Japanese colonial rule of the Korean peninsula may have ended more than half a century ago, but a bitter row in South Korea over the definition of a collaborator has again highlighted how raw the wounds remain from this painful chapter of Korean history.
President Roh Moo-hyun's Uri Party wants to push through amendments to a parliamentary bill which would widen the scope of an inquiry into collaboration during the era of Japanese colonial rule between 1910 and 1945.
'Now we will be able to clear up the vestiges of Japanese imperialism and establish national righteousness,' leading Uri Party politician Chun Jung-bae said.
Activists were critical of the original bill, which was passed in March for not being broad enough.
A watered-down version of the Pro-Japan, Anti-National Activities Bill passed after constant objections from the conservative opposition, the Grand National Party.
The GNP refused to support the original bill, saying the scope of the proposed investigation was too wide and vague.
Activists claim the latest version uses an excessively narrow definition of a collaborator.