반민특위 충청남도 조사부의 조직과 활동

The organization and activity of the Chungcheongnamdo Branch of the Special Investigation Committee of Anti-national Activities

This article reveals the organization and activity of the Chungcheongnamdo branch of the Special Investigation Committee of Anti-national Activities(반민특위충남조사부). Chungcheongnamdo branch’s activity focussed on investigating the activities of pro-Japanese collaborators for about a month after its foundation. Its arresting activity of pro-Japanese collaborators began late in March based on preliminary investigation and continued until mid-May. Chungcheongnamdo branch, however, got a blow in June because of police attack over the Special Investigation Committee of Anti-national Activities and the disorganization of special garrison following the incident. It made little progress as it failed to arrest a pro-Japanese collaborators for two months due to the replacement of investigator. That made residents and the press highly criticize the Chungcheongnamdo branch. Chungcheongnamdo branch’s way of working was that they focused on investigation rather than arrestment of pro-Japanese collaborators, and summoned pro-Japanese suspects for investigation after the Anti-national Activity Law was revised with the content of reducing the statue of limitations. The activity of Chungcheongnamdo branch was inactive the third out of province departments. The inactivity of Chungcheongnamdo branch was owing to the interruptional maneuver of Seungman Lee’s government and pro-Japanese collaborators and internal affairs including investigators. However the application of the purpose of activity and the principle of treatment were also working a lot. Chungcheongnamdo branch worked focusing on giving the pro-Japanese collaborators the motive of reflection and repentance rather than punishing them. According to this purpose of activity, the pro-Japanese suspects who made ‘great contribution’ to the nation since the liberation until the time of the activity of the Special Investigation Committee of Anti-national Activities were excluded from the object of punishment, though the pro-Japanese activity was remarkable. The purpose of activity and the principle of treatment of Chungcheongnamdo branch were also applied by other provinces’ investigation department, but it was different in that Chungcheongnamdo branch applied the principle of ‘encourage-merit-forgive-fault’ at large. After the activity of the Special Investigation Committee of Anti-national Activities was frustrated, some of pro-Japanese collaborators went to ruin, nevertheless most of them were active as regional supporter exerting influence just as pro-Japanese collaborators in any other area.