Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs to Filter Out 'Fake Independence Patriots and Pro-North Controversy Figures'... Pursuing Revocation of Honors

The government is pushing to re-verify the merits of independence activists who have been embroiled in pro-North Korea controversies and revoke the honors of 'fake patriots.' This is a renewed effort to verify fake patriots, which was halted in the previous administration due to disputes over fairness.

On the 2nd, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs issued a press release stating, "We will clarify the criteria regarding cases where individuals were awarded as independence patriots despite pro-North Korea controversies, causing social conflicts." It is known that the review targets include Son Yong-woo (1923?1999), the father of former lawmaker Son Hye-won.

Son Yong-woo was rejected six times in past veterans' reviews due to his activities in the Joseon Communist Party after liberation, but he was selected as an independence patriot on his seventh application in 2018 after the review criteria were changed.

A government official said, "The standards for judging socialist movements have changed or become ambiguous with each change of administration. It is necessary to clarify whether the independence movement contributed to the founding of today’s Republic of Korea or was aimed at establishing a communist state."

They will also examine patriots who have been subject to 'falsehood controversies.' Before the 1970s, it is known that many 'ineligible' individuals received honors due to overlapping awards or inadequate reviews by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of General Affairs, not the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. The ministry plans to review cases such as those of Kim Geun-soo (1912?1992) and Jeon Wol-soon (1923?2009), the parents of the late Kim Won-woong, former president of the Liberation Association.

Kim Geun-soo, father of former president Kim, received a presidential citation in 1963, the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1977, and the Patriotic Medal of the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1990. His mother, Jeon, received the Order of Merit for National Foundation, Patriotic Medal in 1990. However, media reports have suggested that the records of their merits may be false, as their places of origin, names, and periods of activity listed in their merit documents differ.

In January 2021, during the Moon Jae-in administration, the then Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (now the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs) briefed the press that it would investigate them but later reversed the statement, saying, "It was a mistake. There is no problem with their qualifications for the honors."

The ministry stated, "We will ensure public participation in the public verification process," and added, "We plan to promptly proceed with the cancellation of honors for those with overlapping or false merits to put an end to the controversy over fake independence patriots."

If the public verification reveals that the merits are false, the honors will be revoked through deliberation and resolution by the Merit Review Committee and the State Council in accordance with relevant laws.

Park Min-sik, Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, said, "We expect to resolve the appropriateness of independence patriot awards and inadequate reviews that have been controversial so far," and added, "We will do our best to ensure that the merits of independence patriots are properly evaluated and that the honor of the awards is guaranteed."

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