What is "chinilpa"

Chinilpa (lit. "people friendly to Japan") is a Korean word that denotes Koreans who collaborated with the Imperial Japanese government during its colonial reign over Korea from 1910–1945, or shortly before then, around the time of the Korean Empire. To this day, chinilpa is often used as a derogatory statement against Japanophilic South Koreans.

In the last years of Joseon Dynasty, the word chinilpa meant a group of politicians who sought alliance with Japan, such as Iljinhoe, that confronted pro-Russian, pro-Chinese and pro-American groups. However, at the end of World War II, when Korea regained its independence, the word changed its meaning from "pro-Japanese politicians" to "pro-Japanese collaborators".

After South Korea's gradual democratization during the 1980s and 1990s, a public call to prosecute chinilpa and "set the history right" has gained increasing support. This sometimes mixes with a general anti-Japanese sentiment in South Korea, reinforcing each other. However, they are two distinct social agendas.