Ministry of Justice Wins First-Instance Trial to Recover 2.7 Billion Won in Pro-Japanese Collaborator's Property

The government announced today (October 12) that it has won the first-instance trial in a lawsuit filed against the descendants of pro-Japanese anti-national collaborator Shin Woo-sun (1873–1943) to retrieve approximately 2.7 billion won worth of inherited land and sale proceeds.

According to the Ministry of Justice, the Goyang Branch of the Uijeongbu District Court ruled entirely in favor of the plaintiff on October 8 in a lawsuit filed by the government against Shin's descendants, seeking the return of unjust enrichment from pro-Japanese property sale proceeds and the transfer of ownership registration.

Shin served as a counselor at the Jungchuwon (Central Council), the colonial ruling apparatus of the Japanese Government-General of Korea, and received the Annexation of Korea Commemorative Medal and the Enthronement of the Taisho Emperor Commemorative Medal from the Japanese government.

Previously, the Ministry of Justice found that out of 14 parcels of land in Ilsandong-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, acquired by Shin in 1913 and 1917, 13 parcels were sold between 1993 and 2005.

In January, the ministry filed a lawsuit against Shin's descendants to recover 2.43 billion won in sale proceeds and one parcel of land (with an officially assessed land price of approximately 270 million won).

The court ruled that the state can claim the return of proceeds even for pro-Japanese property disposed of to third parties before the enactment of the Act on the Confiscation of Pro-Japanese Collaborators' Property in 2005.

While the descendants argued that the state's right to claim unjust enrichment had expired under the 5-year statute of limitations of the National Finance Act, the court rejected the claim, stating that it constituted "an abuse of rights contrary to the principle of good faith."

Based on this ruling, the ministry expects to uncover pro-Japanese property on a broader scale and actively recover its proceeds even long after disposal.

Acting Minister of Justice Lee Jin-su stated, "This ruling will serve as an important milestone for the recovery work of the 2nd Pro-Japanese Property Investigation Committee, which is set to launch on December 3," adding, "We will make thorough preparations to ensure the committee's successful launch."

(Photo: Provided by Ministry of Justice building, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.