Kim Won-woong, President of the Liberation Association, Grabbed by the Collar by Descendants of Independence Activists

On the morning of the 11th, at the outdoor plaza of the Baekbeom Kim Koo Memorial Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, officials restrained Kim Im-yong (left), a descendant of an independence activist, who grabbed the collar of Kim Won-woong, president of the Liberation Association (center), during the 102nd anniversary ceremony of the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. Kim Im-yong is the grandson of Dangheon Kim Bung-jun, who served as the chairman of the Provisional Assembly, the legislative body of the Provisional Government.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] On the 11th, a commotion occurred at the 102nd Anniversary of the Establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea ceremony, where Kim Won-woong, Chairman of the Liberation Association, was grabbed by the collar by a Liberation Association member who is a descendant of an independence activist.

According to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Kim Im-yong, a Liberation Association member, approached Chairman Kim during a performance by the National Choir at the outdoor plaza of the Baekbeom Kim Koo Memorial Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and grabbed and shook his collar. Hwang Ki-chul, head of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, who was standing nearby, along with event staff, intervened to prevent the situation from escalating further.

Mr. Kim is the grandson of Kim Bung-jun (金朋濬, 1888?1950), who served as the chairman of the Provisional National Assembly and as a state councilor of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. The Kim Bung-jun family is a prominent independence activist family, with seven members including his wife (No Young-jae), son (Kim Deok-mok), eldest daughter (Kim Hyo-sook), second daughter (Kim Jeong-sook), eldest son-in-law (Song Myeon-su), and second son-in-law (Go Si-bok) who devoted themselves to the independence movement. Among the various Taegeukgi flags displayed at the event, the Provisional National Assembly Taegeukgi (made in 1923) is known to have been produced by Kim Bung-jun and his wife.

The reason why Mr. Kim grabbed Chairman Kim’s collar has not yet been confirmed. However, it is reported that Mr. Kim has expressed critical views, stating that Chairman Kim’s unilateral political activities have damaged the honor of the Liberation Association.

Meanwhile, recently, voices criticizing Chairman Kim’s political remarks have grown louder within the Liberation Association. In February, the heads of the Seoul branch of the Liberation Association demanded political neutrality and transparency in financial execution from Chairman Kim. On the 30th of last month, some members also visited Chairman Kim’s office in protest.

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