In Seoul, the Seoul's People's committee, led mostly by southerners, was organized swiftly. The committee sought to confiscate all Japanese property, and that of the ROK (Republic of Korea) government, Seoul's government officials, and "monopoly capitalists."[1]:269 Although many political figures were either killed or put to jail, some avoided this fate by joining Seoul's people's committee, such as O Man-sop, Cho So-ang, and Kim Kyu-sik. Yi Sung-yop, a southerner, was given the position of chairman of the Seoul People's Committee by the KPA (Korean People's Army).[2]:25