Wikipedia

Brothers Home

TheBrothers' Home(Korean:형제복지원;RR:Hyungje Bokjiwon) was aninternment camp(officially awelfarefacility) located inBusan,South Koreaduring the 1970s and 1980s . The camp was home to some of the worsthuman rights abuses in South Koreaduring the period ofsocial purification[2]and has been nicknamed "Korea'sAuschwitz"by various Korean media outlets.[3]

Brothers' Home
형제복지원
SuccessorSiloam's House[1]
Formation1960
Defunct1988
PurposeChild protective services,welfare(officially)
Location
LeaderPark In-geun
Key people
Chun Doo-hwan
Korean name
Hangul
형제복지원
Hanja
Huynh đệ phúc chỉ viện
Revised RomanizationHyeongje bokjiwon
McCune–ReischauerHyŏngje bokchiwŏn

Background

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Throughout the 1950s, the Republic of Korea struggled to recover from the devastation of theKorean War.[4]Welfare policies during this period were focused on the housing oforphans,as they were seen as a stain to South Korea's national reputation.[5]: 175 As the 1960s unfolded,Park Chung Hee's military junta commenced efforts to 'cleanse' society of those who were seen as "symbols of the 'poverty' and 'disorder' of cities",[1]and these policies were expanded to cover the detention of generalvagrants.[5]: 176 [a]Starting around 1960, major cities such asSeoul,Busan,Daegu,Daejeon,andGwangjubegan the construction of 'vagrant detention facilities'.[1]A set of laws enacted in 1961 institutionalized the establishment of vagrant housing facilities. The Social Welfare Services Act of 1970 (구 사회복지사업법) made every vagrant between 18–65 eligible for "social welfare services".[5]: 176–7 

In 1975, the South KoreanMinistry of Home Affairsannounced the Ministry of Home Affairs Directive No. 410 (내무부훈령 제410호),[1][9]which required municipalities and their local police departments to form "vagrant patrol teams", which would conduct regular patrols at least once a month.[5]: 190 Ministry of Home Affairs Directive No. 410 defined vagrants as those who "prevent a healthy social order in cities and society."[10]: 5 This ambiguous definition allowed local authorities to autonomously decide who was classified as a vagrant and who was not. Likewise, the city of Busan and its local police arrested and detained numerous people who were seen on the streets, including panhandlers, abandoned or orphaned children, and the disabled as vagrants.[4][9]In some cases, police took unattended children into custody without their parents' or guardians' knowledge.[11]

TheAct on the Execution of Duties by Police Officers[ko]of 1953 provided a legal basis for police forces to detain or transfer those who lacked supervision from "an adequate supervisor" and were "in need of aid" to police stations, hospitals, or other welfare facilities.[1]Section 3 of the act required officers to acquire the consent of the subjected individual before aid was to be given.[5]: 188 [b]In the case where police "protection" was to take place, officers were required to "inform family members or other close associates of the aid recipient without delay". However, according to witness accounts, these procedures were rarely followed.[1][5]: 189 

Arrested vagrants were distributed among 36 detention facilities across South Korea.[4]Brothers Home was the biggest among these facilities.[9]First established on July 20, 1960 inGamman-dong[ko],Busan,[12]: 22 Brothers Home began business as anorphanage[4]under the name "Brothers Orphanage" (형제육아소).[9]As the orphanage expanded in size, it transformed into an accommodation center for general vagrants in the early 70s.[1]In July 1975, Brothers Home signed a contract with the city of Busan and became one of its officialvagrant detention facilities.[9]Subsequently, Brothers Home relocated toJurye-dong.[12]: 9 

This crackdown on vagrancy was intensified as rebranding efforts were taken place by the South Korean government in preparation for the1986 Asian Gamesand the1988 Seoul Olympics.[11]On April 10, 1981, upon receiving a report fromMilitary Security Commandon the status of panhandling among disabled citizens,[12]: 5 then-PresidentChun Doo-Hwanordered Prime MinisterNam Duck-wooto "crack down on begging and take protective measures for vagrants."[11]In October 6, Chun ordered Nam to "make sure no panhandlers are on the streets of Seoul" before the 1988 Olympics.[12]: 5 

