2021. 12. vol. 04.

01

Searching for the Truth at the point of tragedy

Seongam Ferry. Tragedy began the moment the boys departed

here for Seongam Island. OhmyNews reporter Lee Min-seon,

Seongam Academy Child Damage Countermeasures Council

Chair Kim Yeong-bae, and Ansan Regional History Research

Institute Director Chung Jin-gak are standing on the path of tears.

They yearn for the last pieces of the puzzle to fit together.

2021. 12. Vol.

04

Overview of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Republic of Korea was re-launched

on December10, 2020, as a result of revision of the Framework Act on Settling

Past History for Truth and Reconciliation. The amendment was to accommodate

the urgent needs of survivors and their victims’ who have sought truth and

justice for past state violence.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established as an independent

investigative body to investigate and uncover the truth about the anti-Japanese

independence movement, overseas Koreans, mass atrocities around

the Korean War, various human rights violations that happened during

Korea’s authoritarian rule and killing by hostile forces.

Our Commission will do its best to take the lead in finding the truth.

Green symbolizes hope, with blue emphasizing.

Legal basis: Framework Act on Settling Past History for Truth and Reconciliation (Amended on June 9, 2020)

Investigation period: 3 years from the date of the first investigation Can be extended up to1 year

Attitude to analyze incidents

accurately and soberly

As green covers the world,

becoming one with nature

Symbolizes the authority of a stable

Commission that is not biased

Commission CI 

About Commission

2021. 12. vol. 04.

02

First Truth-finding Decision since Inauguration of the 2nd Truth and

Reconciliation Commission

Application Status and Processing Procedure

The 2nd Truth and Reconciliation Commission Celebrates

1st Anniversary

Buried on That Dreadful Island

[Tour] Tracing the Seongam Academy Boys’ Path of Tears

Truth and Reconciliation Commission Activities

Jang Hyun-sung Showcases the Value of Truth and Reconciliation

04

05

06

07

11

13

Searching for the Truth at the point of tragedy

Seongam Ferry. Tragedy began the moment the boys departed

here for Seongam Island. OhmyNews reporter Lee Min-seon,

Seongam Academy Child Damage Countermeasures Council

Chair Kim Yeong-bae, and Ansan Regional History Research

Institute Director Chung Jin-gak are standing on the path of tears.

They yearn for the last pieces of the puzzle to fit together.

2021. 12. Vol.

04

06

07

11

04 Tragedy's footsteps...Where it started."Seongam Quay."

cover story

2021. 12. vol.

Issued by Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Republic of Korea. Issue date December 27, 2021. Vol. 04

Production Department External Cooperation Office

Address Namsan Square Building (5th & 6th floor), 173 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul (04554)

Phone number +82)2-3393-9700 Website www.jinsil.go.kr Planning·Design·Production Headone Company

Contents

Contents

2021. 12. vol. 04.

03

04

There have been the first truth-finding decisions since the inauguration of the 2nd Truth and Reconcili-

ation Commission.

In the afternoon of December 7, the Commission held its 22nd meeting and decided on the truth-finding

of two anti-Japanese independence movement incidents. These are the first truth-finding decisions in six

months since the Commission first began its full-scale investigation on May 27.

Lee Jae-sil‘s Mokpo Commercial High School Student Movement, one of the cases for which truth-finding

decision has been made, involves sentencing to eight months in prison by Lee at Daegu Boksim Court for

allegedly having led demonstrations at Mokpo Commercial High School during the Gwangju Student Inde-

pendence Movement in 1929.

Thereafter, Lee Jae-sil continued to be monitored by the police as a key figure of the Joseon Overseas Stu-

dent Fellowship at Azabu Veterinary Livestock School. The Commission verified those facts of the case and

reached its fact-finding decision.

The other case, known as Kim Eon-bae’s Military Fundraising Movement for the New People’s Association,

involves military fundraising activities in Hamgyeon Province by Kim, a member of the New People’s Asso-

ciation (Shinmindan), in the 1920s.

Recognizing that Kim was sentenced to six years in prison by Hamheung District Court for his activities,

the Commission finalized its fact-finding decision.

“I am relieved that the Commission is able to report to the people its first truth-finding decision six months

after the first decision to initiate investigation,” said Chairperson Jung Geun-sik. “We will double down on

our investigatory activities for more truth-finding decisions in the future,” he added.

On the same day, the Commission also made its 14th decision to initiate investigation. Since mid-October,

the Commission reached decision to initiate investigation four times on October 28 (241 cases), November 9

(365 cases), November 23 (335 cases), and December 7 (190 cases). As of December 2, the Commission has

received 11,618 applications (13,396 applicants) of truth-finding requests.

