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This year will bring much digging into the history of the nation. The declassification of a dossier involving the 1965 South Korea-Japan Treaty and the 1974 attempted assassination of then president Park Chung-hee were merely the beginning. Seven fact-finding committees, manned by hundreds of investigators, are expected to probe into 100-years of past history questioning tens or even hundreds of thousands of people.
¡ß Seven Fact-Finding Committees
Three fact-finding committees are expected to be born out of special laws. One will be formed under the Pro-Japanese Collaboration Investigation Special Law passed by the ruling and opposition parties late last year. A committee investigating damage from conscription into forced labor or the military under the Japanese occupation already launched its probe in November last year. In the forthcoming extraordinary parliamentary session in February, the government and opposition parties are slated to deal with a law aimed at a comprehensive re-investigation of the country's last 100 years.
The two major parties reached an accord on the law late last year. To be born out of it is a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Meanwhile, agencies like the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the police, the prosecution and the Defense Ministry have either established or plan to establish fact-finding committees. The NIA and the police have already formed theirs, and the prosecution and the Defense Ministry are soon to follow suit.
¡ß Who to Investigate?
Most historical events since 1904, large and small, are to be subjected to scrutiny by the seven committees. The collaboration committee has decided to investigate all Koreans serving in the Japanese military over the ranks of major and ordinary police, regardless of ranks. Once the major parties pass the history law in the upcoming extraordinary Assembly session, the period subject to investigation will extend from the Japanese colonization of the country to post-liberation.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission will look at four areas: the independence struggle, the history of overseas Koreans, civilian massacres by the Right and Left prior to, during and following the Korean War, and suspicious deaths at the hands of security forces since liberation. Terror and human-rights abuses by pro-North Korean organizations are also likely to be investigated, though the exact wording is yet to be agreed upon.
The NIA is examining what to investigate from among 90-plus incidents from the 1960s to 90s like the explosion of Korean Air passenger aircraft. The police are expected to look into the torture of Kim Keun-tae, now social affairs and welfare minister - all of which took place in the 1970s. The Defense Ministry is studying whether to investigate the putting down of the Silmi Island insurgency by assassination squads, and maltreatment of anti-government conscripts in the 1980s.
¡ß Outlook
Wrestling with Korea¡¯s history will take several years. The collaboration fact-finding committee is mandated for up to four years and six months, while the history committee is to work initially for four years, which could be extended by two years if necessary. They have their work cut out for them. To begin with, in not a few cases all or most of the people involved are dead, which could give rise to false accusations. Some have also expressed concern that the probes into the nation¡¯s past are purely politically motivated.
(Chu Yong-joong, midway@chosun.com )
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