Will S. Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Reports Be Permanently Accessible?

Will S. Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Investigations Be Permanently Accessible? Maybe Not.

This is a developing story…we are not sure we fully comprehend, but according to this article from December 12th, 2024, the current Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Final Reports may NOT be permanently accessible, though they may be permanently archived.

For reference, the TRC Investigation website (at least for now) is: https://www.jinsil.go.kr/en/

Please note that the TRC Investigation began as an investigation into the major concentration camps of S. Korea. Only later did the investigation broaden to investigate International Adoption. A TRC report on International Adoption cases is expected to come out in March 2025.

The article below is not specifically about the TRC investigation into International Adoption, which is still ongoing (as of February 2025). However, the same principles (or lack thereof) regarding permanent accessibility of the investigation records appear to be under question.

Article source - Chang Seon Kim
Posted to Paperslip Feb. 18th, 2025

https://www.hankookilbo.com/News/Read/A2024121109380004142?fbclid=IwY2xjawIhMERleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHXtpPCuh559ZO4CegfrVV5phsnGIzBwzMxA7Y8UcQVI3gg3_VYT0EBx8LA_aem_9aPxYSkGwckwOeWl9hQKPw

Translation via ChatGPT (bolds ours):

The past history committee's website should be permanently preserved.
Posted on December 12th, 2024, at 04:30, Page 25.

Recently, the 5.18 Truth Investigation Commission completed its four-year term and published its final report. Unfortunately, the commission's official website has also disappeared after its term ended. There is no easy way to access the final report through an internet search.

This is not the first time a truth commission's website has disappeared after its activities concluded. The websites of the Committee on Unexplained Deaths, the First Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the Jeju 4.3 Committee were all shut down long ago. Fortunately, some materials from the 4.3 Committee are preserved at the Jeju 4.3 Peace Foundation, and some documents from the First Truth and Reconciliation Commission can still be found on the Second Commission’s website. However, to access the materials from the Committee on Unexplained Deaths, individuals must submit specific requests through the National Information Disclosure Portal. It is likely that the materials from the 5.18 Truth Investigation Commission will soon face the same fate. This is particularly unfortunate given the surge in interest in the 5.18 incident, both domestically and internationally.

For the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, which oversees many commissions, there may be a consistent procedure and practice for handling the websites of commissions once their activities conclude. However, truth commissions investigating serious past state violence and working to restore the honor of victims are not ordinary committees. A key purpose of these commissions is to fulfill the long-suppressed right to know of the victims, to alleviate their grievances through honor restoration, and to widely and enduringly inform the public about the truths of such tragedies to prevent their recurrence. For this reason, many international commissions, such as South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which concluded its work long ago, and Peru’s Truth Commission, which wrapped up in 2003, have maintained their websites.

The commission’s website is not merely a place to post investigation reports. It documents the composition and activities of the chairperson and members, meeting schedules and materials, press releases, various photos and videos, as well as questions and answers from bereaved families. Once these materials are discarded, they cannot be fully restored even through information disclosure requests. If the current policy remains in place, the websites of the currently active Second Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident Commission will also disappear next year.

The establishment of truth commissions is based on a social consensus that such tragic events must not happen again. This awareness is reflected in statements made by former and current presidents who have visited Gwangju and Jeju, transcending political divides. All activities and decisions of truth commissions dealing with significant events constitute history and historical records in themselves. Victims and their families must continuously confirm why these painful incidents occurred and what went wrong, researchers must investigate, and future generations should be able to easily search for and learn about these events. The current environment, where commission websites disappear immediately upon the end of their term, makes this exceedingly difficult.