Directory of Collaborators

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2008/04/137_23417.html


On Tuesday in Korea, a private panel of historians released a list of 4,776 pro-Japanese collaborators.

As expected, heated debates are going on about how to deal with these people. The protesters such as bereaved family members are saying that there were many collaborators who had no choice but collaborate to Japanese. They have two months to appeal to the committee to solve the technical matters such as correctness of the details.

By this released list, dealing with the past is also an important debate. For the future relationships with Japan, Chairman of the governing Grand National Party says "picking at the past" will "confused our footsteps into the future." And also the president Lee will have the similar opinion as he is focusing on the better relationship with Japan.

This is a hard domestic issue that has to be solved for the memory of the past colonization and for the future relationship with Japan. Digging into the past might not be a meaningful task. However, to fully forget about the regretful past, the memories have to be reconciled. I think this is another history issue that Korea has to solve with other history issues with Japan such as comfort women and history textbook.