OhMyNews Article:
”The Face of Catholic Believer Park Sun-young Reflected in the Mirror of the Pope”
Posted to Paperslip on May 1st, 2025.
Please note that Paperslip does not endorse any particular religious beliefs or ideologies.
Translation via ChatGPT.
Paperslip Note:
We are sharing this article to provide additional context on the outcome of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC/TRCK 2) investigation into Overseas Adoption. Of the 367 cases submitted by Korean Adoptees in 2022, 311 were ultimately dismissed by the TRC 2 when it concluded in 2025. The commission’s chairperson, Park Sun-young, was a deeply conservative appointee of the impeached former president Yoon Suk Yeol—a decision that was controversial from the outset. Many victims involved in the TRC 2 process, including but not limited to Korean Adoptees, have since called for the establishment of a third commission (TRC 3) under new, more progressive leadership—one that would prioritize the voices and needs of those affected by human rights abuses.
For context please see:
Hankyoreh Article:
“42 More Overseas Adoptees Denied Truth-Finding…Remaining 311 Cases ‘Investigation Halted’”
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“The Face of Catholic Believer Park Sun-young Reflected in the Mirror of the Pope
Published: May 2, 2025, 2:18 PM KST
"True faith stands with the weak." – Pope Francis
The late Pope Francis (1936–2025) consistently proclaimed during his lifetime:
"Religion is not about siding with the powerful, but about standing with the weak. The moment religion aligns with power and wealth, it loses its reason for being."
True faith, as he described, is about weeping with the oppressed and fighting alongside the persecuted. Religion must not become an alibi for the strong. It must be a pillar of support for the weak.
Pope Francis always emphasized: the essence of religion lies in taking the side of the vulnerable. He often said, "The Church must not be a comfortable shelter for the wealthy and powerful, but a field hospital for the sick." And, "Faith is not what rests on the tip of the tongue but is proven with our hands and feet."
His vision of "true faith" was about listening to the pain of the marginalized and walking with the oppressed. He called those who invoke God’s name with words while siding with the powerful and turning away from the tears of the weak “masked hypocrites.” He also said, "To remain silent in the face of a victim’s tears is to participate in the violence."
So, before the mirror held up by this Pope, what face does Chairperson Park Sun-young of Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) wear today?
Between “Devout Faith” and “Defending Perpetrators”
Park Sun-young is known as a “devout” Catholic. Yet her actions appear to move in the opposite direction of her professed faith. The TRC exists to restore the honor of victims of state violence and uncover the truth. But Park has publicly praised historical perpetrators such as Syngman Rhee, Park Chung-hee, and Chun Doo-hwan as “great leaders.”
Religion does not exist to absolve perpetrators. And yet, Park Sun-young appears at the forefront of ignoring justice. Her conduct strikingly resembles what Pope Francis described as “a corrupt religious figure.”
Park Sun-young: A Name That Betrays “Truth” and “Reconciliation”
Park has consistently praised authoritarian leaders like Syngman Rhee, Park Chung-hee, and Chun Doo-hwan. She even made the irresponsible remark that “there’s no confirmed evidence of North Korean involvement” in the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement—a statement that tramples over Gwangju’s blood and tears and slashes at the sanctity of Korea’s democratic struggle.
She supported the martial law emergency declared by President Yoon Suk-yeol and publicly expressed sympathy for it. Meanwhile, she has turned a blind eye to the cries of victims of past state violence and their demands for truth. She did not hesitate to glorify both Park Chung-hee’s dictatorship and Chun Doo-hwan’s military regime.
In December 2024, just before his impeachment, Yoon Suk-yeol appointed Park as head of the TRC—during a moment of profound democratic crisis. In this role, Park has taken it upon herself to force “inconvenient truths” onto victims while offering justifications and absolution to perpetrators.
Park Sun-young, Spokesperson for Perpetrators
The TRC’s original mission was to investigate state violence and restore dignity to victims. But under Park Sun-young’s leadership, it has behaved more like a defense counsel for perpetrators. In the investigation into overseas adoption, she appeared more focused on minimizing state responsibility than uncovering the truth. Despite clear signs of falsified records and forced adoptions, she issued mass “pending” rulings, citing “lack of conclusive evidence.”
Even within the TRC, criticism has erupted. Standing commissioner Lee Sang-hoon strongly criticized her, saying, “Turning a deaf ear to victims while listening intently to perpetrators betrays the very purpose of the TRC.”
Groups representing past victims of state violence publicly demanded her resignation, calling her “the head of a commission for truth distortion, not reconciliation.”
A Shame to Catholic Faith, A Portrait of Religious Hypocrisy
Pope Francis once warned:
"When a religious person colludes with power, they are no longer God’s servant, but a slave to authority."
What face is Park Sun-young truly wearing? That of a servant of God, or a handmaiden of power?
As head of the TRC, she has distorted memory and clouded truth. She has ignored the blood-stained cries of suffering victims while dressing up the faces of perpetrators. Is this truly the appearance of a “devout Catholic”?
Pope Francis also said, “God always stands with the weak. Those who do not stand with the weak are not on God’s side. If one sides only with the powerful, they are not a person of faith, but a false witness.”
Park Sun-young’s actions fly in the face of these teachings. She has been silent on victims' suffering and seems eager to restore the honor of perpetrators. In the name of faith, she turned away from justice. Behind the mask of religion, she has re-opened the wounds of the weak with the language of the powerful. She has used the name of the Church to act as a shield for perpetrators.
If Park Sun-young truly has a conscience as a Catholic, she must kneel and apologize—and quietly step down as TRC chair.
Do You Love Truth, or Power?
Pope Francis asked, “Do you love truth? Or do you love power? You cannot love both.”
Truth does not bend to authority. It does not flatter the strong. Truth always stands with the bowed heads of the weak.
So what has Park Sun-young truly loved—truth, or power? Her past words and actions already provide a clear answer.
The TRC must be reborn—not under the leadership of a “devout hypocrite” like Park, but by someone who can genuinely wipe away the tears of the weak. Someone who loves truth, and who loves the oppressed.
Park Sun-young may believe she is a “Catholic who loves truth.” But truth lives in the tears of the weak and in the cries of the oppressed. The moment she tried to revive the “glory” of those who trampled Gwangju, she betrayed her faith.
The court of history—and the God she claims to believe in—will one day surely ask:
"Park Sun-young, did you stand with those who suffered? When victims were tormented by perpetrators, whose side were you on?"
What answer will she give?”
This article also appears in a condensed version in Hankyoreh’s “Wae-nya-myeon” section:
https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/opinion/because/1195199.html