An Ik-tae's Family Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Kim Won-woong, President of the Liberation Association, for Insulting the Deceased

Kim Won-woong, President of the Liberation Association, is delivering a commemorative speech at the 75th Liberation Day Celebration held on August 15 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-eun] On the 8th, Kim Won-woong, chairman of the Liberation Association, was sued by the bereaved family of the late Ahn Ik-tae. Previously, Chairman Kim sparked controversy by labeling the late Ahn as a traitor to the nation, claiming he engaged in pro-Japanese and pro-Nazi activities.

On the same day, Ahn Ik-tae’s grandnephew, Ahn Kyung-yong, stated, "We will file a defamation lawsuit against Chairman Kim Won-woong at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office tomorrow morning."

At the 75th Liberation Day celebration on August 15, Chairman Kim claimed, "The Liberation Association obtained materials related to Ahn Ik-tae’s pro-Japanese and pro-Nazi activities from the German government," adding, "Among them is a video of Ahn Ik-tae conducting a concert celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Manchukuo establishment in Berlin."

Furthermore, appearing on several radio broadcasts including KBS, he asserted, "Ahn Ik-tae clearly engaged in various pro-Japanese activities, including serving as a Japanese intelligence agent in Berlin for an extended period," "The lyrics of the national anthem composed by Ahn Ik-tae plagiarized Bulgarian folk songs," and "Parts of Ahn Ik-tae’s 'Manchurian Fantasy' are being introduced as 'Korea Fantasy.'"

In response, Mr. Ahn said, "The video was discovered in 2006 by Korean student Song Byung-wook at the German Federal Archives and shows Ahn Ik-tae conducting at the Berlin Philharmonic Hall," clarifying, "The German government did not designate the materials as evidence of Ahn Ik-tae’s pro-Japanese or pro-Nazi activities."

He added, "The plagiarism controversy over the national anthem was already disproven in 1978 by Professor Gong Seok-jun of Yonsei University’s College of Music through a thesis, and the Ministry of Culture and Public Information also ruled it baseless," emphasizing, "'Korea Fantasy' premiered in Dublin, Ireland in 1938, four years before 'Manchurian Fantasy' was composed."

Mr. Ahn stressed, "Kim Won-woong stated that the Liberation Day speech was not his personal opinion but the official position of the Liberation Association. If that is true, we will file a civil lawsuit seeking substantial damages against the Liberation Association as well."

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