Chinilpa
Encyclopedia
Chinilpa is a Korean
word that denotes Koreans who collaborated with the Japan
ese government during its reign over Korea
(1910—1945), or shortly before (around the Korean Empire
period). To this day, chinilpa is often used as a derogatory statement against Japanophile
Koreans.
In the last years of Joseon Dynasty
, the word chinilpa meant a group of politicians who sought alliance with Japan, such as Iljinhoe
, that confronted pro-Russian, pro-Chinese and pro-U.S. groups. However, at the end of World War II when Korea regained its independence, the word changed its meaning from "pro-Japanese politicians" to "pro-Japanese collaborators".
After Korea's gradual democratization during the 1980s and 1990s, a public call to prosecute Chinilpa and "set the history right" has gained increasing support. This sometimes mixes with a general anti-Japanese sentiment in Korea, reinforcing each other. However, they are two distinct social agenda.
The commonly used neutral term for "people friendly to Japan" is jiilpa (지일파, 知日派) in a political context. (Literally, "people who know Japan.")
.
Most notably, Rhee Syngman sabotaged and dissolved the Special Committee for Prosecution of Anti-National Offenders (banmin teugwi, 반민특위), which had been established to prosecute Chinilpa. Under Rhee's regime and in subsequent governments, many of them enjoyed the same wealth and power they had under the Japanese rule. Korea's dictator Park Chung-hee
had even been an officer of the Imperial Japanese Army
himself.
The law is concerned about the independence movement, unlike the ex-Nazi prosecution which concentrates on the war crimes.
Most remarkable are the items 8 and 9. Being a law-maker during that time qualifies one as a "pro-Japanese and anti-national Collaborator" regardless of what one did as a law-maker.
and the founder of Korea University
, and Bang Eung Mo, a former president of Chosun Ilbo.
On December 6, 2006, a South Korean presidential commission, the Investigative Commission on Pro-Japanese Collaborators' Property revealed the first official chinilpa list of 106 persons during 1904 to March 1st Movement
in 1919 was including four of the Five Eulsa Traitors
.
On August 18, 2006, the commission started the investigation before seizing the property obtained by collaborators during Japanese colonization.
On May 2, 2007, the South Korean government announced its plan to seize assets gained by pro-Japanese collaborators during Japanese colonial rule amounting 3.6 billion won (US$3.9 million, €2.8 million) worth of land from the descendants of nine pro-Japanese collaborators. On August 13, 2007, the commission decided to confiscate about one million square meters of land which is valued at 25.7 billion won that is now owned by the descendants of another ten pro-Japanese collaborators.
On September 17, 2007, the commission revealed the second list of 202 collaborators focused on pro-Japanese figures between 1919 and 1937. The list includes Song Byeong-jun who sent letters to the Japanese government asking for a merger, Lee Ji-yong, who is one of the Five Eulsa Traitors, Lee Doo-hwang, who participated in the murder of Empress Myeongseong
in 1895 and later became a governor of the North Jeolla Province, a novelist Yi In-jik, the author of Hyeoleuinu (Tears of Blood), Yoo Hak-ju, a council member of the Iljinhoe
, Bae Jeong-ja, foster daughter of the first Resident-General of Korea
, Itō Hirobumi
who spied on Korean independent activists and recruited comfort women
, and Park Je-bin, who formed a tribute group to pay condolences at Ito's funeral in 1926. On the same day, the Seoul administrative court rejected a lawsuit against the commission to erase the names of the son and grandson of Daewon-gun
(father of Gojong of the Korean Empire) from the list, who allegedly attended the signing of the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty
as representatives of the royal family.
The official list during the most controversial period (1937-1945) that may contain persons who played important roles in South Korean development after the independence and enlisted in the 2005 list of the Institute for Research in Collaborationist Activities has not been revealed as of September 2007.
Since the enactment of the Special Law on the Inspection of Collaboration with Japanese Imperialism
(:ko:친일진상규명법) in 2004 and the Special law to redeem pro-Japanese collaborators' property
in 2005, the committee has made a list of 452 pro-Japanese 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 confiscated properties will be appropriated, with priority, for rewarding the Koreans who contributed to the independence of Korea from Japan.
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
word that denotes Koreans who collaborated with the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese government during its reign over Korea
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
(1910—1945), or shortly before (around the Korean Empire
Korean Empire
The Greater Korean Empire was an empire of Korea that succeeded the Joseon Dynasty.In October 1897, Emperor Gojong proclaimed the new entity at Gyeongungung Palace and oversaw the partially successful modernization of the military, economy, land system, education system, and various industries...
period). To this day, chinilpa is often used as a derogatory statement against Japanophile
Japanophile
Japanophilia is an interest in, or love of, Japan and anything Japanese; its opposite is Japanophobia. One who has such an interest or love is a Japanophile...
Koreans.
In the last years of Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
, the word chinilpa meant a group of politicians who sought alliance with Japan, such as Iljinhoe
Iljinhoe
The Iljinhoe was a nation-wide pro-Japan organization in Korea formed on August 8, 1904. A Japanese record states the number of party members was about 800,000, but another survey record by Japanese Resident-General of Korea in 1910 shows the number was about 90,000...
