Ruling on Responsibility

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A South Korean court ordered the government to compensate a Vietnamese woman who was wounded by South Korean troops during the Vietnam War, in a test case that could pave the way for similar lawsuits, the Associated Press reported.

The case concerns 62-year-old Nguyen Thi Thanh, who was 7 years old when South Korean marines allegedly fired at unarmed civilians during search operations at Phong Nhi and the nearby village of Phong Nhut in February 1968.

Thanh survived a gunshot wound but five of her family members – including her mother and two siblings – died of their wounds.

In 2020, Thanh filed a lawsuit against the South Korean government. During the trial, the court heard the testimony of other survivors and a South Korean war veteran who was part of the unit that allegedly conducted the attacks.

In its ruling, the court dismissed the government’s arguments that South Korean troops were not responsible for the massacre and that civilian killings were unavoidable. It ordered the government to pay Thanh $24,000 in compensation.

It is the first time a South Korean court has held the government responsible for mass killings of Vietnamese civilians during the war.

According to US military documents and survivors, more than 70 people were killed and around 20 others injured during the attacks.

During the Vietnam War, South Korea – then ruled by anti-communist military leaders – sent more than 320,000 troops to the Southeast Asian country, the largest foreign contingent fighting alongside US troops.