A bill to extend the mandate of Korea's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) passed the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly on Dec. 2, following weeks of intensified pressure on lawmakers by Korean adoptees. For many adoptees, the development marked a significant step. Only months earlier, amid other national crises demanding political attention, uncertainty over the commission’s future was acute. Members of the adoptee community have been holding conferences, meeting with officials and staging protests outside government buildings in recent weeks, urging the administration to extend the TRC's tenure and provide the facts behind their overseas adoptions, after irregularities have been detected in many cases. On Nov. 26, adoptees, both domestic and international, and advocacy groups gathered again at the National Assembly, calling not only for recognition of the TRC’s findings but for deeper action: corroborating evidence, expanding investigations and establishing a long-term framework for cooperation with the state. Many consider these steps essential f