First Truth-finding Decision since Inauguration of the 2nd Truth and Reconciliation CommissionSix Months since the Initiation of Investigative Activities...Truth-finding for 2 Anti-Japanese Independence Movement Incidents

2021. 12. vol. 04.

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Category Cases Applicants

Total 11,618 13,396

A. Anti-Japanese independence movement 65 71

B. History of Overseas Koreans 1 1

C. Mass atrocities of civilians 7,281 7,570

D. Human rights violations and alleged manipulation of charges

574 1,946

E. Incidents involving hostile forces 1,611 1,651

F. Reopening of judgement procedures 130 188

G. Others 1,956 1,969

※ Upon submission, applications are processed to categorize and separate individual

cases from group cases (cases involving the selection of representatives).

These figures represent individual cases.

Application

status

(As of Dec 2, 2021)

Process after

submission

of the applicationSubmission of application for investigation

Process after submission of the application

Commission / Local governments / Diplomatic Missions abroad

- Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Republic of Korea- Within 90 days of receipt, Can be extended up to 30 days if a preliminary investigation is necessary

Within a week from the date of decision

Within a week from the date of the decision(in writing)

No statutory processing period

Decision to open investigation or dismiss the application

Notification of decision to open the investigation or dismiss application

Case investigation

Decision of the investigation

Notification of decision

Application Status and Processing Procedure

2021. 12. vol. 04.

The 2nd Truth and Reconciliation Commission Celebrates 1st AnniversaryChairperson Jung Geun-sik: “We will lay a stepping stone for Korea’s democracy and human rights”

At 2 p.m. on December 10, the 2nd Truth and Reconciliation Commission held its first anniversary

celebration in the auditorium of the Central Government Complex Annex, Sejong-no, Seoul.

At the celebration, the Commission officials reported details of its activities during the past year and

reflected on the future efforts for its truth-finding activities.

Attending at the event were Chair of the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Com-

mittee Seo Young-kyo, National Assemblymen Oh Young-hun and Lee Gae-ho. Three other members of

the National Assembly-Park Wan-su, Lee Myoung-su

and Choi Hyung-du-also sent their congratulatory

messages. Also present were the Military Accident

Fact-Finding Committee Chair Song Gi-chun, the

May 18 Gwangju Uprising Fact-Finding Committee

Vice-Chair Ahn Jong-cheol, the Democratization

Movement Commemoration Association Director Ji

Seon, and the 1st Truth and Reconciliation Commis-

sion Chair Ahn Byeong-wook.

“The past year has been a time to confirm the pub-

lic’s passionate interest and our heavy responsibility

to uncover the truth of the past,” remarked Chairperson Jung. “The Truth and Reconciliation Commission

will lay a stepping stone on the path of comfort and reconciliation for Korea’s democracy and human

rights,” he added in his commemorative speech.

The event also included award presentation for local government bodies, press agencies and civil society

organizations that contributed toward truth-finding

activities. Public servants in various local govern-

ment bodies in Gangwon, Daegu, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam,

Gyeongbuk and Gyeongnam, as well as the SBS Kko-

komu production team, the KTV Video Documen-

tary Truth and Reconciliation production team, the

Chungbuk History and Culture Solidarity Chair Park

Man-sun, and the Brother Welfare Center Incident

Fact-Finding Committee were awarded plaques of

appreciation and commendation.

In the morning prior, over 30 persons from the Com-

mission, including Chairperson Jung, various com-

missioners and the heads of divisions and bureaus, visited the Seoul National Cemetery to honor the victims.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, attendance at the 1st Anniversary Celebration was kept at a minimum.

Some time in December, the Commission plans to meet with a number of bereaved families and victim as-

sociations to share its progress and future plans with them.

At 2 p.m. on December 10, the 2nd Truth and Reconciliation

Commission held its first anniversary celebration in the auditorium

of the Central Government Complex Annex, Sejong-no, Seoul.

The event also included award presentation for local government

bodies, press agencies and civil society organizations that con-

tributed toward truth-finding activities

06

07

Buried on that Dreadful Island[Tour] Tracing the Seongam Academy Boys’ Path of Tears

Flowers at the Seongam Graveyard. The children are buried here without a tombstone.Flowers at the Seongam Graveyard. The children are buried here without a tombstone.

“The moment you leave this place, your name fades away” without knowing what awaits. The most unbearable thing is that the act of violence in the past has left devastating effects on every-one’s life to this day.“

Kim Yeong-bae, Chair of the Seongam Academy Child Damage Countermeasures Council, stands shivering at the Seongam Ferry Pier. Shivering, not just because of the cold of the autumn on No-vember 23. “My body trembles every single time I stand here,” he remarked unjokingly. The clueless children, who had been brought from all over the country, walked past the Seongam Ferry Pier to enter the island. Their destination was Seongam Academy.

