30. Darkness Gathering

During the Vietnam War, South Korea’s involvement included acts of violence that marked a grim chapter in the conflict. Notably, in 1968, the 2nd Marine Brigade was linked to the massacres at Phong Ni and Phong Nat, claiming 70 to 80 civilian lives. Earlier, in 1966, incidents at Binh Hoa and Binh Tai saw the deaths of hundreds more.

These atrocities were part of a broader context of civilian suffering. The Viet Cong’s terror tactics predominantly targeted civilians, resulting in up to 80,000 deaths through bombings, landmines, and mass killings, contributing to an estimated 300,000 civilian casualties. The North Vietnamese military’s treatment of Allied POWs, including torture, further underscores the war’s brutality.