Youngkwan Ban

As an accomplished Human Rights Researcher and Memory Studies Scholar, I have dedicated my career to the in-depth investigation and documentation of historical human rights violations. My work bridges the gap between past injustices and contemporary understanding, focusing on how societies remember and address their most difficult histories. This scholarly pursuit is driven by a deep commitment to uncovering silenced narratives and ensuring that historical truths are acknowledged and preserved for future generations.

My expertise is rooted in the meticulous and often challenging processes of truth-seeking. This includes extensive archival research and the professional handling of sensitive data related to state-level atrocities. A critical component of my work involves tangible processes like victim identification, which restores dignity to those who have been lost to history. Furthermore, my efforts have contributed to the global preservation of memory through the successful registration of UNESCO Documentary heritage, ensuring these vital records are protected and made accessible.

Fundamentally, I am committed to advancing human rights through rigorous research, comprehensive documentation, and steadfast advocacy for accountability. I believe that a thorough understanding of the past is essential for building a more just future. Moving forward, I am seeking to leverage my unique insights to make impactful contributions to the field of human rights, working towards a world where accountability is upheld and the lessons of history inform a more humane present.

news

Mar 15, 2026	Begin participatory English Translation project of “Jeju 4.3 Investigation Report” [제주4·3사건 진상조사보고서 영문 번역 프로젝트- Jeju 4·3 Incident Truth Investigation Report — English Translation Project] 250417),” Github Project Page.
Jul 11, 2025	Academic Presentation “Mediating a Silenced Past: The Case of the Jeju 4·3 Incident Investigation Report,” IAMCR Singapre 2025, NTU, Singapore, July 2025 was made.
Apr 17, 2025	Appeared in local TV’s discussion program “Special Report “Connecting the Issues-As Jeju 4.3 Goes Global, What Challenges Lie Ahead? (Aired: April 17, 2025) (시사기획 “이슈잇다” [ 세계화 앞 4·3, 앞으로의 과제는? ] 250417),” Youtube.
Apr 11, 2025	The 221st UNESCO Executive Board meeting decided the inscription of “Revealing Truth: Jeju 4·3 Archives” as a Memory of the World, UNESCO. More detail about this project.

selected publications

Silencing the sound of cracking bones: Victim identification as memorial practice in Jeju 4.3

Youngkwan Ban

The Korean Journal of History of Science, 2023

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75 years of silence: The continuing need for acknowledgment, accountability, and reconciliation between the United States and the Korean people

Stephan Sonnenberg, Youjoung Kim, David Miller, and 3 more authors

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2023

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Our report emphasizes the centrality of the United States’ involvement in many of the atrocities that occurred in Korea during the 20th century. We highlight the role and the opportunity for the United Nations to supporting long-neglected efforts to promote truth-telling, justice, reparations and secure guarantees of non- recurrence in Korea.There is abundant evidence of grievous wrongdoing by the United States and its agents on the Korean Peninsula. As a result of South Korea’s democratization and liberalization since the late 1980s, victims and their surviving families in recent decades have become more emboldened to share their experiences with historians and human rights activists. Documents and evidence gathered from communities around Korea reveal a massive campaign by the U.S. military and their South Korean allies, beginning in 1945 and lasting well into the 1980s, to hunt and kill guerrillas and communist sympathizers across South Korea, often causing wanton casualties among civilian populations. Civilians were frequently the intended targets of such operations. Many instances of the violence targeting civilians were committed either directly by U.S. government agents or carried out by South Korean officials with the full endorsement and operational and financial support of the U.S. authorities. These acts were unconscionable, and caused immeasurable suffering for countless Korean families and communities.This report explores the perspectives of victims and their surviving family members,who continue to live with the consequences of this violence. The report highlights what these families believe must be done today, decades after the original atrocities took place, to see that justice finally be done for these communities. Many of the victims with whom we spoke were focusing their energies on ensuring that such heinous acts never happen again, not only in Korea but anywhere in the world. Regrettably, the United States has not appropriately responded to the repeated calls by victimized communities, civil society activists, academics, and historians to accept its ethical, legal, and financial obligations towards the individuals and communities devastated by its unlawful actions.As a nation and a staunch ally to the Korean people, it is paramount for the U.S. to address its past wrongdoings and take long- overdue steps toward accountability, remediation, and reconciliation.