Song Sang-kyo, the newly appointed chairman of the third Truth and Reconciliation Commission, emphasized at his inauguration ceremony on the 4th that "the commission's reason for existence lies in restoring victims' dignity and honor."
"I will operate a commission that is open to victims," Song said at the ceremony held at the commission's conference room in Jung-gu, Seoul.
"At every stage, I will listen to victims' voices, guarantee their human rights, and run a commission that is for victims and open to victims, where recovery from harm can take place," Song added. The chairman's term is two years with the possibility of reappointment.
Representatives of victims and bereaved family groups related to past incidents also attended the inauguration. Following the ceremony, Song held a separate meeting to hear their opinions.
Prior to the inauguration, Song visited the Seoul National Cemetery to lay flowers and wrote in the guestbook: "I will devote all my strength to achieving complete resolution of past history."
Song graduated from Chungam High School and Seoul National University College of Law. He previously served as a member of the Ministry of Justice's Prosecutorial Past History Committee, secretary-general of Lawyers for a Democratic Society, and human rights commissioner at the Korean Bar Association. He served as secretary-general of the second Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The third Truth and Reconciliation Commission, launched on the 26th of last month, aims to uncover the truth about human rights violations that occurred from the Japanese colonial period until before the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission in November 2001.