A Comparative Analysis of ‘Dealing with the Past’ in the Czech Republic and South Korea

Abstract

Dealing with the past is regarded as the most important and essential task for the full-fledged democracy of emerging democracies. The purpose of it is to heal divisions in society, to bring closure and heal the wounds of individuals and society, to provide justice to victims and accountability for perpetrators, to create an accurate historical record for a society, to restore the rule of law, to promote democratization and human rights, and finally to promote co-existence and sustainable peace. From these points of view, I try to compare the similarities and differences between Czech and Korean case. Although both countries have been trying to deal with the past, there are some differences between two countries. What makes differences in the causes, processes and the outcomes between two countries is the purpose of this paper.