Identification of Victims

Managing the excavation of clandestine graves and DNA-based identification of Jeju 4.3 massacre victims — a memorial practice restoring dignity and identity.

Restoring Identity to the Lost

The Jeju 4.3 massacre left tens of thousands of victims buried in unmarked, clandestine graves — erased not only from life but from record. The excavation and identification project is the effort to reverse that erasure: to locate the remains, restore the names, and return the dead to their families. As my own research argues, this work constitutes a “memorial practice” — not merely a forensic procedure, but a final act of recognition that the state once denied.

I managed these excavation and identification projects at the Jeju 4.3 Peace Foundation.

What I Managed

My role required integrating historical research, forensic science, and direct engagement with the bereaved community — work that was as emotionally demanding as it was logistically complex.

Cross-disciplinary coordination. I operated as the central coordinator across historical researchers, on-site excavation crews, forensic anthropologists, DNA analysis laboratories, and government officials. The challenge was not simply logistics — it was ensuring that each team’s work fed coherently into the next stage while maintaining ethical standards throughout.

Field and laboratory oversight. I actively managed the on-site excavation projects and the subsequent DNA identification process. Every stage — from the initial dig to the final match — had to be conducted with scientific rigor and the profound respect that the victims and their families deserved.

Sensitive data governance. The project involved handling deeply sensitive information: the locations of remains, genetic profiles of victims, and DNA reference data from living family members. I was responsible for ensuring this data was managed securely and treated with the confidentiality it demanded.

Community and family liaison. Many of the bereaved family members are elderly — they have waited over seventy years. A crucial part of my role was communicating with these families: explaining the process, managing expectations, and providing support during the emotionally charged moments of identification and the return of remains.

The Process

The identification unfolds in four stages. Historical research and survivor testimonies first pinpoint the locations of clandestine graves. Archaeologists and forensic experts then carefully excavate the site. The recovered remains undergo forensic and DNA analysis in the laboratory. Finally, DNA profiles are matched against a database provided by the bereaved families — and when a match is confirmed, the remains are returned in a solemn ceremony, allowing the family to hold a proper funeral for the first time in over seven decades.

Youngkwan Ban, “Silencing the sound of cracking bones: Victim identification as memorial practice in Jeju 4.3”, The Korean Journal of History of Science, 2023.