몽골과 북한에서의 전환기 정의(Transitional Justice)

Transitional Justice in Mongolia and North Korea: From the Perspective of Typical Connectivity and Political Change in a Late-Communist Society

Despite Mongolia’s successful “Democratic Revolution,” the “settling of past accounts” has not be so successful. “The Law on Rehabilitation and Granting of Compensation to Victims of Political Repression” has restored the impaired reputation of about 31,000 victims and compensated rare survivors or remaining family members. However, there has been no identification or punishment of the perpetrators and originators of such crimes against humanity from the previous socialist regime. The aggressive and sadistic ruling behavior of Kim Jung-un in North Korea does not bode well for long-term dynastic survival. Thus, preparations are needed for radical or gradual political change in North Korea, including a focus on the national reunification of Korea. “Transitional justice” will be an essential component for establishing the identity and legitimacy of a unified Korean society, and will require investigating the crimes against humanity committed under the socialist regime and Kim dynasty, identifying and punishing the perpetrators, and providing reparation for the many victims. Accordingly, the current research identifies references from the Mongolian case as regards the typical connectivity and political change in a late-communist society. Restraining actual human rights violations is a prerequisite for instituting transitional justice. In the case of an illegal system, all related documents will be crucial evidence. Therefore, such documents should not be destroyed or lost during the reunification process. In a unified Korean society, the general impact of transitional justice, identity, and legitimacy will be key considerations. Thus, “settling past accounts” should not cause new conflicts.