Revision to Law on Pro-Japanese Collaborators Submitted to National Assembly

A total of 171 lawmakers of the ruling and the opposition parties made a proposition to the National Assembly Wednesday afternoon for a revision to the “special law on Pro-Japanese collaborators during the Japanese colonial rule.” The main point of the revision is to expand the law’s definition of collaborators.

A group called “Citizens Solidarity to Examine Pro-Japanese Activities,” that consists of Kim Heu-sun, a lawmaker from the Uri Party, and 64 citizens groups, held a press conference on the afternoon of the day of the proposition at the VIP restaurant in the National Assembly Complex and said that “we will first submit this revised bill for screening by the standing committee. Then we will bring it up before the September regular assembly meeting.” All members of the Uri Party and the Democratic Labor Party, six lawmakers of the Grand National Party including Kwon Oh-eul, and four members from the Millennium Democratic Party including Kim Hong-il, signed this revision bill led by the Uri Party.

In the revision confirmed the previous day, an article addressing the parliament’s recommendation of the Presidential Fact-Finding Committee members was omitted. However, on Wednesday, a change has been made not to omit the article, but to require the parliament’s approval of committee member appointments by the President instead.

The GNP declared it would raise strong objections to the revision to the law on pro-Japanese collaborators, saying that “the background of this revision is suspicious. It is an attempt by the ruling party to oppress the opposition party and to gag press coverage that is critical of them. As a result, the revised bill is expected to be disputed even in its deliberation process.

Seung-Heon Lee ddr@donga.com