Chinilpa

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Chinilpa (친일파, 親日派) or Ilpa (일파, 日派) are Korean words for pro-Japanese Koreans, especially pro-Japanese activists and collaborators during the periods of Korea under Japanese rule and the Empire of Korea who are recognized as national traitors in Korea. Compared to Japanophile that is literal translation of chinilpa in English, it has no positive meaning.

A special committee, designed to punish chinilpa, was set up in 1949 by the first president of South Korea, Syngman Rhee, handled a total of 682 cases, 559 cases were handed over to a special prosecutor's office, which handed down indictments in 221 cases. A special tribunal tried 38 cases, sentenced guilty verdicts and punishments in 12 cases including one death sentence. Eighteen others had their civil rights suspended, six others were declared innocent and the remaining two were found guilty but were exempted from punishment. However, the Supreme Court suspended their execution in March 1950, just before the Korean War.^[1]

On August 29, 2005, a civic organization, the Institute for Research in Collaborationist Activities disclosed a list of 3094 Koreans chinilpa suspects including Park Chung Hee, the former Korean president, Kim Song Su, a former publisher of Dong-a Ilbo and the founder of Korea University, and Bang Eung Mo, a former president of Chosun Ilbo.^[2] and the confirmed list during 1904 to March 1, 1919 was revealed including four of the Five Eulsa Traitors on December 6, 2006.^[3]

On August 18, 2006, the Committee for the Inspection of Property of Japan Collaborators started the investigation before seizing the property obtained by collaborators during Japanese colonization.^[4]