The Ministry of the Interior and Safety Presidential Archives said on the 29th that, starting on the 30th, it will disclose 31,000 original presidential records on its website.
The records being released this time capture the process of formulating key policies and the flow of state affairs across diverse fields—economy and trade, diplomacy and security, inter-Korean relations and unification, and disasters—from the Chun Doo-hwan administration through the Park Geun-hye administration.
First, in the economy and trade field, records from the Kim Dae-jung administration include the "Special Committee on Working Hours Reduction activity report" and "Review of issues related to working hours reduction," which contain detailed discussions and reduction plans related to the introduction of the five-day workweek.
Also, among records from the Roh Moo-hyun administration that review the status of promoting free trade agreements (FTA) with countries around the world, "The 1st meeting of the Korea-U.S. FTA conclusion support committee" and "Status and outlook of FTA promotion," as well as from the Park Geun-hye administration, "Domestic supplementary measures for the Korea-U.S. FTA in the agriculture and fisheries sector" aimed at strengthening competitiveness and overhauling the agriculture and fisheries industry, will be released.
In diplomacy and security, records include the "Congratulatory letter from French President Mitterrand," delivered during the Chun Doo-hwan administration to mark the 100th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and France, and, from the Roh Tae-woo administration, the "Report on the attack on a construction site in Iran and the deaths of our workers," detailing the tragic deaths of Korean construction workers caused by a bombing raid by Iraqi warplanes during the Iran-Iraq War.
In addition, you can view the original text of the "Presidential personal letter" sent by Kim Young-sam to U.S. President Clinton, reflecting a decision to strengthen the Korea-U.S. alliance and dispatch peacekeepers to Somalia, and "Direction for drafting adjustments to the basic plan for defense reform," which offers a glimpse into the blueprint for Korea's defense reform during the Lee Myung-bak administration.
In inter-Korean relations and unification, the "Basic promotion plan (draft) for permitting Lee In-mo's visit to North Korea," which decided to allow the visit by Lee In-mo, a long-term unconverted prisoner, on grounds of national reconciliation and humanitarian considerations during the Kim Young-sam administration, will be released. Records from the Kim Dae-jung administration also include "Key agendas (draft) of the inter-Korean summit," which reviews the agendas of the historic summit, and "Direction and expected effects of promoting inter-Korean economic cooperation," prepared to explain to party leaders the need for inter-Korean economic cooperation.
In addition, included is the "Report to former President Kim Dae-jung related to the inter-Korean summit," which explained the preparation status to Kim Dae-jung ahead of the inter-Korean summit during the Roh Moo-hyun administration. You can also view the original text of the "Presidential letter," which expressed sincere condolences for loss of life caused by heavy rains in North Korea at the time and proposed a frank dialogue for peace and common prosperity between the two Koreas.
The Presidential Archives plans to sequentially release about 100,000 original records this year. Through this opening, a total of 150,000 records can be checked to date.
Yoon Ho-jung, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), said, "Disclosing original presidential records aims to guarantee the public's right to know and enhance trust in state affairs by transparently revealing the process of major policy formulation and governance across past administrations," and added, "Because presidential records are the asset of the state and the people, we will further expand the disclosure of originals so that the public can directly check and use the information they need at any time."