Interior minister to lead 78th memorial for Yeosun incident in Suncheon

South Korea's interior ministry will hold the 78th joint memorial ceremony for the Yeosun incident on Oct. 19 at Ocheon Green Plaza in Suncheon, the ministry said Monday, with Minister Youn Ho-jung attending as the government's representative alongside victims' families and citizens.

The ceremony, organized by the committee tasked with investigating the Yeosu-Suncheon Oct. 19 incident and restoring the honor of its victims, is expected to draw about 800 people. It will be held under the theme, "78 years of waiting, now the Republic of Korea will complete the truth of Yeosun."

Youn said the government has adopted the pursuit of the truth and the restoration of victims' honor as a national policy task. "We will push forward with the screening and decisions for the victims and bereaved families of the Yeosun incident at a brisk pace, and ensure that the truth investigation report for the restoration of the victims' honor is also compiled without disruption," he said.

The ceremony will open with pre-event programs including religious rites and a memorial dance, followed by a bell tolling and a moment of silence, the laying of flowers and incense, a progress report and a memorial address. A lounge for the bereaved families will be set up at the venue, along with an exhibition of 20 photographs documenting the atrocities, and a video on the life of the late prosecutor Park Chan-gil will be screened, accompanied by reflections from his son, the Rev. Park Kyung-jin.

Sung Jae-soo, president of the bereaved families' association, said he hopes the incident will be reinterpreted as a historical event that sought peace and justice rather than a past rebellion. "I hope many people will attend this memorial ceremony," he said.