A truth commission tasked with reexamining tragic chapters of South Korea’s checkered history has extended its mandate to the end of the year. 

The commission affiliated with the Justice Ministry held a regular meeting on Monday to decide on the extension. Set up in December last year, the commission extended its activities early this year and the previous deadline was set to expire on November fifth. 

The commission has been looking into suspicions related to 15 high-profile criminal cases the prosecution dealt with under South Korea's former military regimes, but has only issued final advice for three of them so far.