ИСТИНА

Under pluralism of opinions and democratic freedoms, the historical past often becomes the subject of confrontation between political groups, each of which exploits memory of the past to legitimate its power. In the Republic of Korea, conservatives and progressives are strenuously discussing problems of the historical past related to the issues of eliminating the colonial legacy and restoring the truth about the crimes of authoritarian governments (1948-1987). Today, conservatives are trying to restore the memory of political leaders and public figures who served in the colonial administration (Japanese army) or headed the authoritarian governments. At the same time, progressives are seeking truth about the numerous cases of violations of civil rights under authoritarian regimes and are trying to restore the memory of Korean collaborators.