This is a fascinating story of the legalized seizure of pro-Japanese collaborator's property. I am sure that the English story is only picking up a portion of the whole. it isn't clear to me why this is happening now, but I will poke around and see if I can learn something.
An independent commission probing pro-Japanese collaborators' wealth built up during Japanese colonial rule (1910~1945) ruled that 41 billion won ($43 million) worth of properties owned by seven collaborators should be returned to the nation.
The Investigative Commission on Pro-Japanese Collaborators' Property, headed by Kim Chang-kuk, announced Thursday that it has decided to confiscate a total of 308,388 square meters of land.
They are Lee Jung-ro, Min Young-ki and Lee Yong-tae, who won key posts from the Japanese government in recognition of their supporting roles in the ruling, and Kim Seo-kyu, Kim Young-jin, Lee Kyung-sik and Lee Jin-ho, who then served as advisors for the government.
Ownership of the land was transferred to the government Thursday since the decision is legally binding, the commission said.
The commission was launched in September 2006 under a special law, which took effect in December 2005. It has made a total of four withdrawal decisions, resulting in the confiscation of more than 3.6 million square meters of land worth 77 billion won.
``As of Thursday, we are investigating a total of 18 million square meters of land owned by 135 who are deemed pro-Japan collaborators. They are worth 117 billion won,'' a commission official said.
The state-backed organization said it traced back the wealth building history of title receivers from the Japanese imperial government and those working as advisors.
As of now, a total of 15 administrative cases filed to void the commission's decision are waiting the courts' final ruling, the commission said.
``The work started with great support from the general public. We will accelerate our investigation to complete our tasks by the deadline set for July 2010,'' the official said.
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