Pro-Japan Scanner Rapidly Spreads in South Korea
An unofficial website that allows South Koreans to check whether their ancestors were considered collaborators during Japan's colonial rule is rapidly gaining users, fueling online scrutiny of family histories and attacks on descendants even as public sentiment toward Japan has reached its highest level since surveys began. (News On Japan)
An unofficial Korean website known as the Pro-Japan Scanner is experiencing rapid user growth, causing online scrutiny of family histories and targeting descendants even as public sentiment toward Japan has reached its highest level since surveys began. Users enter their surname and ancestral place of origin to search for relatives who may have collaborated with Japan or participated in the country's independence movement.
The term "pro-Japan" refers to individuals regarded as having cooperated with Japan's colonial rule of Korea.
The site draws on official government records and private databases, though the accuracy of its information is not guaranteed. The controversy surrounding popular actor Ha-young, who claimed his family was composed of doctors for four generations, led to intense online criticism targeting his great-grandfather for alleged collaboration with Japanese colonial authorities. Ha-young apologized in writing and had advertisements featuring him removed from public view.
This trend of online screenings of ancestors and subsequent criticism of descendants has been likened to collective punishment. Popular culture critic Lee Moon-won suggested the phenomenon reflects a darker side of South Korea's online culture, where individuals attack others in the name of social justice and derive a sense of satisfaction from bringing down someone with social status.
Written by urgent.news from News On Japan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
