Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho: "Pro-Japanese Property Investigation Committee to Relaunch, Recovering at Least 32.5 Billion Won"

[Financial News] Minister of Justice Jung Sung-ho said he expects that more than 32.5 billion won in pro-Japanese assets could be returned to the state once the second pro-Japanese collaborators’ property investigation committee is launched.
In a Facebook post on Aug. 16 marking the 81st anniversary of National Liberation Day of Korea, Jung said, "If the second pro-Japanese collaborators’ property investigation committee is launched, we expect to recover at least 32.5 billion won in pro-Japanese assets." He added, "The recovered assets will be used for the welfare of independence activists and their descendants."
The recovery effort will be based on the Pro-Japanese Property Return Act, which passed the National Assembly in May. The law was promulgated on June 2 and will take effect on Dec. 2 after a six-month grace period.
With the law taking effect, the pro-Japanese collaborators’ property investigation committee, which was disbanded in 2010, will be reestablished. The new committee will operate for up to five years.
The Pro-Japanese Property Return Act also allows the government to recover the value of assets that have already been disposed of, including through sales to third parties. The law stipulates that recovered assets must be used for independence activists and their bereaved families.
Jung said, "The Ministry of Justice is not merely remembering the sacrifices of independence fighters. It is working to restore justice in history." He added, "Right after the launch of the Lee Jae Myung administration, we made the recovery of pro-Japanese assets a key task. As a result, the Pro-Japanese Property Return Act passed the National Assembly in May."
He also said lawsuits to recover pro-Japanese assets, which had been stalled under the previous administration, have resumed. The targets include descendants of pro-Japanese collaborators such as Lee Hae-seung, Shin Woo-seon, Park Hee-yang and Im Seon-jun.
Jung said, "In the lawsuit against the descendants of Im Seon-jun, one of the Jeongmi 7 Traitors, the state won a complete victory in the first trial."
He added, "We must build a just country where those who gave everything for the nation are respected, and where the unjust gains of those who sold out the country for wealth and honor are returned to where they belong. I will do my part to restore history in the spirit of Liberation Day, so that all citizens can take pride in the Republic of Korea, a homeland that has regained its independence."
[email protected] Choi Ga-young Reporter