By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
A presidential agency Monday decided to confiscate land that is now owned by the descendants of 10 pro-Japan collaborators during the colonial period (1910-1945).
It was the second step after the agency decided to seize the property of the offspring of another nine pro-Japan collaborators last May.
The Investigative Commission on Pro-Japanese Collaborators' Property has conducted the confiscation as part of the efforts to clear away the colonial-era legacy.
The commission will seize about one million square meters of land by the 10 collaborators, which is valued at 25.7 billion won.
The 10 Japanese collaborators include Min Young-hui, who received peerage from the Japanese government for his collaboration, and Lee Jae-gon, a leading figure in Jeongmi Treaty, which led to the disbandment of the country’s army.
Other collaborators are Min Byeong-seok, Min Sang-ho, Park Jung-yang, Yoon Deok-young, Lee Geun-sang, Lee Guen-ho, Lim Seon-jun and Hang Chang-su.
The confiscation is possible due to the National Assembly's enactment of a special law in December 2005.
The law allows the agency to seize property assets that pro-Japan collaborators obtained between 1904 and Aug. 15 in 1945 for their cooperation with Japan. Property that any third party obtained later without knowing the fact was excluded.
In the first decision last May, the commission announced that the government would seize 254,906 square meters of land owned by the family of the nine major collaborators including Lee Wan-yong, the Joseon Kingdom minister who helped Japan's colonization. The total land was valued at 3.6 billion won.
But those who oppose the decision by the presidential agency can file an administrative suit within 90 days after they are notified of the confiscation.
Five descendants of the 10 collaborators in the second decision and two of the nine in the first decision have lodged an objection and prepared for a lawsuit, the agency said.
Since the enactment of the law, the agency has made a list of 452 pro-Japan collaborators and examined the land of 109 among them. The total size of the land is estimated at 13.1 million square meters, worthy almost 100 billion won.
The seized property will be used to compensate independence fighters and their offspring for the sacrifices in the liberation of the country.