On August 16, Yonhap cited Korean legal sources, stating that the Special Law on the Nationalization of Properties of Japanese-Proponent Anti-National Act will come into effect on December 3 this year. The report noted that with the implementation of this law, South Korea will resume the process of nationalizing properties of Japanese-proponent anti-national actors after a gap of 16 years.
According to the introduction, this law aims to fill a gap in the system that has existed in South Korea for a long time since the first Japanese property investigation committee was dissolved. In order to prevent descendants of those who committed anti-National Japanese acts from hiding or transferring related properties, the new law clearly stipulates that even if the property involved has been disposed of, the proceeds from its disposal can still be recovered. The new law also includes provisions for rewards for reporting such properties, offering bonuses to those who discover and report Japanese property.
On June 22, South Korea’s Minister of Justice, Chung Sung-ho (left), presented an appointment certificate to the head of the preparatory working group, Lee Yong-chang. Yonhap
The announcement comes at a time when a female celebrity in South Korea recently boasted that her great-grandfather was a "royal physician," and later was exposed as a "pro-Japan-Korea traitor."
According to multiple Korean media reports on August 12, South Korean actress He Young (real name An He Young/An He Yeong, both transliterations) who appeared in the programs "Iron Fist Education" and "Trauma Critical Center" recently proudly mentioned in her show that her family has practiced medicine for four generations. However, Korean netizens and historians have uncovered that her great-grandfather, An Sang Hog, joined a "pro-Japan" group during the Japanese occupation of Korea—this group was led by Lee Wan-yuk, who was known as the "number one traitor" by the people of the Korean Peninsula.
After the controversy emerged, He Ying faced strong resistance from Korean netizens. Brands such as Samsung Electronics stopped showing her advertisements, and her promotional activities for the new Netflix series starring her and Ding Haiyin were also canceled. Her father and grandfather's past statements and controversial events were also brought up to the forefront.
On August 12, He Ying posted a handwritten letter on social media, apologizing for her grandfather's “Japan-friendly” behavior. She said, “For a long time, I only knew about my grandfather’s life through family stories, and my knowledge was very limited. It is embarrassing to admit that, due to my ignorance, I mentioned my grandfather’s actions as part of our family’s glory on several occasions. This incident made me take the initiative to research relevant materials, and only then did I learn about my grandfather’s Japan-friendly behavior. I deeply reflect on my rash discussions about our family’s past without fully understanding this painful history of Japanese colonial rule.”
Letter of Apology
