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S.Korea, US Fail to Conclude Nogun-ri Massacre Talks
South Korea and the United States failed to issued a joint statement on December 7 to conclude their year-long separate probes into the Nogun-ri massacre during the Korean War.
"We have reached a consensus on a considerable part of issues involved, but failed to reach a final agreement," said Kim Byoung-ho, assistant minister for public policy coordination.
The two sides decided to announce the results within the tenure of the Clinton administration, added the assistant.
The two sides are believed to disagree on whether the killing was intentional or accidental, whether a US plane and machine guns were employed in the massacre and whether there was an order from superiors to kill the refugees or villagers in Nogun-ri, North Chungchong Province, South Korea in the early days of the Korean War in 1950-1953.
The US is known to have admitted that US soldiers fired at unarmed refugees who were dodging bombs under a train trestle but insists the soldiers acted on their own out of fear that Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) troops had infiltrated the refugee group in disguise.
Meanwhile, South Korea reportedly alleges the case is a clear- cut criminal act, deserving an apology from the US government and compensation for the victims.
At the meeting, neither sides produced hard evidence backing their claims as the killing took place 50 years ago.
However, the two sides agreed to meet again around December 20 in Washington to jointly author a final report on their year-long probe.
The probes into the incident started in September last year when the Associated Press, citing declassified documents at the US military archives, reported that US commanders ordered their troops to shoot civilians as DPRK commandos might be hiding themselves in the stream of refugees.
Whether there existed orders from the commanders has been the most sensitive issue.
If the existence of orders were proven, it would lead to the conclusion that the US government should make legal compensation to the victims.
"In case the investigation is wrapped up hastily without meeting our demands, we will seek many other options, including the creation of alliances with other Korean and international NGOs and the formation of a new investigation team,'' said Chung Koo-do, the spokesman for the civilian group.
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