Discovery of human rights abuses

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Investigations

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In August 1982, a man with the surname Kang submitted a petition asking the government and police to investigate his brother's mistreatment while held at Brothers Home. The case was handled by theBusan Bukbu Police Station[ko],which arranged a meeting between Kang and Park In-geun, who had been the director of the center since 1977.[13]Park took legal action against Kang forfalse accusation,and Kang was sentenced to eight months in prison on December 23, 1982.[12]: 7 

In December 1986,Kim Yong-won,aprosecutorfrom theDistrict Prosecutors' Office of Ulsan,[1]set out on an investigation after hearing rumors from a localhunterthat a group of laborers wereloggingin a nearby mountain while being assaulted by guards armed with clubs.[14]Kim discovered that the workshop, which was located on a mountain in Ulju County, Ulsan, was operating under orders from Park In-guen, director of Brothers Home.[14]Kim reckoned that Park was subjecting inmates brought from Brothers toforced labor,and launched a full-scalesearch and seizureinvestigation into the workshop and the center's main facility in Busan, on January 16, 1987.[14]The investigation, which included interviews of more than 100 inmates, guards, and executives of the center, concluded that the center's inmates, most of whom were ofsound mind,had been involuntarily transported to and detained by the center, where they were subjected to forced,unpaid labor.A bank receipt indicating a deposit of 2 billionwon(approx. $10.6 million in 2025 USD) was also found in a safe in the director's office.[14]

Following the investigation by the Prosecution Service,National Assemblymembers of theNew Korean Democratic Partysubsequently conducted an independent investigation into Brothers. The party published its first report on the investigation on February 4, 1987.[15]: 45 It concluded that, of the 3,975 inmates who were present at the center in 1986, 3,117 had been brought in by police, and 258 by county officials.[16]

From 2022[17][18]to 2024, theSouth Korean Truth and Reconciliation Commissionconducted a series of three investigations into the incident.[19]

Beatings and torture

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Subsequent investigations into the incident revealed that the inmates at Brothers Home were subjected to serious violations of human rights, includingarbitrary detention,enforced labor,torture,[20]andsexual violence.[1]

The center was administered with an "army-like chain of command."[21]To reduce administrative costs, one inmate was chosen as the "commander" of the facility, working directly under director Park In-geun. Under the commander, 120 vagrants were grouped into a single residence as one "platoon."[21]Each platoon had a "leader", "general secretary", and "team leaders", all of whom were selected inmates.[1]Inmates were also subjected to collective punishment. In some cases, the entire platoon would be beaten or tortured over the mistake of a single member.[1]

Widespread torture was common.[11][21]Inmates were often forced to keep painful and exhausting postures for prolonged periods and were beaten when they failed to stay still.[1]In 2020, theKukmin Ilboreported accounts from a former inmate who claimed that director Park In-geun physically abused inmates himself and kept handcuffs and oak clubs in the director's office. He further claimed that he had heard rumors that about 40 to 50 inmates in Brothers were killed directly by Park himself.[22]

Children and adolescents of Brothers often became victims of sexual violence by platoon officers. A small number of victims, labeled as 'ttongti', became the primary victims of homosexual violence.[1]

Various testimonies have reported that Brothers Home fed its inmatesantipsychoticsas a form of "chemical restraint".[12]: 29 Purchase records from the center have revealed that Brothers purchased 250,000 tablets ofchlorpromazine—along with a series of other antipsychotics such ashaloperidol,flurazepam,andcarbamazepine—in 1986 alone.[1][12]: 29 In 1987, the city of Busan denied the accusations, explaining that the drugs wereover-the-counter drugsthat were purchased for medical purposes.[12]: 29 