, that confronted pro-Russian, pro-Chinese and pro-U.S. groups. However, at the end of World War II when Korea regained its independence, the word changed its meaning from "pro-Japanese politicians" to "pro-Japanese collaborators".
After Korea's gradual democratization during the 1980s and 1990s, a public call to prosecute Chinilpa and "set the history right" has gained increasing support. This sometimes mixes with a general anti-Japanese sentiment in Korea, reinforcing each other. However, they are two distinct social agenda.
The commonly used neutral term for "people friendly to Japan" is jiilpa (지일파, 知日派) in a political context. (Literally, "people who know Japan.")
Prosecution against Chinilpa under Rhee Syngman administration
Banmin Teugwi, the Special Committee mentioned above, was set up in 1948 under the rule of Rhee Syngman. It handled a total of 682 cases, 559 cases were handed over to a special prosecutor's office, which handed down indictments in 221 cases. A special tribunal tried 38 cases, sentenced guilty verdicts and punishments in 12 cases including one death sentence. Eighteen others had their civil rights suspended, six others were declared innocent and the remaining two were found guilty but were exempted from punishment. However, the Supreme Court suspended their execution in March 1950, just before the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
Most notably, Rhee Syngman sabotaged and dissolved the Special Committee for Prosecution of Anti-National Offenders (banmin teugwi, 반민특위), which had been established to prosecute Chinilpa. Under Rhee's regime and in subsequent governments, many of them enjoyed the same wealth and power they had under the Japanese rule. Korea's dictator Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee was a Republic of Korea Army general and the leader of South Korea from 1961 to 1979. He seized power in a military coup and ruled until his assassination in 1979. He has been credited with the industrialization of the Republic of Korea through export-led growth...
had even been an officer of the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
himself.
Prosecution against Chinilpa in the 21st Century
After more than 50 years have passed since the end of prosecution against chinilpa under the Rhee Syngman administration, the prosecution restarted abruptly as a political agenda of President Roh Moo-hyun.Definition of chinilpa by the Special Law
The newly enacted Special Law on the Inspection of Collaborations for the Japanese Imperialism defines "pro-Japanese and anti-national actions"(chinila) as follows.- article 2
- Under this act, the "pro-Japanese and anti-national actions" means any of the following actions committed between the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese WarRusso-Japanese WarThe Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
that began the deprivation of Korean sovereignty by the Japanese imperialism and August 15, 1945.- 1. Any act to attack or order to attack the military forces fighting against the Japanese imperialism to keep sovereign power.
- 3. Any act to kill, execute, harass or arrest the persons or their families participating in the independent movement or anti-Japanese movement, and an act to instruct or order those violences thereto.
- 6. Any act to agree, join or conspire the treaties that interfered with the sovereign power including Eulsa TreatyEulsa TreatyThe Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905, also known as the Eulsa Treaty or Japan–Korea Protectorate Treaty, was made between the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire in 1905. Negotiations were concluded on November 17, 1905....
, Korean-Japanese Annexation TreatyJapan-Korea Annexation TreatyThe Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910, also known as the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty, was made by representatives of the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire in 1910. Negotiations were concluded on August 20, 1910...
and others. - 8. Any act of participating in the Assembly of Japanese Empire as a member of the Noble Class or member of Japanese Assembly.
- 9. Any act of participating as vice chairman, advisor or House of Representatives for the Senate of the Choson Government-General.
- 10. Any act of positively cooperate with the invasion war (WW2) as an officer above lieutenant of the Japanese imperial forces.
- 14. Any act to operate the military supply manufacturing to help the warfare of the Japanese imperialism or donate certain amount of or more money and goods determined under the Presidential Decree.
The law is concerned about the independence movement, unlike the ex-Nazi prosecution which concentrates on the war crimes.
Most remarkable are the items 8 and 9. Being a law-maker during that time qualifies one as a "pro-Japanese and anti-national Collaborator" regardless of what one did as a law-maker.
Developments
On August 29, 2005, a civic organization, the Institute for Research in Collaborationist Activities disclosed a list of 3094 Koreans chinilpa suspects including Park Chung Hee, the former Korean president, Kim Song Su, a former publisher of Dong-a IlboDong-a Ilbo
The Dong-a Ilbo is one of three major South Korean newspapers with over 2 million daily circulation...
and the founder of Korea University
Korea University
Korea University is a prestigious nonsectarian, private research university located primarily in Seoul, South Korea, and one of the SKY universities, a historical acronym used in South Korea to refer to Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University. Founded by Lee Yong-ik in...
, and Bang Eung Mo, a former president of Chosun Ilbo.
On December 6, 2006, a South Korean presidential commission, the Investigative Commission on Pro-Japanese Collaborators' Property revealed the first official chinilpa list of 106 persons during 1904 to March 1st Movement
March 1st Movement
The March 1st Movement, or Samil Movement, was one of the earliest public displays of Korean resistance during the occupation of the Korean Empire by Japan. The name refers to an event that occurred on March 1, 1919, hence the movement's name, literally meaning "Three-One Movement" or "March First...
in 1919 was including four of the Five Eulsa Traitors
Five Eulsa Traitors
The Five Eulsa Traitors refers to those officials serving under Emperor Gojong who signed the Eulsa Treaty of 1905 against Gojong's wishes, stripping the Korean Empire of its sovereignty and making Korea a protectorate of Japan...