Seongam Academy was a juvenile concentration camp established 1942 in Seongam-dong, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi Province. The children, simply labeled as wanders, suffered here from forced expropriation, violence, forced labor and hunger. Without any chance of education, they faded away namelessly. Having been put under charge of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government after Liberation, Seongam Academy continued to operate in the same way as during the Japanese Occupation until 1982.

“Rather than eradicating poverty, the state has hidden and eliminated the poor children. The state ordered the crackdown on so-called wanderers by a quota system and, in the process, many children were forcibly taken away,” said Chung Jin-gak, Director of the Ansan Regional History Research Institute.

We traced the footsteps of the frightened children who would have alighted at the Seonggam Fer-

Seongam Ferry. The clueless children, who had been brought from all

over the country, walked past the Seongam Ferry Pier to enter the island.

Seongam Academy in the past. The building with horizontally

long roof is the dormitory building. ⓒ National Archives of Korea

08 Kim Yeong-bae, Seongam Academy Child Damage Kim Yeong-bae, Seongam Academy Child Damage

Countermeasures Council Chair, stands in front of the Countermeasures Council Chair, stands in front of the

Seongam Academy Livestock Department siteSeongam Academy Livestock Department site

Gyeonggi Creation Center at the Seongam Academy site. The Gyeonggi Creation Center at the Seongam Academy site. The

Center houses Seongam History Museum and Seongam Academy Center houses Seongam History Museum and Seongam Academy

Victim Report Center.Victim Report Center.

Monument for Seongam Academy victims in front of

Gyeonggi Creation Center. Various artists contributed

in kind and money.

Seongam Graveyard, about 700 meters from Gyeonggi Creation Center. Over 150

bodies are estimated to be buried here.

ry. From here, it is a kilometer and a half to Gyeonggi Creation Center where Seongam Academy used to stand. After some distance on the hill path, we could see some of the buildings that used to be part of the Academy.

The boys were subjected to harsh forced labor, such as farming and salt farm work. Chairman Kim stopped in front of the Livestock Department building.

“We raised more than two dozens of cows. I don’t remember eating any beef, but we did all the work.”Some dormitory buildings still remain. The dormitories were named Sesimsa, Dansimsa, Gaksim-

sa and so on. Apparently, they were so named in the hope of gifting new lives to the children. But the children were presented with the very opposite of new lives.

“Gosh, this is where we were beaten brutally. They kept bringing children to the point of overfill-ing the dormitories,” said Kim.

09Seongam History Museum exhibits various items associated with the history of Seongam Academy, along with the life-size Seongam History Museum exhibits various items associated with the history of Seongam Academy, along with the life-size

model of a child.model of a child.

The discharged children log in Gyeonggi Archives con-tains some 4,700 names. Evidence suggests there were at least a thousand more. Many among them undeservingly perished here on Seongnam Island. Those children who were beaten to death, died of disease, and drowned while trying to escape the island were buried together without any tombstone. The Seongam Graveyard is about 700 meters away from Gyeonggi Creation Center. Just as we reached the graveyard, it began to snow.

“We don’t even know who are buried. It is said that the bodies were rolled up in bales and cloth and buried without a funeral. All they did was singing them the Song of Seon-gam Academy,” said OhmyNews reporter Lee Min-seon.

The annual memorial service could not be held last year and this year due to COVID-19. The falling snow added to the feeling of loneliness. A 2017 report by Gyeonggi Province estimates that at least 150 children are buried here.

Gyeonggi Creation Center currently houses both Seongam History Museum and Seongam Acad-emy Victim Report Center.

“We know that many victims of the Seongam Academy Incident have not yet reported their mis-ery. The state seriously distorted the truth of Seongam Academy, as if it was a useful correctional facility for those children. The victims are still subjected to such misunderstanding. That’s why they cannot reveal their past. Work must be done to remove such disgrace should,” said Chung.

The last line of the Seongam Academy Milestones in Seongam History Museum reads, “Truth and Reconciliation Commission initiates investigation for Seongam Academy Incident”. Reporter Lee Min-seon, who documented the perils of the Seongam Academy children in the feature article ‘The Boys’ Island’ yearned for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to fix the final pieces of the puzzle.

“The act of labeling poor urban children as wanderers and conceptually marginalizing them is an act of state violence. Calling Seongam Academy Incident an act of state violence, I think that is what the Truth and Reconciliation Commission ought to do.”

