The funeral of two South Korean civilians killed in the North Korean shelling of Yeonpyeong Island was held on December 6th in Incheon, following wrangling over the status of the deceased that delayed the event for almost two weeks.
The two men, Kim Chi Baek and Bae Bok Chul, aged 61 and 60 respectively, were cremated this morning after a ceremony attended by Incheon mayor Song Young Gil, Grand National Party lawmakers and military officials.
Kim and Bae had been working on the construction of a residential building at the Marine Corps base on Yeonpyeong Island when they were caught in the November 23rd attack, which also killed two ROK Marines.
Their funeral was previously delayed after the families of the deceased requested that their loved be buried in the national cemetery, as was the case for the two soldiers.
However, they acquiesced to allow the funeral after the Incheon city government offered to cover the expenses and erect a memorial on Yeongpyeong Island next year, whilst also agreeing a compensation package with the their former employer.
The families continue to campaign for the two men to be granted the status “killed in action”.
