Descendants of Pro-Japanese Collaborator Lee Hae-seung's Land, Government Appeals After Losing Restitution Lawsuit

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The government has filed an appeal against a court ruling that it cannot reclaim land in Seoul owned by the descendant of pro-Japanese collaborator Lee Hae-seung.

According to the legal community on the 9th, the Government Legal Corporation, representing the Ministry of Justice, submitted an appeal to the 12th Civil Division of the Seoul Western District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Byung-sam) on the 6th.

Lee Hae-seung is the fifth-generation descendant of Jeongye Daewongun, the father of King Cheoljong. He was granted the title of marquis for his contribution to the loss of national sovereignty and actively collaborated with the Japanese invasion, enjoying noble status and privileges until Japan's defeat. Accordingly, in 2009, he was designated as a pro-Japanese anti-national actor by the Committee for the Investigation of Pro-Japanese and Anti-National Acts.

The disputed land is a 27,905㎡ forest area in Hong Eun-dong, Seodaemun-gu, acquired by Lee Hae-seung in 1917. Under the 'Pro-Japanese Property Confiscation Act,' properties acquired as a reward for collaboration with Japan from the start of the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, when national sovereignty was first infringed, until liberation, are to be confiscated by the state. Accordingly, the government filed a lawsuit claiming ownership transfer registration and restitution of unjust enrichment for the forest land in Hong Eun-dong suspected to be pro-Japanese property.

However, the recent first-instance court ruled against the state in the ownership transfer registration enforcement lawsuit filed against Lee Woo-young, chairman of Grand Hilton Hotel and grandson of Lee Hae-seung. It is understood that the ruling considered the fact that ownership of the land had passed through auction from Chairman Lee's name and that he later repurchased the land.