By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter
A list of 704 collaborators during the final stages of Japanese colonial rule from 1937 through 1945 was announced by the Presidential Committee for the Inspection of Collaborations for Japanese Imperialism (PCIC) Friday.
Unlike a separate list of pro-Japanese figures recently published by a private liberal research organization, former President Park Chung-hee (1917-1979) and former Prime Minister Jang Myeon (1899-1966) were not included.
The discrepancy in the two reports is likely to spark debate, particularly regarding controversial figures such as former President Park, who has been criticized for having demonstrated a strong devotion to the Japanese army in his youth.
The PCIC report is the final batch in a series of lists covering earlier periods of the Japanese occupation that have been published since 2005. The PCIC began operations at the initiative of the previous Roh Moo-hyun administration to deal with "shameful"aspects of modern Korean history.
The PCIC explained that its list was based on a "special law on the inspection of collaboration with Japanese imperialism" enacted in 2004 and that it applied a more severe judgment than a private research institute in defining "traitors to the people."
The final list of the PCIC is expected to trigger controversy, as it includes some notable figures from the arts, education, academia and the press.
Some recognizable figures defined as Japanese collaborators are Kim Sung-soo, head of the Bosung Professional College (1922-1945), which later became Korea University, and founder of the Donga Ilbo; Helen Kim (1899-1970) the pioneer woman educator-journalist who was the first Korean president of Ewha Womans University; Bang Eung-mo, former president of the Chosun Ilbo; poet Suh Jung-joo and novelist Lee Gwang-soo. Iconic composer Hong Nan-pa (1891-1941) was excluded after a local court ruled against adding him to the list.
So far, the PCIC has published a total of 25 booklets on 1,500 pro-Japanese figures throughout the occupation (1910-1945). It will shut down on Nov. 30 after almost five years of operation.
"We hope that our activities will contribute to the settling unresolved issues related to the colonial occupation," PCIC Chairman Sung Dae-kyung said.