"Withdraw the Bill to Exhume Pro-Japanese Collaborators!" Protest Rally Held in Front of Rep. Lee Su-jin's Office

"Resign Lee Su-jin!", "Repeal the Bill!", "Who is the Pro-Japanese Collaborator?"
Protest Rally Against the 'Pro-Japanese Collaborator Tomb Removal' Bill in Front of Lee Su-jin's Democratic Party Constituency Office

On the afternoon of the 5th at 3:30 PM, a group opposing the "Pro-Japanese Collaborators' Tomb Removal" bill held a protest rally in front of the office of Lee Su-jin, a Democratic Party of Korea district representative, located in Sadang-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Joo-hee, intern reporter kjh818@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam, Intern Reporter Kang Joohee] “Lee Sujin, who demanded the exhumation of pro-Japanese collaborators, must resign!”

As Lee Sujin, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, recently called for the exhumation of the grave of a pro-Japanese collaborator buried in the National Cemetery, on the 5th, protests by groups opposing this were held in front of Lee’s office in Dongjak-gu, Seoul.

One protest participant issued a statement opposing the 'exhumation of pro-Japanese collaborators' and urged Lee to apologize. He labeled Lee’s claim for the 'exhumation of pro-Japanese collaborators in the National Cemetery' as a 'reckless remark,' pointing out that “the concept of pro-Japanese is not only arbitrary but also highly subjective. It is divisive.”

He raised his voice, asking, “Is it acceptable for a member of the National Assembly to recklessly utter reckless remarks that go against human ethics and provoke public outrage without any consequences?”

He continued, “Tomorrow is Memorial Day. Promise that the patriotic spirits can rest in peace. Contribute to national unity and development, and strive to improve the quality of life for the residents of Dongjak-gu,” repeatedly calling for Lee’s apology.

Other attendees agreed with these remarks, shouting sharp criticisms such as “Lee Sujin must resign! Step down!” and “Exhumation of pro-Japanese collaborators is out of the question.”

Earlier, the ruling party had been pushing for the ‘Amendment to the National Cemetery Act.’ The amendment centers on relocating pro-Japanese anti-national figures buried in the National Cemetery and installing monuments detailing their pro-Japanese activities.

According to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs’ ‘Status of Pro-Japanese Anti-National Figures Buried in National Cemeteries,’ 63 pro-Japanese collaborators listed in the Dictionary of Pro-Japanese Collaborators are buried in Seoul National Cemetery and Daejeon National Cemetery.

A banner prepared by the office of Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Su-jin is displayed at the entrance of Chongshin University Station in Sadang-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul. It contains the phrase "Our history, protected together." Photo by Kang Joo-hee, intern reporter kjh818@asiae.co.kr

Public opinion on the amendment is divided. Some believe that the graves of pro-Japanese collaborators should be relocated for the sake of national patriots, while others argue that it is problematic to disturb graves that are already buried.

Office worker Park (27) supported Lee’s claim. He raised his voice, saying, “The National Cemetery should be a place for those who died for the country, so why are pro-Japanese collaborators buried there? It’s absurd.”

Kim (60) also said, “I heard there is no more space left in the National Cemetery. But I heard that more than 60 pro-Japanese collaborators are buried there,” and pointed out, “Even those who devoted themselves to the country cannot be buried there now. It’s unacceptable that pro-Japanese collaborators are buried there.”

He added, “Exhumation is not an easy task, but considering those who worked hard for the country, it should naturally be done.”

There were also opponents. Kim (50), who runs a restaurant in Dongjak-gu, said, “While exhuming pro-Japanese collaborators is the right thing to do, the act of ‘exhumation’ itself may not be an appropriate measure,” adding, “There is already strong opposition, and if Lee continues to push for exhumation, conflicts will only deepen.”

Earlier, as a member-elect, Lee visited the National Seoul Cemetery on the 24th of last month along with Kim Byung-gi, a Democratic Party member-elect, and attended the ‘2020 Site of Pro-Japanese and Anti-Japanese, Correcting History at the National Cemetery’ event hosted by the Unam Kim Seongsuk Memorial Project Association.

At the event, Lee said, “It is proper to exhume pro-Japanese collaborators from the National Cemetery to set history right,” adding, “Until last year, several attempts were made, but the ‘exhumation of pro-Japanese collaborators’ bill did not pass.” He further said, “After coming to the National Cemetery, I thought that a bill to exhume the graves of pro-Japanese collaborators should be made.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.