"Prior Consultation with Cheongwadae?"... "Who Dares, Military Dictatorship Mentality" Kim Won-woong Reacts Angrily

"Pre-censorship Concept Itself Is an Outdated Method"
In Response to Liberation Day Commemorative Speech Backlash... Kim Says "Fake Conservatives Are Flustered"

Kim Won-woong, President of the Liberation Association. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Kim Won-woong, president of the Liberation Association, raised his voice regarding the controversy over his Liberation Day commemorative speech, saying, "Who would dare to revise the Liberation Association president's commemorative speech?"

On the 17th, Kim appeared on YTN Radio's 'Hwang Bo-seon's Start of a New Morning' and responded to the host's question, "Was there any request from the Blue House regarding the content of this year's commemorative speech? The opposition party is even raising President Moon's responsibility," by saying, "It is a very military dictatorship-era mindset," and added, "Checking it in advance and pressuring to revise the manuscript is something that only happened during the dictatorship era."

He stated, "In 2019, I consulted with officials from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and at that time, the officials asked to limit the Liberation Day speech to three minutes and requested the manuscript in advance. They said they would report it to the Blue House and have it corrected. I flatly refused that. This is the third year, and that firm stance has been continuously maintained," he claimed.

He also said, "Just as the president, as the nation's supreme commander, has a separate message to deliver at the Liberation Day event, the commemorative speech given by independence activists or their descendants to the people must naturally be different," and emphasized that he denied pro-Japanese and anti-nationalist powers and rather stressed the legitimacy of the Republic of Korea.

Regarding claims that Secretary Tak Hyun-min was present at the pre-recording site, he strongly denied, calling it "completely groundless." When asked whether there was any communication with Secretary Tak about the content before the recording, he added, "There was none."

Kim Won-woong, President of the Liberation Association, is delivering a pre-recorded commemorative speech on the 15th. / Photo by KTV Capture

Earlier, on the 15th, Kim caused controversy by defining the regimes of Rhee Syngman and Park Geun-hye as "pro-Japanese regimes" in a commemorative speech broadcast via video at the 76th Liberation Day ceremony attended by President Moon Jae-in.

The People Power Party issued a statement on the same day (15th), strongly criticizing, saying, "It is a reckless commemorative speech that abandoned the obligation of political neutrality," and "The president, who neglected Kim's repeated outrageous remarks every year and thereby abetted national division, bears fundamental responsibility. He should be removed from the position of Liberation Association president."

Presidential candidates from the People Power Party also issued statements targeting Kim and the Blue House that released his speech.

The former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl's side said, "Hearing that the content of Kim's speech, full of sophistry and hatred, was coordinated with the government beforehand, we are confused about what sincerity this government wants to express in commemorating Liberation Day."

Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min's side said, "President Moon should immediately discipline the government officials who failed to filter out the expressions and Kim Won-woong. Otherwise, the public will interpret Kim's remarks as President Moon's intention."

However, in an interview on the 17th, Kim countered the opposition's backlash by saying, "I think fake conservatives are the ones who are flustered," and added, "The core value of conservatism is nationalism, but in our country, pro-Japanese and anti-nationalist forces have disguised themselves as conservatives for decades."

Kim also still regarded the late General Paik Sun-yup as a pro-Japanese collaborator. He said, "I am somewhat skeptical of the praise calling him a hero of the Korean War," and added, "Paik Sun-yup served as an advisory chairman of the Ministry of National Defense's Military History Compilation Committee for about 30 years, voluntarily. There are suspicions that a considerable part was fabricated or altered there. I think it requires further proof with objective data."

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