Han Kyoreh Article -
TRC Victims Protest / Demand:
“A New Truth and Reconciliation Commission Without Chairperson Park Seon-young Is Necessary” - First Statement from Victims of Historical Injustices.

Original Han Kyoreh Article:
’“A New Truth and Reconciliation Commission Without Chairperson Park Seon-young Is Necessary” - First Statement from Victims of Historical Injustices “

Thanks to Chang Seon Kim for the link.
Posted to Paperslip on March 11th, 2025.

Paperslip Note: While the article below does not specifically mention Overseas Adoption cases, the current TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) investigation encompasses multiple issues related to various Korean stakeholders. It is currently not known if Korean Adoptee protesters were present at this protest. We can’t identify any from the photos in the article. The protesters are demanding that the arch-conservative female TRC Chairperson be replaced.

For context:

Arch Conservative Park Seon-Yun was appointed as Chairman of the TRC by impeached former S. Korean President Yoon Seok-Yeol. You can read more about her on NamuWiki here.

The protesters written about in the Han Kyoreh article are NOT Korean Adoptees, but are rather other (native) Korean stakeholders who have likely considered the TRC reports released in their cases to be inadequate.

The first report by the TRC on individual Overseas Adoption has been postponed for release (again) until late March 2025.

Han Kyoreh Article -
Translation via ChatGPT -

”TRC Victims Protest / Demand: “A New Truth and Reconciliation Commission Without Chairperson Park Seon-young Is Necessary” - First Statement from Victims of Historical Injustices

Input: March 11, 2025, 2:54 PM | Revised: March 11, 2025, 2:58 PM

By Go Kyung-tae

On the morning of the 11th, a rally demanding the resignation of Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Chairperson Park Seon-young was held in front of the Namsan Square Building in Jung-gu, Seoul, where the TRC is located. The event was organized by the Special Committee for Truth-Seeking of the National Democratic Martyrs and Victims Commemoration Coalition (Memorial Coalition) and the Special Committee for Inquiry into Suspicious Deaths from Forced Draft and Lead Operations.

As the investigation deadline for the second-term TRC approaches on May 26, a demand has emerged from victim organizations of state violence for a swift legal amendment to launch a third-term TRC instead of merely extending the current deadline. Nearly 5,000 applications remain unprocessed, prompting Chairperson Park and TRC staff to advocate for a one-year extension through legal changes. However, these victim organizations stressed their opposition to simply prolonging the current system as long as Park Seon-young remains in charge.

The Special Committee for Truth-Seeking and the Special Committee for Inquiry into Suspicious Deaths held a rally on the afternoon of the 11th, demanding Park Seon-young’s resignation. Participants criticized her appointment by a military coup leader, her praise for a dictatorial regime, and the inadequate results of TRC investigations, urging her not to manipulate her term extension and to step down. Park has previously indicated on Facebook that she has been in contact with lawmakers to extend the TRC's term. The second-term TRC, launched in December 2020, is set to complete its activities, including a comprehensive report, by November 26.

Choi Jong-soon, head of the Association of the Families of the Deceased from Suspicious Deaths, whose brother, Choi Woo-hyuk, died during military service in 1987, stated, “The TRC must be evaluated now. If they had truly made efforts, we would support an extension.” He emphasized the need for legal amendments to strengthen investigative powers and to obtain evidence hidden by perpetrating institutions through searches. This indicates a desire for a new third-term TRC to replace the current one led by Park Seon-young, with enhanced investigative authority. Participants at the rally chanted slogans demanding the TRC be shut down after its operational period ends, calling for Park’s immediate resignation and amendments to include victims’ rights in TRC laws.

This demand stems particularly from the belief among families of suspicious military deaths that the TRC’s investigation results have been inadequate. Families of victims and survivors of forced draft have been protesting in front of various institutions for over four years, demanding the release of related security documents from the Defense Security Command, the National Intelligence Service, and the National Police Agency, as well as hearings for investigations. However, frequent changes in dedicated investigators and a results-oriented investigation approach have left many unresolved cases stagnant. Among 24 applications for suspicious death investigations during the second-term TRC, only four have been resolved.

In a resolution, the attendees demanded that if the TRC lacks confidence in conducting proper investigations, it should cease inquiries into suspicious deaths and refrain from downplaying or distorting findings to conceal limitations in their investigations. They urged the TRC to clearly document the reasons for the failure of investigations in reports for historical record.”

By Go Kyung-tae, k21@hani.co.kr