The 1987New Korean Democratic Partyinvestigation reports estimated that, based on records from the center,[23]a total of 513 people died inside Brothers from July 5, 1975 to January 7, 1987.[15]: 45 In 2014, an additional 38 victims were found to have died in the center from 1986 to its decommission in 1988, increasing the number to 551.[12]: 30 In 2016, aDWnews article reported that a minimum of 516 people died over the course of 20 years at Brothers Home.[23]The 2022 Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigation reported that, based on a comprehensive analysis, including all newly discovered death records from 1975 to 1988, a total of 657 people had died in the center.[1][12]: 30 The bodies of dead inmates were buried in secret, cremated and buried in public cemeteries, or sold to nearby hospitals.[1]

Adoption and human trafficking

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From the mid-to-late 20th century, about 200,000 South Korean children, mostly girls, were sent abroad for adoption. It is now believed that they constitute the largestdiasporicadoptee population in the world.[17]An investigation by theAssociated Pressdiscovered direct evidence that Brothers Home organized the adoption of 19 children from 1979 to 1986.[24]The AP further revealed that six U.S. adoption agencies—Holt International,Children's Home Society of Minnesota, Dillon International, Children's Home Society of California, Catholic Social Services, andSpence-Chapin—had received adoptees from Brothers.[24]

The European countries included Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, and Denmark. Most of the Korean girls were not real orphans and had living biological parents, but their status was intentionally faked to show that they were orphans and put on adoption in foreign countries for money. The Korea Welfare Services, Eastern Social Welfare Society, Korea Social Service andHolt Children's Serviceswere the adoption agencies involved in the trafficking of the girls. TheTruth and Reconciliation Commissionbegan investigating the scandal in 2022.[17]The military leaders were linked to the agencies' board members, and they wanted to establish closer links with the West and decrease South Korea's population.[25]South Korea'sKorean Broadcasting Systemreported on the case of the Korean girl Kim Yu-ri who was taken away from her biological Korean parents and adopted to a French couple where she was raped and molested by her French adopted father.[26]Across Australia, Europe and the United States, the majority-female Korean adoptees asked for an investigation from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into the child trafficking scandal.[25]Holt Children's Service was sued by a Korean adoptee in the US for compensation.[27][28]

Aftermath

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Trial of Park In-geun

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Park In-geun was prosecuted on several charges includingembezzlementandillegal confinement.[29]On June 23, 1987,[30]theUlsan District Court[ko]initially ruled Park guilty on all charges and sentenced him to ten years in imprisonment and a 681 million won fine.[29]On November 27, 1987,[30]however, theDaegu High Court[ko]dropped Park's charges of daytime imprisonment after anappealwas made, and the sentence was lowered to four years.[29]On March 8, 1988,[30]a second appeal at theSupreme Court of Korearuled Park not guilty on all charges of illegal confinement. While aremandedcase by the Daegu High Court once again ruled Park guilty of unlawful night-time imprisonment, the Supreme Court retained its ruling on a third appeal. A final ruling by the Daegu High Court during the case's second remand ultimately ruled Park not guilty of all imprisonment charges, including both daytime and night-time imprisonment, on March 15, 1989,[30]and declared a final sentence of two-and-a-half years in prison.[29][11]One final appeal was made to the case by the prosecution, but it was dismissed by the Supreme Court on July 11.[30]

The prosecution, which originally sought a fifteen-year sentence and a fine amassing around 600 million won, was put under pressure by the Chun Doo-hwan administration. While the incident initially sparked public outrage, public interest faded away from the case due to cover-up efforts by the military regime and the subsequent death of student activistPark Jong-chul.[1]

Involvement of the Protestant Church

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Survivors of Brothers Home have alleged close cooperation between the camp and theProtestant Church.One former inmate reported being forced to perform in Christian plays for local and international guests and givenEaster eggsas rewards. Another was sent to the camp by a Christian missionary. Another survivor described the church and the camp as a business operation run by Pastor Lim Young-soon and Director Park In-geun, with children forced to work and run an on-premisesKorean adoption operation,[24]including writing letters soliciting donations from families who have adopted children in the past.[21]Some of the adoption partners abroad were also part of Christian organizations.[24]

According to Shin Yi-geon (신이건), a representative ofThe Korea Christian Newspaper,Park In-geun was a senior presbyter of a church belonging toThe General Assembly of Presbyterian Church in Korea.Shin further claimed that, despite being aware of the human rights violations at Brothers, Christian organizations in Busan such as theBusan National Council of Churchesand the BusanYMCAneglected to reveal them.[31]

