Truth and Reconciliation Commission to Launch 2nd Term Next Month... Professor Jeong Geun-sik Appointed as Chairman

by Son Seonhee

Published 13 Nov.2020 16:08(KST)

Jung Geun-sik, Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Past Affairs

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] The Blue House announced on the 13th that President Moon Jae-in has appointed Professor Jeong Geun-sik (63) of the Department of Sociology at Seoul National University as the chairman of the 'Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Past Affairs (Truth and Reconciliation Commission),' which will resume activities from the 10th of next month. The chairman's term is two years.

Kang Min-seok, spokesperson for the Blue House, explained the background of the appointment, saying, "Chairman Jeong is a scholar who has researched East Asian social history and the fields of unification and peace for over 30 years. He is recognized for actively working with passion and conviction to uncover the truth about past events such as the anti-Japanese independence movement, the Korean War, and the democratization movement, as well as for healing victims of past incidents."

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission had ended its activities in December 2010, but following the revision of related laws in June, the second term of the commission will newly launch next month. The commission's investigation period is three years, with a possible one-year extension.

Spokesperson Kang stated, "The second commission will strive to uncover the truth regarding anti-Japanese movements conducted during or just before the Japanese colonial period, mass civilian casualty incidents around the Korean War, human rights violations and suspected fabrication cases, as well as incidents involving terrorism, human rights abuses, violence, massacres, and suspicious deaths."