.
On August 18, 2006, the commission started the investigation before seizing the property obtained by collaborators during Japanese colonization.
On May 2, 2007, the South Korean government announced its plan to seize assets gained by pro-Japanese collaborators during Japanese colonial rule amounting 3.6 billion won (US$3.9 million, €2.8 million) worth of land from the descendants of nine pro-Japanese collaborators. On August 13, 2007, the commission decided to confiscate about one million square meters of land which is valued at 25.7 billion won that is now owned by the descendants of another ten pro-Japanese collaborators.
On September 17, 2007, the commission revealed the second list of 202 collaborators focused on pro-Japanese figures between 1919 and 1937. The list includes Song Byeong-jun who sent letters to the Japanese government asking for a merger, Lee Ji-yong, who is one of the Five Eulsa Traitors, Lee Doo-hwang, who participated in the murder of Empress Myeongseong
Empress Myeongseong
Empress Myeongseong , also known as Queen Min, was the first official wife of King Gojong, the twenty-sixth king of the Joseon dynasty of Korea...
in 1895 and later became a governor of the North Jeolla Province, a novelist Yi In-jik, the author of Hyeoleuinu (Tears of Blood), Yoo Hak-ju, a council member of the Iljinhoe
Iljinhoe
The Iljinhoe was a nation-wide pro-Japan organization in Korea formed on August 8, 1904. A Japanese record states the number of party members was about 800,000, but another survey record by Japanese Resident-General of Korea in 1910 shows the number was about 90,000...
, Bae Jeong-ja, foster daughter of the first Resident-General of Korea
Resident-General of Korea
When Korea was a protectorate of Japan, Japan was represented by the Resident-General.- List of Japanese Residents-General :#Itō Hirobumi#Sone Arasuke#Terauchi Masatake...
, Itō Hirobumi
Ito Hirobumi
Prince was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan , genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist who was against the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire...
who spied on Korean independent activists and recruited comfort women
Comfort women
The term "comfort women" was a euphemism used to describe women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II.Estimates vary as to how many women were involved, with numbers ranging from as low as 20,000 from some Japanese scholars to as high as 410,000 from some Chinese...
, and Park Je-bin, who formed a tribute group to pay condolences at Ito's funeral in 1926. On the same day, the Seoul administrative court rejected a lawsuit against the commission to erase the names of the son and grandson of Daewon-gun
Daewon-gun
Heungseon Daewongun or The Daewongun , or formally Heungseon Heonui Daewonwang and also known to period western diplomats as Prince Gung, was the title of Yi Ha-eung, regent of Joseon during the minority of King Gojong in the 1860s and until his death a key political figure of late Joseon...
(father of Gojong of the Korean Empire) from the list, who allegedly attended the signing of the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty
Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty
The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910, also known as the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty, was made by representatives of the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire in 1910. Negotiations were concluded on August 20, 1910...
as representatives of the royal family.
The official list during the most controversial period (1937-1945) that may contain persons who played important roles in South Korean development after the independence and enlisted in the 2005 list of the Institute for Research in Collaborationist Activities has not been revealed as of September 2007.
Since the enactment of the Special Law on the Inspection of Collaboration with Japanese Imperialism
Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Korea)
South Korea's Truth and Reconciliation Commission , established on December 1, 2005, is a governmental body responsible for investigating incidents in Korean history which occurred starting from Japan's rule of Korea in 1910 up until the end of Authoritarian Rule in Korea with the election of...
(:ko:친일진상규명법) in 2004 and the Special law to redeem pro-Japanese collaborators' property
Special law to redeem pro-Japanese collaborators' property
The special law to redeem pro-Japanese collaborators' property is a special South Korean law that passed the South Korean National Assembly on December 8, 2005 and was enacted on December 29, 2005...
in 2005, the committee has made a list of 452 pro-Japanese 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 confiscated properties will be appropriated, with priority, for rewarding the Koreans who contributed to the independence of Korea from Japan.
See also
- Anti-Japanese sentiment in KoreaAnti-Japanese sentiment in KoreaThe Anti-Japanese sentiment in Korea is complex and multi-faceted. Anti-Japanese sentiment attitudes in the Korea can be traced back to the effects of Japanese pirate raids and the Japanese invasions of Korea , such as dismembering more than 20,000 noses and ears from Koreans and bringing them back...
- Five Eulsa TraitorsFive Eulsa TraitorsThe Five Eulsa Traitors refers to those officials serving under Emperor Gojong who signed the Eulsa Treaty of 1905 against Gojong's wishes, stripping the Korean Empire of its sovereignty and making Korea a protectorate of Japan...
- Japan–Korea disputes
- Japan–Korea relations
- Human rights in South KoreaHuman rights in South KoreaHuman rights in South Korea have evolved significantly from the days of military dictatorship and reflects the state's current status as a constitutional democracy...