Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Atlanta

Notification on the application for truth-finding in accordance with the Framework Act on Settling the past for Truth and Reconciliation

The Framework Act on Settling the past for Truth and Reconciliation underwent a comprehensive revision with the goal of reconciling with the past and moving forward towards strengthened national unity by clarifying the distorted or concealed truth behinds past events.

Thus, The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of the Republic of Korea receives the application for truth-finding in accordance with the article 22 of the Framework Act from February 26, 2026.

February 26, 2026

Chairperson of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of the Republic of Korea

• 1.Application Period: February 26, 2026 - February 25, 2028

• 2.The scope of truth-finding (prescribed in Article 2 of the Framework Act)

• ●Independence movement against Imperial Japan which had been carried out during the Japanese occupation or immediately prior to that period.

• ●History of overseas Koreans who have defended the sovereignty of the Republic of Korea and extended its national power after the Japanese occupation until the enforcement date of the Framework act. (No. 7542)

• ●Cases of mass Civilian deaths, injuries, or missing which occurred unlawfully from August 15, 1945 to the period prior to, during, and immediately after the Korean war.

• ●Cases of deaths, injuries, or missing which occurred as a result of unlawful or seriously unjust exercise of governmental power, such as acts of destruction of the constitutional order, and other cases of grave human right violations and allegedly fabricated cases from August 15, 1945 to the foundation of The National Human Rights Commission(November 25, 2001).

• ●Acts of terrorism, human right abuses, violence, massacres, and suspicious deaths committed by forces which deny the legitimacy of the Republic of Korea or the hostile to the Republic of Korea from August 15, 1945 to the period of authoritarian rule.1)

• ○※ With the exception of the cases already being processed in accordance with the other acts

• ●Human right abuses committed by social welfare facilities, intercountry adoption agencies, and mass detention facilities2) run or supervised by the central or local government from August 15, 1945 to the foundation of The National Human Rights Commission(November 25, 2001).

• ○

  ♣ Even among the cases falling under the scope of clarifying the truth provided above ●Those on which a court has made a final judgement shall be excluded. ●Provided, That the same shall not apply where clarifying the truth is deemed necessary because it falls under any ground for a retrial under the Civil procedure Act or the Criminal procedure Act by the resolution of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

• 3.Qualification for application

• ●A victim, his or her bereaved family or relative

• ●Any person with knowledge of particular facts about a case subject to clarifying the truth

• 4.Methods of filing application

• ●An application shall be filed in writing. An applicant shall file the application via post, e-mail(TBA) or in-person(An applicant can visit Korean embassy & Consulates in your country and submit an application in-person.)

• ●Provided, That where special circumstances exist that make it impracticable to file an application in writing, the application may be filed orally.

• ○An applicant can download an application form from website of Korean embassy or Consulates.

• ○※ When an application is received, a receipt of application will be provided.

• ○

  The attached English application form is provided for reference only and does not have legal effect as an official document. Applicants who have difficulty completing the application in Korean (e.g., overseas adoptees) may use the English form to prepare the application. In such cases, the Korean application form may be submitted with only the applicant’s signature or seal, without completing the content. In principle, both the Korean application form (including signature) and the completed English application form should be submitted together. However, if it is not possible to sign the Korean application form, submission of the completed English application form alone will be accepted.

  (Korean Translation) 첨부파일의 영문 신청서는 참고용 서식으로서 공문서로서의 법적 효력을 갖지 아니함. 국문 작성이 곤란한 신청인(해외입양인 등)의 경우, 영문 서식을 활용하여 신청 내용을 작성하고, 국문 신청서에는 내용 기재 없이 민원인의 서명 또는 날인만 기재하여 제출 가능함. 국문 신청서(서명 포함)와 영문으로 작성된 신청서를 함께 제출하는 것을 원칙으로 함. 다만, 국문 신청서에 서명이 불가능한 경우에는 영문으로 작성된 신청서만 제출하여도 접수 가능함.

  
  

• 5.Documents needed for an application

• ●(Applicant) a copy of ID or passport (mandatory)

• ●(If an applicant is represented by someone) designation of representatives

• ●(If an applicant has one) Documents related to an application case

• ○※ e.g. : adoption documents

☞ Contacts

• ●The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of the Republic of Korea

• ○address : (04554) 5 Floor, Namsan Square Building, 173 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu Seoul, Korea

• ○telephone: +82-2-3393-9700 / 9701

• ●Korean Consulate in Atlanta (GA, FL, AL, TN, SC, NC, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Island)

• ○Address: 229 Peachtree ST NE SUITE 2100, Atlanta, GA 30303

• ○Email: atlanta@mofa.go.kr