Image from Pro-Japanese Collaborators and Forgetting, a work by Newstapa, a news outlet known for investigative journalism (Image source: Newstapa)
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — Nearly 80 years after Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, a majority of South Koreans believe remnants of pro-Japanese collaboration remain unaddressed, according to a new survey released Wednesday by the Heritage of Korean Independence (HKI).
The nationwide poll, conducted August 1–7 by Korea Data World, found that 70.9% of the general public and 78.0% of descendants of independence activists said the legacy of pro-Japanese elements has not been eradicated since 1945.
A substantial proportion also believe that “descendants of anti-national collaborators still wield influence across society,” with 63.6% of the general public and 70.2% of independence activists’ descendants agreeing.
Calls for renewed efforts to address this historical issue remain strong: 71.8% of the general public and 83.1% of activist descendants said such a reckoning is still necessary.
Lee jong-chan, president of the liberation association, holds press conference. (Image courtesy of Yonahp)
When asked about priorities for improving relations with Japan, 30.5% of the public cited “a sincere apology and reflection from Japan” as most important, followed by “joint historical research and education to prevent historical distortion” (17.1%), and “maintaining consistent diplomatic principles without political exploitation” (11.5%).
The general public survey of 1,000 adults has a margin of error of ±3.09 percentage points, while the poll of 850 independence activists’ descendants carries a ±3.19-point margin of error, both at a 95% confidence level.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
