Police Decide Not to Prosecute Kim Won-woong, Head of Gwangbokhoe, Over Allegations of Ahn Ik-tae's Pro-Japanese and Pro-Nazi Activities

Relatives of An Ik-tae File Defamation Lawsuit Over Deceased's Honor

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

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The police have ruled no charges against Kim Won-woong, president of the Liberation Association, for defamation by libel regarding allegations of pro-Japanese and pro-Nazi activities against Ahn Eak-tai, the composer of the national anthem.

On the 28th, the Jungbu Police Station in Seoul announced that it had dismissed the case due to insufficient evidence after Ahn Kyung-yong (American name David Ahn), the late Ahn Eak-tai’s nephew, filed a complaint against President Kim in November last year.

On August 15 last year, during the 75th Liberation Day celebration, President Kim claimed, "The Liberation Association obtained materials related to Ahn Eak-tai’s pro-Japanese and pro-Nazi activities from the German government," adding, "Among them is a video of Ahn Eak-tai conducting a concert in Berlin celebrating the 10th anniversary of the founding of Manchukuo."

Since then, President Kim has repeatedly raised suspicions about Ahn Eak-tai through TV appearances and press conferences, alleging that he "engaged in pro-Japanese and pro-Nazi activities through music" and "plagiarized Bulgarian folk songs to compose the national anthem."

The police stated regarding President Kim’s remarks at the Liberation Day celebration, "The facts stated differ slightly from the truth or contain somewhat exaggerated expressions," and added, "It is difficult to conclude that the important parts are inconsistent with objective facts."

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