Truth and Reconciliation Commission Initiates Investigation into 94 Cases Including 'Konkuk University Protest Suppression Incident'

The 2nd Truth and Reconciliation Commission on Past Affairs (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) will launch an investigation into the suppression of the Konkuk University protest, the largest arrest case in the history of the student movement.

Kim Kwang-dong, Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Photo by Yonhap News

On the 31st, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission announced at the 61st committee meeting held on the 29th at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Jung-gu, Seoul, that it had decided to commence investigations into 94 cases, including the October 28, 1986, Konkuk University protest suppression incident.

The Konkuk University protest suppression incident occurred during the nationwide anti-foreign forces and anti-dictatorship patriotic student struggle alliance founding ceremony held at Konkuk University on October 28, 1986, and the subsequent 3-night, 4-day occupation sit-in. The incident involved police suppression during the occupation, arrests, detentions, and releases. A total of 1,525 university students from 29 universities nationwide were arrested, and the majority, about 1,200, were sent to the prosecution for detention and investigation.

Mr. Ko and 393 others applied to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for fact-finding, claiming human rights violations occurred during this incident. The commission reviewed allegations that police fired tear gas indiscriminately from helicopters and that after the suppression operation ended, female students who were completely subdued and being escorted were subjected to indiscriminate beatings. Regarding the detention of all arrested students, recollections from the investigators at the time revealed that a policy directive was issued to detain all students. Considering also the surveillance and re-education conducted on detained students and their parents, the commission decided to commence the investigation.

In addition, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission also decided to commence investigations into the Guro Alliance strike incident, human rights violations at adult homeless shelters such as Cheonseongwon in Chungnam, human rights violations against Korean residents in Japan, and the rejection of interviewees with protest records during the 27th administrative examination. This decision marks the 52nd investigation commencement since the first was decided on May 27, 2021.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.