Harsh Treatment and False Confession Coercion During Illegal Detention
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) announced that it has confirmed the truth regarding human rights violations against Korean residents in Japan.
The TRC stated on the 16th that at the 78th committee meeting held on the 14th, it judged four cases of human rights violations against Korean residents in Japan as serious human rights violation incidents and made a decision to uncover the truth about these cases.
The TRC investigated the circumstances of past human rights violations and illegal investigation processes involving Korean residents in Japan: Choi Chang-il, Yeo Seok-jo, Ko Chan-ho, and Kang Ho-jin.
The investigation confirmed that all four Korean residents in Japan were taken into custody without warrants and subjected to coercive interrogations, including harsh treatment and forced false confessions, while being illegally detained.
Choi Chang-il was taken into custody on May 28, 1973, by investigators from the Army Security Command (Boan-sa) on suspicion of espionage activities, traveling back and forth within Korea from around October 1967 due to his work at the Seoul headquarters of Hamtae Coal Mine.
Yeo Seok-jo was taken into custody on April 9, 1981, on charges of espionage activities, including detecting and collecting military secrets and receiving money while traveling between Korea and Japan from 1972 to 1979.
Ko Chan-ho was taken into custody by investigators on August 25, 1986, on suspicion of espionage activities, visiting his hometown Jeju Island after entering Korea starting from April 1976 for a visit to the homeland ancestral grave site group until around 1986.
Kang Ho-jin was taken into custody on November 13, 1972, on suspicion of espionage activities while working as an editor for the monthly magazine "Tongilsa" of the Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan), traveling several times to Korea from around May 1968 to lead homeland visit groups and visit family members as a Mindan employee.
After being taken into custody by Boan-sa investigators, they were subjected to long-term illegal detention and coercive investigations including harsh treatment, and were sentenced to heavy penalties for violating the National Security Act and the Anti-Communist Act.
The TRC pointed out that at the time, the prosecution and courts failed to fulfill their duty to protect the human rights of the people.
The TRC recommended that the state apologize to the victims and their families for the illegal investigations by Boan-sa, and take appropriate measures such as retrials to restore the victims’ and their families’ damages and honor.
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