South Korea's Truth and Reconciliation Commission has decided to launch an official investigation into the killings of civilians by military and police forces in connection with the 1950-53 Korean War.
The commission said the unprecedented investigation will be based on a list of people executed before, during and after the 1950–1953 conflict, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The list contains personal information on 26,330 people killed by military and police forces during the period surrounding the war, as well as details of 38,135 surviving family members.
The existence of the list first came to light during an investigation by the Korean National Police Agency in 2007.
The commission obtained a copy of the list in June.
Restoring honour of victims, families
The commission will examine the list to determine the nationwide scale of civilian casualties and the extent of the damage in individual regions.
It will also investigate the historical and structural backgrounds of the incidents as well as how state institutions dealt with their aftermath, in an effort to uncover the truth about the incidents and restore the honour of the victims and their bereaved families.
The commission held its plenary meeting in Seoul on Monday.
The Korean War began on June 25 1950 and ended with an armistice on July 27 1953.
