2nd List of Pro-Japan Traitors Stirs Controversy

Controversy ignited yesterday over the release of the names of 4,776 Koreans who allegedly betrayed their country during Japanese colonial rule between 1910 and 1945.

The list was compiled by the Institute for Research in Collaborationist Activities and the Compilation Committee for the Biographical Dictionary of Pro-Japanese Koreans.

The names of 1,686 people including composer Ahn Eak-tay and traditional dancer Choi Seung-hee were added to a list containing 3,090 names that was unveiled in August 2005.

The first list mainly contains central government officials and military officers who worked for Japan during colonial rule. The second includes those suspected of collaborating, provincial officials and overseas collaborators whose pro-Japanese activities were discovered through an additional investigation.

The institute and the committee defined a pro-Japanese collaborator as someone who committed physical and mental damage to Koreans and other people by actively collaborating with Japanese imperialism in depriving national sovereignty, governing colonial rule, and invading countries between the signing of the Eulsa Treaty in 1905 and Korea’s liberation in 1945.

The institute categorized the names into two sections: those who betrayed their country by signing treaties or directly cracked down on independence movements, and collaborators who worked for the Japanese colonial government or glorified and propagated Japan’s annexation of Korea as artists.

Specifically, 5,207 people were classified into 16 areas, with some being counted in more than two areas: 21 traitors; 138 collaborators; 335 who worked for the Japanese colonial government; 11 who worked for the Japanese imperial national assembly; 1,207 officials; 880 police officers; 387 military staff; 228 judicial workers; 484 members of pro-Japanese groups; 202 people from religious groups; 174 from culture and art; 62 teachers and scholars; 44 from the media and publication; 55 from the economy sector; 69 provincial bigwigs; and 910 overseas residents.

Former President Park Chung-hee, composer Hong Nan-pa, former Ewha Womans University President Kim Hwal-lan, former Prime Minister Shin Hyun-hwak, and former lawmaker Seo Beom-seok were included on the first list.

The inclusion of certain people on the lists has ignited protest, thus the debate over the matter is likely to heat up.

Han Kyung-ja, a dance professor at Kangwon National University and the head of the Gangwon Province chapter of a Choi Seung-hee commemorative project, objected to the dancer’s inclusion.

“Considering her work and activities, there is nothing that can be seen as a pro-Japanese collaborative activity,” Han said. “Through additional data, I will file a complaint.”

The son of former Prime Minister Shin, Shin Chul-sik, said, “They only considered the fact that he worked as a Japanese official. They did not consider what he did and how he did it.”

“I will file a complaint first, and if the error is not corrected, I will consider legal action.”

The institute’s head researcher Park Han-yong said, “We also focused on assessing how voluntarily and continuously [the collaborators] were involved in collaboration activities.”

The institute and the committee will receive complaints over the names and hold an additional discussion over the next 60 days.

The Biographical Dictionary of Pro-Japanese Koreans will consist of seven volumes: one on the overview; three on the collaborators; and three appendices. The volumes on the collaborators will be published first in August.

turtle@donga.com