The Brothers’ Home: A Chilling Tale of Abuses in South Korea’s Past

Teenage boys and adult men were kept in the same platoons at Brothers Home [Courtesy of Brothers Home Welfare Center Incident Countermeasures Committee]

The Brothers’ Home (Korean: 형제복지원) was a state-sanctioned welfare facility in Busan, South Korea, operating during the 1970s and 1980s. Ostensibly established to provide care and rehabilitation for vagrants and vulnerable individuals, it became a nightmarish internment camp infamous for its systemic abuse, exploitation, and deaths. The shocking revelations surrounding The Brothers’ Home highlight the dark intersections of authoritarianism, social stigma, and institutional failures in South Korea’s modern history.

The Origins of The Brothers’ Home

The Brothers’ Home was founded in 1975 by Park In-keun, an individual who initially presented himself as a philanthropic caretaker of the homeless. The facility was part of a broader government initiative under the authoritarian regime of President Park Chung-hee and later Chun Doo-hwan, aimed at “cleaning up” cities. This policy targeted those deemed undesirable, including homeless individuals, street children, and people with disabilities.

Although the government framed these efforts as a welfare initiative to reintegrate vagrants into society, the reality was far more sinister. Police and local officials rounded up individuals indiscriminately, often arresting people without identification or those perceived as socially undesirable. Once taken to The Brothers’ Home, detainees found themselves in a prison-like environment with little hope of release.

The entrance to Brothers Home. The site was barricaded with high concrete walls, guards manned the front gate, and no one was allowed to leave the facility [Courtesy of Brothers Home Welfare Center Incident Countermeasures Committee]

Conditions Inside The Facility

The conditions inside The Brothers’ Home were horrific. Reports from survivors describe extreme overcrowding, with up to 3,000 people crammed into the facility at its peak. Basic amenities were lacking, and detainees suffered from malnutrition and untreated illnesses. Physical and psychological abuse was rampant, with accounts of guards beating inmates for minor infractions or as a form of control.

Many survivors recall being forced into gruelling labour, such as farming, construction, and textile work, often without pay. This exploitation served as a significant source of income for the institution. The profits, however, did not translate into improved conditions for the detainees, as funds were siphoned off by Park In-keun and his associates.

Perhaps the most harrowing aspect of life at The Brothers’ Home was the number of unexplained deaths. Records suggest that hundreds perished due to abuse, malnutrition, and disease, while others died under suspicious circumstances. These deaths were rarely investigated, and many were attributed to accidents or illness, further obscuring the true scale of the atrocities.

Children were forced to work in factories built inside the facility. This included sewing, making fishing rods, general stationary and cocktail toothpicks [Courtesy of Brothers Home Welfare Center Incident Countermeasures Committee]

The Collapse of The Brothers’ Home

The truth about The Brothers’ Home came to light in 1987, when a whistle-blower, Kim Yong-won, a former staff member, exposed the facility’s abuses to the media. His testimony, alongside corroborating accounts from survivors, sparked national outrage and led to a government investigation.

Despite the public outcry, the investigation faced significant resistance from authorities and was marred by cover-ups. While Park In-keun was eventually convicted of embezzlement and other minor charges, his punishment did not reflect the gravity of the crimes committed at The Brothers’ Home. He served only two and a half years in prison, leaving many survivors feeling that justice was never truly served.

The government’s reluctance to fully address the abuses stemmed from the fact that The Brothers’ Home was not an isolated case. It was part of a broader system of state-sanctioned internment facilities, highlighting the complicity of various levels of authority in these human rights violations.

Unaccompanied children of all ages were classified as ‘neglected’ or ‘vagrants’ by the local police, and were abducted and taken to the Brothers Home. [Courtesy of Brothers Home Welfare Center Incident Countermeasures Committee]

Legacy and Continued Struggles

In the decades since the closure of The Brothers’ Home, survivors and activists have fought for recognition, justice, and reparations. They seek acknowledgment from the South Korean government of its role in enabling such systemic abuses. In 2018, a special investigation commission was established to examine the atrocities at welfare facilities like The Brothers’ Home. This marked a significant step forward, but many survivors argue that more needs to be done to preserve their stories and prevent future abuses.

The Brothers’ Home remains a painful reminder of South Korea’s authoritarian past and the dangers of unchecked power. It also serves as a cautionary tale about the societal marginalisation of vulnerable groups and the failure of institutions meant to protect them.

The church at the pinnacle of Brothers Home was built with inmate slave labour [Courtesy of Brothers Home Welfare Center Incident Countermeasures Committee]

Key Facts About The Brothers’ Home

1. Scale of Operations: At its peak, The Brothers’ Home housed approximately 3,000 detainees, including children, the elderly, and disabled individuals
2. Systematic Abuse: Survivors reported physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, as well as forced labour without pay
3. Death Toll: Hundreds of deaths were recorded at the facility, though the exact number remains unknown due to poor record-keeping and official cover-ups
4. Whistle-Blowing: The abuses came to light in 1987 when former staff member Kim Yong-won exposed the atrocities
5. Inadequate Justice: Founder Park In-keun served only two and a half years in prison for embezzlement, while most officials involved faced no consequences
6. Shocking Numbers: Only 10% of internees were actually homeless

References

1. Kim, S. H. (2018). The Brothers’ Home: Unveiling the Forgotten Atrocities. Seoul: Insight Press
2. Park, J. (2019). South Korea’s Dark Past: Institutionalised Abuse in Welfare Facilities. Korea Journal of History
3. Lee, K. Y. (2017). The Untold Stories of The Brothers’ Home. Busan Herald
4. Kim, Y. W. (1987). Testimony on The Brothers’ Home. Seoul Daily News
5. Human Rights Watch (1988). Report on South Korea’s Welfare Facilities
6. National Investigation Commission (2018). Findings on The Brothers’ Home. Seoul: Government Publications
7. Lim, S. (2020). Survivors’ Voices: Remembering The Brothers’ Home. Korean Historical Review
8. Amnesty International (1988). Abuses in South Korea’s Welfare Institutions
9. All images and captions from Al Jazeera