Jeonnam Provincial Assembly Member Shin Min-ho: "Reexamine Teacher Seo Min-ho's Anti-Dictatorship Struggle at Wolpa"

5-Minute Free Speech, Urging Commemorative Projects for Teacher Seominho

Shin Min-ho, Jeonnam Provincial Assembly Member

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] There has been a call for a reevaluation of the achievements of Wolpa Seo Min-ho, a leading figure in the struggle for national independence and anti-dictatorship.

On the 15th, Shin Min-ho, a member of the Jeonnam Provincial Assembly (Democratic Party, Suncheon 6), urged the promotion of Wolpa Seo Min-ho’s achievements and commemorative projects during a 5-minute speech at the 365th 1st plenary session.

Assemblyman Shin stated, “Wolpa Seo Min-ho is a representative figure of Jeonnam who did not avoid his historical mission and resisted oppression. During the Japanese colonial period, he participated in the independence movement; after liberation, he led the democratization movement against the dictatorship, and during the harsh era of Cold War ideology, he was a pioneer advocating for inter-Korean exchanges.”

He continued, “Wolpa risked his life to expose the truth about state violence, revealing the Geochang Massacre and the National Defense Corps incident. He was a politician who pursued national dignity, opposing the humiliating ratification of the Korea-Japan Agreement to the point of resigning from his position as a member of the National Assembly and fighting to the end.”

Furthermore, “He was imprisoned for advocating letter exchanges between North and South Korea and exchanges among journalists and athletes. After retiring from politics, he established the Unification Issues Research Association to seek a path toward unification,” he emphasized.

Wolpa Seo Min-ho served as the first mayor of Gwangju and the 7th governor of Jeonnam after liberation. He was a four-term member of the National Assembly in the 2nd, 5th, 6th, and 7th sessions and represented the Republic of Korea at the UN General Assembly.

He also operated the ethnic education institution ‘Songmyeong School’ in Beolgyo and made significant contributions to the establishment of the private Chosun University during his tenure as governor of Jeonnam after liberation.

Assemblyman Shin Min-ho strongly asserted, “Commemorative projects and academic research on Wolpa are lagging, and the traces left in Hoeng, Boseong, Gwangju, and Suncheon are disappearing without a trace. In 2023, marking the 120th anniversary of Wolpa’s birth, we must carry out commemorative projects to honor and reevaluate his achievements.”

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