Chung Eun-Yong, South Korean who forced U.S. to admit massacre, dies at 91

Chung Eun-Yong, whose half-century quest for justice for his two slain children led the U.S. Army in 2001 to acknowledge the Korean War refugee massacre at No Gun Ri, has died, the No Gun Ri International Peace Foundation reported. He was 91 and died on Aug. 1.

The No Gun Ri killings occurred in the first weeks of the 1950-53 war, when U.S. and South Korean troops were being driven south and reports spread that northern infiltrators were disguising themselves as South Korean refugees.

On July 26, 1950, outside the village of No Gun Ri, hundreds of civilians ordered south by U.S. troops were stopped by the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment, and then attacked without warning by U.S. warplanes. Survivors fled under a railroad overpass, where for the next three days they were fired on by 7th Cavalry.

Korean witnesses estimated hundreds were killed, mostly women and children, including Chung's young son and daughter. His wife was badly wounded. Chung had left earlier.

Through decades of authoritarian rule, the survivors kept their silence. But in the 1990s, led by Chung and as South Korea liberalized, they filed petitions to U.S. authorities, demanding an investigation, an apology and compensation.

All their petitions were ignored or dismissed until, in 1999, The Associated Press reported it had confirmed the mass killing. After further investigations, the Army acknowledged the No Gun Ri killings.