Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Korea)

Truth And Reconciliation Commission (South Korea)

South Korea's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Korean: 진실·화해를 위한 과거사 정리 위원회), established on December 1, 2005, is a governmental body responsible for investigating incidents in Korean history which occurred starting from Japan's rule of Korea in 1910 up until the end of authoritarian rule in Korea with the election of President Kim Young-sam in 1993.

The body has investigated numerous atrocities that were committed by various government agencies during Japan's occupation of Korea, the Korean War, and the authoritarian governments that ruled afterwards. The commission estimates that tens of thousands of people were executed in the summer of 1950. The victims include political prisoners, civilians who were killed by US forces, and civilians who allegedly collaborated with communist North Korea or local communist groups. Each incident that is investigated is based on a citizen's petition, with some incidents having as many as hundreds of petitions. The commission, staffed by 240 people with an annual budget of $19 million, is expected to release a final report on their findings in 2010.