Committee Urges Preservation of All Records on DSS Disbandment and Enactment of 'State Violence Records Act'

The Social Development Committee under the Prime Minister’s Office urged the government on the 13th to initiate measures to preserve the original form of all existing records and to enact the 'Special Act on the Management and Use of State Violence Records, such as Civilian Surveillance by Military Intelligence Agencies' regarding the disbandment of the Defense Security Command (DSS). The DSS is a facility that stored key records, including those related to the martial law incident; if these records are lost, uncovering the truth could become difficult. The committee indicated that this recommendation aims to prevent records from being destroyed or concealed during the DSS disbandment process.

In particular, it proposed ensuring transparency in the management process through an independent verification system involving civilian historians, records experts, and civil society. The committee also stated that strict administrative management systems and principles of judicial responsibility must be established as specific implementation measures for records management to prevent unauthorized destruction, damage, or concealment.

It added that the enactment of the special act should lead to the establishment of an independent and systematic management system and strengthen the public nature and transparency of national records management.