Opposition to Release Was Ignored

`The meeting to Establish the National Spirit` (Chairperson Rep. Kim Hee-Sun, NMDP) was known as included the 16 names without considering the opinions of experts with whom the Meeting consulted to decide the final list of the pro-Japanese national traitors.

Former Prof. Cho Dong-Gul, who presided the meeting on 27th, a day before the release of the list, said that “all consulting committee members agreed that the 16 people are different from the 692 names that were decided by Kwangbok Hoi.”

Prof. Cho also revealed that “the opinions of the 6 consulting members whether to add the 16 names or not were divided in half. And we requested the lawmakers to clarify that there were controversies about the 16 names.”

He added that “it is not fair to add the 16 names, not including the people who are more actively engaged in the pro-Japanese activities than the 692 traitors.”

However, the Meeting did not revealed that the opinions were divided in half, simply commenting that “the consulting members disagreed on the inclusion of the 16 names to the 692 names and indicated the necessity of more discretions.”

In addition, it is known that some of the lawmakers who the Meeting claimed that they entrusted their rights to decide and release the list did not in fact entrust their rights to the Meeting.

Rep. Lee Sang-Soo and Won Yoo-Chul (NMDP) who were known as entrusted their rights to the Meeting said that they did not entrusted their rights to the Meeting and they did not even know that there were discussions about the selection of the pro-Japanese traitors.

Rep. Park Sang-Hee (NMDP) also explained that “I sent my letter of attorney under the request of the Meeting. But I did not know anything about what they are doing.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Seo Sang-Mok (GNP), the chairperson of deliberation, revealed their plan to investigate the pro-Japanese activities of the former Presidents by tracing the related materials.”

jnghn@donga.com