"Kim Won-woong's Parents Urge Investigation into Fake Independence Activists" Gwangbok Members Submit Petition to Blue House

On the 6th, a petition questioning the independence movement activities of Kim Won-woong, President of the Liberation Association's parents, was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board. Photo by Blue House National Petition Post Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] Members of the Liberation Association and others have raised suspicions about the independence movement activities of Kim Won-woong, president of the Liberation Association, and his parents, urging a truth investigation.

On the 6th, a petition titled "Petition for Truth Investigation into Fake Independence Activist Suspicions of Kim Won-woong Liberation Association President's Father (Kim Geun-su) and Mother (Jeon Wol-seon)" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board.

The petitioner, posting under the name of the Liberation Association Reform Group, stated, "This is an extremely serious matter that cannot be overlooked," and demanded a thorough investigation, saying, "Before purging pro-Japanese collaborators, root out fake independence activists so as not to disgrace the honor of genuine independence activists."

Kim Won-woong’s father, Kim Geun-su, was recognized as an independence merit recipient and awarded a presidential citation in 1963. Subsequently, Kim received the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1977 and the Patriotic Medal of the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1990. His wife, Jeon Wol-soon (1923?2009), was awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation, Patriotic Medal in 1990.

The petitioner explained, "To be awarded for participation in the Liberation Army, one must pass the review of the Independence Merit Review Committee based on clear evidence or records of participation in the Liberation Army. However, upon analyzing the independence movement merits related to Kim Won-woong’s father Kim Geun-su and mother Jeon Wol-soon, there are no records of them in the Uiyoldan, the Joseon Volunteer Army, or the Liberation Army," adding, "The Liberation Army materials published by the National Institute of Korean History record the independence activities of nearly 700 individuals, but there is no specific activity record for the couple Kim Geun-su and Jeon Wol-seon."

Kim Won-woong, President of the Liberation Association / Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Furthermore, "The records presented as Kim Geun-su’s merits were created by the Liberation Army’s own compilation committee and have not undergone verification or authentication by the academic historical community," the petitioner said, raising suspicions, "The academic community has stated that 'a significant number of individuals included in the list at that time are fake, and fake Liberation Army members were mass-produced through personal guarantees.'

They continued, "In 1935, Kim Won-bong, leader of the Joseon Uiyoldan, launched the Joseon Revolutionary Party by involving most of the Uiyoldan members, but Kim Geun-su is not on the list of participants in the Joseon Revolutionary Party."

Regarding Kim Won-woong’s mother Jeon Wol-seon, the petitioner said, "There is a rumor that she met and married Kim Geun-su through an introduction by Kim Gu, but this is also an unfounded story, and there are no records of Jeon Wol-soon’s independence activities in the Joseon Volunteer Army or Liberation Army archives," adding, "At this time, we hope that an investigation will also be conducted into how the Liberation Army, which had fewer than 500 members, increased to 700 and how these individuals were awarded and recognized as independence activists, so that fake independence activists can be identified."

The petition had garnered over 7,000 supporters as of 8:30 a.m. on the 13th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.