During the Vietnam War, South Korea deployed over 300,000 troops, second only to the U.S. Economic aid received in return helped drive its rapid industrial growth. However, allegations of widespread war crimes, including massacres and sexual violence, have emerged.

Seoul

South Korea's economic transformation is closely intertwined with its involvement in the Vietnam War, where it deployed more than 300,000 troops, second only to the U.S. in numbers. This deployment was a decisive factor in driving the country's rapid industrial growth, as South Korea received significant economic aid and technology transfers which facilitated this progress.

During the conflict, South Korean forces experienced considerable losses, with over 5,000 killed and approximately 12,000 wounded. The economic benefits that followed, often referred to as the "Vietnam boom," saw the establishment of some of Korea's most renowned companies, showcasing the scale of the transformation. South Korea's GDP soared, per capita income multiplied, and exports soared.

Amidst the economic achievements, serious allegations emerged regarding war crimes committed by South Korean soldiers, including massacres and sexual violence. Notably, a legal case involving a Vietnamese woman framed a groundbreaking court decision that acknowledged civilian harm caused by South Korean troops, marking a significant precedent since no other nation involved in the Vietnam War has recognized such harm officially.

This legal acknowledgment has provoked mixed reactions in South Korea, particularly among veterans who contest the ruling. Despite controversies stemming from these allegations, South Korea and Vietnam have forged forward into a robust economic partnership. South Korea is now Vietnam's leading investor, with significant trade ties, underscoring a reconciliatory relationship, though one shadowed by the historical allegations that remain a topic of dispute.



S. Korea’s economic rise shadowed by war crime claims

Lee Hwa Jong was only 20 when he was conscripted to fight in Vietnam as part of a South Korean force second only in size to that of the United States. A total of 325,000 personnel were deployed. Out of those, 5,099 were killed in action and around 12,000 were injured. The transfers of US funding and technology that South Korea received in return helped to transform the nation. Korea's per capita income quadrupled, GDP increased 11-fold and exports were 37 times bigger. We called it the Vietnam boom. Some of South Korea's best-known companies were founded during the Vietnam War. But as South Korea's economic fortunes were growing, so too were allegations of widespread war crimes being carried out by the country's military. There were about 130 cases of civilian massacres and more than 10,000 victims. There was also sexual violence. Kwon Hyun-woo helped pursue a court case, currently in appeal, that granted compensation to a Vietnamese woman who alleges Korean marines killed 74 civilians in her village. This ruling is the first time a country responsible for atrocities during the Vietnam War officially acknowledged civilian harm. The US has not done this. That makes it a very significant ruling. But it's angered many veterans, including Lee Hwa-jong, who served in the area covered by the case. A lot has been distorted. The judges and lawyers who made those rulings, they've never been in a war. Lee blames Agent Orange, the chemical herbicide the US used to clear forests during the war for his cancer. He returns to Vietnam every year. I meet the president of the Vietnamese Veterans Association. We fought in the same years, and now we shake hands and support each other like friends. Many of them also suffer from Agent Orange-related conditions. South Korea's economic success has become part of Vietnam's story. In Vietnam, Korea is number one. Number one investor now. And trade amount is number one among ASEAN countries. Wartime adversaries have forged a path forward, although it remains a path scarred by allegations of war crimes committed half a century ago. Jack Barton, Al Jazeera, Seoul.

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