South Korean defense minister denies Vietnam War massacres

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s defense minister insists the country’s soldiers didn’t commit any massacres during the Vietnam War and has indicated the government will appeal a ruling that ordered compensation for a Vietnamese woman who lost several relatives to a shooting rampage blamed on South Korean marines in 1968. When asked about last week’s ruling by the Seoul Central District Court, South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-Sup told a parliamentary committee that his ministry is certain there were “absolutely no massacres committed by our troops” during the Vietnam War.