Sancheong–Hamyang massacre

The Sancheong and Hamyang massacre refers to the killing of 705 unarmed civilians in the Sancheong and Hamyang areas of South Gyeongsang district, South Korea, on 7 February 1951, during the Korean War. The killings were carried out by a unit of the South Korean Army's 11th Division. According to available records, approximately 85% of those killed were women, children, and elderly people, indicating that the victims were non-combatant residents of the affected areas rather than armed participants in the conflict.

The 11th Division, whose commanding general was Choe Deok-sin, is also documented as having conducted the Geochang massacre two days later, on 9 February 1951. The proximity in time and the shared responsible unit link the two incidents as part of a broader pattern of civilian killings attributed to this division during its operations in the region at that stage of the war.

The events remained a matter of historical record for decades before further institutional acknowledgment occurred. On 20 February 2006, the National Archives of Korea reported that files concerning the massacre had been located, providing documentary material relevant to the historical record of the killings. Subsequently, on 7 November 2008, a memorial park dedicated to the victims was established in Sancheong, serving as a site of commemoration for those killed in the 1951 events.

The massacre is one of a number of incidents examined in the broader context of civilian killings during the Korean War, including through the work of South Korea's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which has addressed multiple wartime massacres of civilians. No individuals are named or identified with specific legal roles (such as charged, convicted, or acquitted) in connection with this incident based on currently available source material; the only individual identified in connection with the responsible unit is the 11th Division's commanding general, Choe Deok-sin, in his role as commanding officer at the time.

Detailed information about the specific circumstances of the killings, individual accountability, or subsequent legal proceedings is limited in the available sourcing. The case is documented primarily through a brief encyclopedic summary noting the date, location, casualty figures, demographic breakdown of victims, and the subsequent discovery of archival files and establishment of a memorial park.