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Rumors that the center has served as the inspiration behind the South Korean television seriesSquid Gamehave circulated online; however, the series' creators have not confirmed this.[32][33]

Footnotes

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  1. ^South Korean law during this period defined 'vagrants' (Korean:부랑인;Hanja:Phù lãng nhân) as "beggars, gum sellers, or street hustlers who, without a fixed residence, wanders around places where many people gather or pass by, such as tourist spots, hospitality establishments, train stations, bus stops, or residential areas, and harasses passersby by begging or forcefully selling items."[6]In July 2003, the Social Welfare Services Act was reformed to legislate the classification of the "homeless" (Korean:노숙인;Hanja:Lộ túc nhân) as separate from "vagrants".[7]In 2011, theMinistry of Health and Welfareremoved the term "vagrant" entirely from South Korean law.[8]
  2. ^This requirement stated in Section 3 was removed when the act was amended in 1981.[5]: 188 

See also

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References

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  1. ^abcdefghijklmnopqHae-nam Park; Il-hwan Kim; Jae-hyung Kim; Ji-hyun Choo; Jong-sook Choi; Jun-chol So; Kwi-byung Kwak; Sang-jic Lee (June 15, 2023)."'Big Brother' at Brothers Home: Exclusion and Exploitation of Social Outcasts in South Korea ".The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus.
  2. ^Hancocks, Paula (25 October 2016)."South Korea's shame: Child victims of Brothers Home abuse still searching for justice".CNN.Retrieved26 June2022.
  3. ^Multiple sources:
  4. ^abcdKim, Tong-hyung; Klug, Foster (19 April 2016)."AP: S. Korea covered up mass abuse, killings of 'vagrants'".Associated Press News.Retrieved26 June2022.
  5. ^abcdefgJae Hyung, Kim (2023).한국 집단수용시설의 법제도화와 인권침해, 그리고 국가 책임[The Institutionalization of Collective Detention Centers in South Korea, Human Rights Violations, and the Responsibility of the State].기억과 전망.48:169–206.doi:10.31008/MV.48.5– via KISS.
  6. ^이소영 (June 18, 2017)."(5)명랑사회를 위한 '부랑인 청소'...결국 우리도 공모자였다".Kyunghyang Shinmun(in Korean)."일정한 주거 없이 관광업소, 접객업소, 역, 버스정류소 등 많은 사람들이 모이거나 통행하는 곳과 주택가를 배회하거나 좌정하여 구걸 또는 물품을 강매함으로써 통행인을 괴롭히는 걸인, 껌팔이, 앵벌이." 이들은 우리 법이 '부랑인'이라 정의했던 대상이다.
  7. ^김욱.노숙인 ( lộ túc nhân ).Encyclopedia of Korean Culture(in Korean).RetrievedSeptember 15,2024.
  8. ^민경락 (November 3, 2011).노숙인법에서 '부랑인'은 왜 사라졌을까.Yonhap News Agency(in Korean).
  9. ^abcde장미현.형제복지원 사건 ( huynh đệ phúc chỉ viện sự kiện ).Encyclopedia of Korean Culture(in Korean).RetrievedSeptember 14,2024.
  10. ^정정훈 (2019).감금의 질서, 수용시설의 권력기술* – 형제복지원과 인권의 재맥락화[Order and confinement, technologies of authorities in detention facilities* – Recontextualization of Brothers' Home and human rights].도시인문학연구(in Korean).11(1).doi:10.21458/siuh.2019.04.30.005(inactive 21 January 2025).{{cite journal}}:CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2025 (link)
