to the victims and survivors of these massacres, and their families. What should acknowledging this massacre require beyond a court judgment?