Paper crane sculpture in Seongam History Museum, in memory

of the Seongam Academy victims.

“Seongam Island, Place of True Correction” Media reports that distorted

the true nature of Seongam Academy.

Written by Choi kyu-Hwa / Photo by Kim Il-Woo

2021. 12. vol. 04.

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Paper crane sculpture in Seongam History Museum, in memory

of the Seongam Academy victims.

▲�Nov 15-26: Onsite investigation for Chungnam Taean-gun Office Small Meeting Room

▲Nov 2: Burial ceremony for excavated remains of Daejeon Sannae Gollyeonggol civilian victims

▲��Nov 2: Chairperson Jung Geun-sik mets with Park Nam-choon, the mayor of Incheon

▲��1Nov 14: Memorial service for Seosan Pioneers victims

▲��Nov 4: Metropolitan and Provincial working council

▲���Nov 15: Verified admission records for Busan Boys’ Home and Brother Welfare Center

▲��Nov 2: Unveiling ceremony for the Wolmido local victims’ memorial monument

▲��Nov 16: Signed MOU between Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Gwangju Trauma Center

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission activities

2021. 12. vol. 04.

▲Nov 26: Visited Daegu Gachanggol remains burial site ▲Nov 27: Visited Gyeongsan Cobalt mine remains burial site

▲�Nov 27: Visited Baksa-ri anti-communist victims memorial park

▲�Dec 1: Joint memorial service with Gyeongsangbuk-do for civilian victims

▲�Dec 9: 2nd Truth and Reconciliation Commission 1st Anniversary press conference

▲�Dec 10: Commissioners and heads of bureaus and divisions visited the Seoul National Cemetery

▲�Nov 18: Signed MOU between Truth and Reconciliation Commission and MBC

▲��Nov 20: Joint memorial service with Chungcheongnam-do for civilian victims before and after the Korean War, followed by a visit to a presumed site of civilian atrocities

2021. 12. vol. 04. 2021. 12. vol. 04.

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Jang Hyun-sung, a Korean actor widely popular across genres in films and TV series, will play a major role

in garnering public participation for truth-finding activities.

On October 28, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission appointed Jang Hyun-sung as its public rela-

tions ambassador.

Jang is an actor with solid acting skills and unrivaled presence. Jang is also a new addition to Kkokomu

(a.k.a. The Story of the Day Biting the Tail), an SBS liberal arts program launched on October 21.

Kkokomu, popular for retelling controversial events in Korea’s modern history, has previously dealt with

the fabrication concerning the death of Kim Gyeong-suk in YH Labor Union (on April 22) and the fabrica-

tion concerning the rape and killing in Chuncheon (on April 29), of which truth has been uncovered by the

1st Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigations.

The program also focused on the Silmido Incident (on March 18), for which the 2nd Truth and Reconcilia-

tion Commission decided to initiate investigation, and it presented an in-depth analysis of the Brother Wel-

fare Center Human Rights Infringement Incident (on October 21) on its first episode as a regular program.

“I have long been a silent supporter of the Commission, whose efforts have been mentioned several times

in Kkokomu,” Jang told in his ambassadorship acceptance speech. “As the Commission’s first PR ambassa-

dor, I will do my best to show the public the true value of truth and reconciliation,” he added.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission produced a public service advertisement starring Jang. In the

advertisement, Jang urged the public to participate in truth-finding activities by stating that uncovering the

truth of the past marks the beginning of a new Korea.

The public service advertisement starring

Jang has been airing on terrestrial and ca-

ble broadcasting channels since November

18 and can also be viewed on the Truth

and Reconciliation Commission’s YouTube

channel.

Jang Hyun-sung in Kkokomu Showcases the Value of Truth and ReconciliationNamed PR Ambassador for the Commission?Producing Public Service Advertisement

The Commission produced a public service advertisement starring Jang Hyun-sung. A still shot on November 4.

View the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s public service advertisement

2021. 12. vol. 04. 2021. 12. vol. 04.

Scan the QR code to see related information

JANG HYUN SUNG, honorary ambassador of the Past History Committee for Truth and Reconciliation.

Dec. 10, 2020. ~ Dec. 9, 2022. (excluding public holidays)

Mail/visit Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Republic of Korea Local governmentsDiplomatic Missions abroad

1 copy of the application for the investigationAgreement of Usage of Personal Information1 Copy of the applicant’s IDOther supplementary that can be used as a reference for the investigation, etc.* All necessary forms can be downloaded from the Commission website

(www.jinsil.go.kr) or local government’ websites.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Republic of Korea

Tel: +2-3393-9700

We accept applications for discovery of the truth about Korean War group casualties,

human rights violations, etc.

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