202 Pro-Japanese Collaborators Disclosed

By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter

A presidential fact-finding panel Monday announced a total of 202 people who allegedly collaborated with Japan during its colonial rule of Korea (1910-1945) after its second investigation into the issue.

On the list are Song Byeong-jun, a minister on the Cabinet of the Joseon Kingdom, and Lee Ji-yong, one of the five Cabinet members who signed the Eulsa Treaty in 1905, which led to colonization five years later.

Song sent letters to the Japanese government asking for a merger of the two countries and later received the title of count under Japanese rule.

Lee Doo-hwang, who participated in the murder of Queen Myeongseong in 1895 and later served the colony as governor of the current North Jeolla Province, was listed during the first panel investigation in 2006.

Some others listed as pro-Japanese include Bae Jeong-ja, foster daughter of Hirobumi Ito, the prime minister of Japan, and Park Je-bin, who formed a tribute group to pay condolences at Ito's funeral in 1926.

This is the second time the Presidential Committee for the Inspection of Collaboration in Japanese Imperialism announced a list. In 2006, it listed 120 people including novelist Yi In-jik, the author of ``Hyeoleuinu'' (Tears of Blood) in 1906, and Yoo Hak-ju, a council member of the ``Iljinhoe,'' a political organization formed on Aug. 8, 1904.

The investigations focused on pro-Japanese figures between 1919 and 1937 and the third will be on 1937-45. The third project will be conducted next year.

Descendants of those included on the list can file a letter of complaint with the panel against the selection and request a review. The list will be finalized by Nov. 30 and be reported to the president and the National Assembly.

The committee was established in May 2005 as part of the Roh Moo-hyun administration's drive to review the country's modern history. Sung Dae-kyung, a former professor at Sungkyunkwan University, chairs the panel.

Meanwhile, the court rejected a lawsuit against the committee to erase the names of the son and grandson of Daewongun, father of King Gojong (1863- 1907) from the list.

The two allegedly attended the signing of a treaty between the Joseon Kingdom and Japan as representatives of the royal family in 1910.

The court said the committee had made a relatively objective study to verify the allegation and revealing it is in the public interest.

bjs@koreatimes.co.kr

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