The Ha My Massacre was a massacre conducted by the South Korean Marines on 25 February 1968 in Ha My Village, Quang Nam Province. The victims were 135 women, children and elders from thirty local households.
41 members of the Korea-Vietnam Peace Foundation came from every walk of life including doctors, teachers, farmers and the families of the South Korean soldiers who participated in the Vietnam War. They all came to Vietnam to attend a ceremony held on Sunday to apologise and burn incense to the victims.
Chairman of Dien Duong Ward People's Committee Dinh Hung Lien said, "The commemoration is to soothe the souls of the victims and people from South Korea also want to extend their sincere apologies and start a new page in history."
With support from the Korea Veterans' Association, the local authorities put up a memorial stele for the victims in 2000. Lien said the local people are also aiming to build a new friendship and make this land of pain become a dynamic and rapid-growing area.
Last year, the Korea-Vietnam Peace Foundation and many other organisations donated to renovate the stele and the memorial house for the victims.
Kang U Il, head of the Korea-Vietnam Peace Foundation, said they had participated in the 45th commemoration of the massacre and still wanted to come to apologise again at the 50th commemoration. Kang said they didn't know what to say about the horrific event.
"Standing on the ground of the heart-breaking massacre that we can't believe in, we can only stifle the tears and cries," he said. "We really sorry and we'll never forget."
He promised that the 50th commemoration would be the start of new era of peace.
Some photos of the ceremony:
South Korean people burn incenses for the victims