친일세력 미청산의 배경과 원인

Abstract

The clearing of pro-japanese group has been a constant issue of modern Korean history for 60 years since August 15th 1945. There are many theses regarding this issue as well. Most of those theses claim that the U.S military government and Lee, Seung-Man gave the pro-japanese group important positions because of their English proficiency, experience in anti-communist movement and superior administrative ability. Of course, experience in anti-communist movement is an important factor the reason of that importance has not been clearly presented yet. The decisive reason why U.S military government appointed the pro-japanese group to important positions is because of the communist or socialist forces in South Korea. According to a survey of public opinion, more than 70% of the residents in South Korea stated that they preferred communism or socialism and the U.S military government was perplexed by the result. They could not allow South Korea or Japan to become an anti-US and anti-capitalism nation since South Korea was the result of significant loss of lives and money. In other words, they could not accept the demands of communists of which the purpose was the establishment of anti-US and pro-Soviet Union nation. U.S military government had to draw a 38th parallel and give the northern part to the Soviet Union which was a communist nation. Therefore, they had to at least prevent South Korea from becoming a nation that is against their own interests. It is the instinct of animals that they never get deprived of their preys which they acquired with their lives and sacrifice and this is applied to the nations as well. The United States occupied South Korea after desperate struggles and they could not accept the fact that they had to leave South Korea since it was becoming a communist nation or pro-Soviet Union nation. Also, the policy of the United States which was to establish a pro-United States and anti-communism nation was clear and inevitable. They realized it was difficult to establish an anti-communism nation by getting rid of the communist forces with small number of military forces of 50,000 soldiers so they had no way but to appoint the pro-Japanese group such as pro-Japanese police officers, soldiers and administrators to important positions because they had experience in anti-communist movements. Of course, another reason is that U.S military government had to draw Korean pro-Japanese police officers and public officials to protect the expenses and lives of their own nation. These background led to the results that pro-Japanese but also anti-communist groups and conservative rightists who were proficient in English and capitalism as well as the pro-Japanese police officers and administrators to be appointed to important positions. It has to be reminded that the U.S military government denied to approve 'The pro-Japanese group liquidation act' passed by the South Korean Interim Legislative Assembly saying that 'The liquidation of pro-Japanese group is your own issue'. Therefore, the direct cause why pro-Japanese group was not completely liquidated in South Korea was the result of communist forces in South Korea and the national interest of the United States which was a capitalist nation. In addition, the weakness of the U.S military forces and lack of administrative management were also the additional reasons. On top of that, the excessive loyalty(adulation) of the first president Lee, Seung-Man who had been against communism for a long time and his desire for long-term seizure of power cause by lack of nationalism performed an important role as well. Apart from the U.S military government, the pro-Japanese groups took advantage of the preference of U.S military government towards the dictatorship by Lee, Seung-Man to execute security policy in Northeast Asia based on the restriction of Soviet Union. Therefore, the miserable dictatorship and infringement of human rights had been continued for a half century and it led to the national tragedy.