 The massacre allegations were little @-@ known outside Korea until publication of an Associated Press ( AP ) story in 1999 , in which 7th Cavalry veterans corroborated Korean survivors ' accounts . The AP also uncovered U.S. Army orders to fire on approaching civilians because of reports of North Korean infiltration of refugee groups . Some details were disputed , but the massacre account was found to be essentially correct . In 2001 , the U.S. Army conducted an investigation and , after previously rejecting survivors ' claims , acknowledged the killings , but described the three @-@ day event as " an unfortunate tragedy inherent to war and not a deliberate killing " . The army rejected survivors ' demands for an apology and compensation . United States President Bill Clinton issued a statement of regret , adding the next day that " things happened which were wrong " . 
