The South Korean government should make public the records involving three soldiers’ alleged role in a civilian massacre during the Vietnam War, Seoul’s Administrative Court ruled Friday.

In a second trial ruling on the matter instigated by a local civic group against Seoul’s spy agency, which holds the records, the court ordered their release after redacting the soldiers’ dates of birth. Korean soldiers allegedly killed 74 locals in 1968 during the war according to the records.

In 2018, the spy agency refused to uphold both the trial and appeals rulings in favor of the civic group because making public the soldiers’ names and dates of birth could violate their privacy. The civic group said the spy agency should accept the latest ruling and not seek another appeal.

By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)