Korea confiscating land of WWII collaborators
The government of Korea is set to confiscate more than a million square meters of land that belong to Koreans that are accused of collaborating with the Japanese colonial government.
The Investigative Commission on Pro-Japanese Collaborators’ Property announced on Monday it will seize W25.7 billion (US$1=W929) worth of land from the descendants of 10 alleged collaborators who worked for Japan during its 35-year colonial rule over the Korean peninsula.
The people in question are said to have helped Japan colonize and rule the Korean peninsula in exchange for money or high-ranking positions.
The land seizure is being conducted under a special law enacted in 2005 that gives The Commission the power to seize the assets of colonial period collaborators.
That is just criminal!.
Imagine being faced with that, for something done 70 or more years ago?. The people alive now, can hardly be the ones to blame?.
August 15th, 2007 at 9:16 amThose Koreans that are accused, were probably pressed to submit to the Japanese at that time. Otherwise they would have been in danger of losing fortune or freedom.
This ” Investigative Commission on Pro-Japanese Collaborators’ Property ” could be a menace to the democracy of South Korea. If Koreans believe everything about Japan’s 35-year colonial rule was evil, they hardly move on.
What if Japanese do the similar thing about former collaborators of wartime Japan militarism ? (Today is 15th August.)
August 15th, 2007 at 10:16 amMeh. Would you like a side order of unreasonable hate with that kimchee?
August 15th, 2007 at 4:26 pmThis is ridiculous, but not unexpected. There’s also a parliamentary committee that has investigated collaborators that formed less than a decade ago. btw, Tofu, not all Koreans opposed Japan or were coerced into cooperating (although many did and were). Some saw cooperating with Japan as the best road to modernity. People forget that while Japanese occupation did and tried many bad things, they also abolished the old despotic caste system, brought in railways (for their own purposes, obviously) and universal education. I’m not arguing that colonialism is good, but there were positive aspects to it and you can see how some Koreans might have look at it favorably, particularly early on. Of course, given the rabid nationalism of contemporary Korea, this isn’t something people there want to hear.
August 15th, 2007 at 11:24 pm