According to the Associated Press on the 16th, South Korea will officially implement the “Special Law on Nationalizing Pro-Japanese Anti-Nationalist Actors‘ Property” on December 3rd, restarting the national-level property retrieval work for pro-Japanese anti-Nationalist actors after 16 years.
South Korean President Lee Jae-ming said in a speech on the 15th anniversary celebration of the 81st anniversary of Guangfu Festival that the government will investigate and recover the property illegally accumulated by pro-Japanese during the colonial period according to law, seriously pursue their historical responsibility, and all proceeds from the retrieval will be used to help support anti-Japanese meritocrats and their relatives.
According to reports, the first pro-Japanese property investigation committee operated from July 2006 to July 2010, at which time it recovered a total of 237.3 billion won (approximately 1.1 billion yuan) worth of property. After the investigation committee was disbanded, South Korea had long lacked special agencies to investigate and identify new pro-Japanese property. To plug holes in the hiding and transfer of property by pro-Japanese descendants, the new law stipulates that even if the property in question has been disposed of, the related income can still be recovered. The government will also issue bonuses to informers who provide valid leads.