Clinton regrets civilian killings in Korean war
REUTERS

SEOUL, JAN 12: The United States and South Korea have found that poorly trained US troops killed an unknown number of refugees near the village of No Gun Ri in the opening days of the Korean War, a joint statement said.

The US President Bill Clinton has expressed deep regret in the statement, which fell far short of a formal apology and admission of guilt some Korean officials had sought. It followed a 15-month investigation into the July 26, 1950, killings.

‘‘On behalf of the United States of America, I deeply regret that Korean civilians lost their lives at No Gun Ri in late July, 1950,’’ Clinton said in a statement in which he offered his condolences to those who had lost loved ones.

The statement was released on Thursday in Washington andagain in Seoul on Friday. ‘‘The comment ‘deeply regret’ encompasses an apology,’’ said Ahn Byoung-woo, leader of South Korea’s side of the investigation team, on Friday.

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