How might the loss of at least some TRC 2 investigation data — potentially permanently destroyed in the NIRS fire — affect the timeline for rulings in the 311 TRC 2 cases?
Above — our AI representation of a digital drive lost to a fire. Please note that this does not directly represent the type of drives lost in the NIRS fire and is just a generic graphical image to depict data loss.
Since March 8th, 2026, we have been sharing information about how the National Information Resources Service (NIRS) fire in Daejeon on September 26th, 2025 impacted TRC 2.
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We want to note that we do definitely DO NOT believe that all TRC 2 records related to TRC 2’s investigation into Overseas Adoption were permanently destroyed in the National Information Resources Service (NIRS) fire (of September 26th, 2025)!
We do, however, believe that at least SOME TRC 2 INVESTIGATION DATA was likely permanently destroyed in the NIRS fire.
Please read the information below CAREFULLY before jumping to any conclusions.
From the translated “Statement by the Korean Association of Archivists”, originally published in Korea on February 19th, 2026 below:
”Unfortunately, when a fire at the National Information Resources Service in September 2025 destroyed the G-drive, the TRC’s investigation record data stored there was also lost. Investigators attempted recovery efforts, but it appears that complete restoration was not achieved. Since proper records management processes before and after storage had not been established and professional staff had not been assigned to the work, the commission could not prepare for such a contingency.”
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In light of the concerns we first raised amongst Korean Adoptees on our website on March 8th, 2026, TRC 2 posted a notice to its ENGLISH website only, on or around March 16th, 2026.
The TRC ENGLISH Notice states:
“Regarding the recent fire at the National Information Resources Service (NIRS), the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Korea informs users that no individual records of overseas adoption applicants were lost or damaged in connection with this incident.”
However, we have previously noted that while the TRC Notice is in some ways reassuring, it also OMITS critical information about which we still have significant questions.
We have previously noted that “individual records of overseas adoption applicants” is likely DIFFERENT from TRC 2 “INVESTIGATION DATA”.
So while TRC stated in its Notice that “no individual records of overseas adoption applicants were lost or damaged” in the NIRS fire, TRC conspicuously does NOT mention anything about TRC 2 “INVESTIGATION DATA”.
Therefore, we want to know what specific TRC 2 INVESTIGATION DATA may have been permanently lost in the NIRS fire. This is conspicuously NOT addressed in the TRC Notice which is quoted above.
Currently, there are only published reports about TRC 2 SYSTEMS which were impacted by the NIRS fire — but there are no official reports which we can find about what specific TRC 2 DATA was lost in the NIRS fire.
We recognize that this news may be upsetting for Korean Adoptees, and we take those feelings seriously. At the same time, we believe it is neither ethical nor constructive to withhold important information or present it in a misleading way. We do not support minimizing or oversimplifying Adoptees’ experiences, nor treating them as incapable of engaging with complex or difficult truths in order to advance our cause.
We have provided copious links to factual information related to this issue, and at this point, two important things are no longer up for debate.
Please read more below.
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Despite misinformation spread by a Korean Adoptee led group to the contrary, there are two important things which are no longer up for debate:
1. It is clear now that TWO TRC 2 SYSTEMS were impacted by the NIRS fire, but later RECOVERED. These TWO TRC SYSTEMS are called:
301. 진실화해를위한과거사정리위원회 진실화해위원회홈페이지
(The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Homepage)
and, significantly:
*564. 진실화해를위한과거사정리위원회 조사정보시스템
(The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Investigation Information System)
For PROOF that TWO TRC 2 SYSTEMS were impacted by the NIRS fire, but later RECOVERED, please see:
President Lee Jae Myung’s blog highlights the restoration of two TRC 2 systems that were impacted by the National Information Resources Management (NIRS) fire on September 26th, 2025.
Notice from the National Information Resources Service (NIRS): Status of Information System Recovery + Complete System List —includes Two TRC 2 SYSTEMS which were affected by the fire but RECOVERED.
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2.It is clear now that TRC 2 records were transferred directly to TRC 3, so as to ensure continuity between Commissions.
Therefore, TRC 2 records were NOT transferred to the National Archives as they would normally have been at the end of an investigation.
For PROOF that TRC 2 records were transferred directly to TRC 3, and were NOT transferred to the National Archives at the conclusion of TRC 2, please see:
A News1 Article from February 26th, 2026 shows that TRC 2 files were NOT sent to the National Archives, as has been falsely claimed by some Korean Adoptees.
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These facts, coupled with the fact that TRC 2 and TRC 3 do NOT have a “Records Management System”, left these TRC 2 records vulnerable to unanticipated events like the NIRS fire of September 26th, 2025. This issue was first raised by The Association of Korean Archivists on on February 19th, 2026, which we first shared here on March 8th, 2026.
In response to a week of unfounded denials from a Korean Adoptee–led group, we have presented extensive, fact-based evidence from credible sources. These findings lead us back to our original realization, based on the Association of Korean Archivist’s Statement: TRC 2 and TRC 3 lack any formal “Records Management System” — precisely at a time when they are receiving hundreds, if not thousands, of new cases from Korean Adoptees and other victims’ rights groups.
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It remains unclear what specific TRC 2 DATA from the “564. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Investigation Information System” was permanently lost.
TRC published a Notice to its ENGLISH website only, on or around March 16th, 2026, which does NOT fully clarify what INVESTIGATION DATA may have been permanently lost in the NIRS fire.
Please see:
TRC Notice: “Regarding the recent fire at NIRS, the (TRC) informs users that no individual records of overseas adoption applicants were lost or damaged…” Yet the TRC Notice OMITS critical information.
In its Notice, TRC wrote only:
“Regarding the recent fire at the National Information Resources Service (NIRS), the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Korea informs users that no individual records of overseas adoption applicants were lost or damaged in connection with this incident.”
We want to note that this TRC Notice does NOT mention the fact that two TRC 2 SYSTEMS were impacted by the NIRS fire and later recovered.
We think that is is particularly important for TRC to clarify what specific INVESTIGATION DATA from the “564. 진실화해를위한과거사정리위원회 조사정보시스템 (The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Investigation Information System)” may have been permanently lost in the NIRS fire.
Since TRC 3 is only now just gearing up, and has not fully hired relevant staff, we think it may be a while before we are able to get any answers to our questions.
We understand that at this point, TRC may not even fully know what specific TRC 2 INVESTIGATION DATA was lost in the NIRS fire.