  11. ^abcdeJung, Bugyeong (30 May 2020)."Brothers' Home: South Korea's 1980s 'concentration camp'".BBC News.Retrieved26 October2021.
  12. ^abcdefghijTruth and Reconciliation Commission(August 24, 2020).형제복지원 인권침해 사건진실규명 결정 관련 참고자료[References on the decision to investigate the truth about human rights violations at Brothers Home] (in Korean).
  13. ^박유리 (October 10, 2014)."형제복지원 대하 3부작 제3회 ④ 욕망의 끝".The Hankyoreh(in Korean).
  14. ^abcd구영식 (January 29, 2013)."그곳에서 513명이 굶어죽고 맞아죽었다 수사검사도 분노한 김용준 '형제복지원' 판결".OhmyNews(in Korean).
  15. ^ab김재왕; 장서연; 여준민 (December 4, 2014).형제복지원사건은 명백한 국가책임이다[The Brothers Home incident is a clear government liability.](PDF)(in Korean). 형제복지원피해생존자, 실종자, 유가족모임. 형제복지원사건진상규명을위한대책위원회.
  16. ^김슬기 (October 2, 2013).한국의 홀로코스트, 형제복지원 사건의 진실.대학원신문(in Korean).
  17. ^abcKim, Tong-hyung (December 8, 2022)."South Korea's truth commission to probe foreign adoptions".AP.Seoul, South Korea.
  18. ^장예지 (August 24, 2022).형제복지원 사망자 105명 추가...조현병 약 25만정 구입도.The Hankyoreh(in Korean).
  19. ^전지현 (January 10, 2024).'형제복지원 사건' 세번째 인권침해 확인...피해자 153명 추가.Kyunghyang Shinmun(in Korean).
  20. ^소제인 (July 17, 2023).형제복지원 사건의 억울한 사연들.Hankook Ilbo.
  21. ^abcdJolley, Mary Ann; Kim, Susan (10 December 2021)."Secrets of South Korea's house of horrors hidden in Australia".Al Jazeera.Retrieved15 December2021.
  22. ^전웅빈; 김판; 임주언; 박세원 (April 26, 2020)."[단독]" 형제복지원장실 바닥 피로 범벅…원장 삽으로 원생 내려찍기도 "[이슈&탐사]".Kukmin Ilbo(in Korean) – viaNaver News.
  23. ^abKretschmer, Fabian (21 April 2016)."Report highlights past abuse of 'vagrants' in S. Korea".DW.Retrieved26 October2021.
  24. ^abcdKim, Tong-hyung; Klug, Foster (November 9, 2019)."AP Exclusive: Abusive S. Korean facility exported children".Associated Press.RetrievedJanuary 9,2025.
  25. ^abKim, Tong-hyung (December 9, 2022)."More South Korean adoptees demand probes into their cases".Associated Press.RetrievedJanuary 9,2025.
  26. ^양부의 범죄와 양모의 방관...친부모 동의도 없이 프랑스로 입양돼야 했던 김유리 씨의 삶 시사직격 KBS 방송.KBS 추적60분.November 21, 2022.
  27. ^Kim, Tong-hyung (May 16, 2023)."South Korean court orders agency to compensate Asian American adoptee".Associated Press.RetrievedJanuary 9,2025.
  28. ^Kim, Tong-hyung (January 24, 2019)."AP Exclusive: Adoptee deported by US sues S. Korea, agency".AP.Seoul, South Korea.
  29. ^abcd최기철 (March 11, 2021)."대법 '형제복지원 박인근 감금 무죄' 비상상고 기각".뉴스토마토.
  30. ^abcde여준민; 이동준 (March 12, 2021)."[과거사청산위][공동논평] 대법원의 형제복지원 비상상고 기각 판결에 대한 논평".Lawyers for a Democratic Society(in Korean).
  31. ^신이건 (November 2, 2020).40년 전 '부산형제복지원 사건' 부산 교계도 자성해야.The Korea Christian Newspaper(in Korean).
  32. ^Greenberg, Jack (January 12, 2025)."False narrative links 'Squid Game' to notorious Brothers Home incident".The Korea Times.
  33. ^Ibrahim, Nur."What We Know About Rumors Netflix's 'Squid Game' Was Based on a True Story".Snopes– viaY! Entertainment.

35°9′14.51″N129°0′35.91″E/ 35.1540306°N 129.0099750°E/35.1540306; 129.0099750

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