Yuksa, Controversy Over Removal of Busts of Kim Jwa-jin and Hong Beom-do... "What Is the Intention?" Backlash

Installation of Liberation Army Hero Bust at Korea Military Academy During Moon Administration
KMA Denies Controversy, Calls It Merely a Monument Renovation Project

The Korea Military Academy (KMA) is facing controversy after deciding to remove the busts of independence army heroes Generals Kim Jwa-jin, Hong Beom-do, Ji Cheong-cheon, Lee Beom-seok, and Shinheung Military Academy founder Lee Hoe-young, which are installed on campus.

According to the Army on the 25th, the KMA has been promoting a reorganization project for monuments on campus as part of a comprehensive development plan that began last year.

General Kim Jwa-jin

Regarding this reorganization project, the KMA explained, "There has been controversy over the appropriateness of the location of the independence army busts installed in front of the central entrance of Chungmugwan, where cadets study, as well as issues concerning the history of overcoming national crises being limited to a specific period."

However, representatives from the commemorative associations for General Hong Beom-do, Udang Lee Hoe-young, Shinheung Military Academy, and General Baekya Kim Jwa-jin held a press conference at the National Assembly on the same day, strongly criticizing the move as "a very serious and grave issue attempting to overturn the history of the independence war, which is the origin of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces."

On the morning of September 17, 2020, at the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan, Seoul, a ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Korean Liberation Army was held, where Song Giju, a cadet representative of the Korea Military Academy, read the Korean Liberation Army Declaration.
[Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@]

These groups stated, "Whose order is it to remove the busts of independence war heroes, which are perfectly erected, from the KMA campus and relocate them to a memorial hall?" and emphasized, "The reason for the removal order must be clearly disclosed to the public, and those involved must be held accountable."

They further pointed out the possibility of an intention to replace the roots of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces from the Liberation Army to General Baek Seon-yeop, who has a pro-Japanese background, and raised suspicions about possible involvement by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs denied the claims that it ordered the removal and relocation of the busts, stating that such claims are "groundless."

KMA: "The relocation is to a place where the majority of the public can sympathize"

On August 16, 2021, the last day of the Liberation Day holiday, a memorial banner for General Hong Beom-do was hung on the outer wall of the Government Seoul Office Building. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs posted the banner with the slogan "The Return of the General" to commemorate and honor General Hong Beom-do's remains together with the public.
[Photo by Moon Honam munonam@]

As the controversy over the removal of the busts of independence war heroes erected within the KMA spread, the academy clarified that the relocation does not mean excluding the history of the independence army and the Liberation Army from the roots of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.

On the 25th, the KMA stated in a press release, "We are promoting a reorganization project for numerous monuments on campus that commemorate the military's history and tradition," adding, "Among them, the busts of independence and Liberation Army heroes installed in front of the central entrance of the building where cadets study since 2018 have been subject to ongoing controversy regarding the appropriateness of their location and the fact that the history of overcoming national crises is limited to a specific period."

They continued, "The KMA is reviewing the optimal location to relocate the busts of independence and Liberation Army heroes to a place where the majority of the public can sympathize," emphasizing, "Within the KMA campus, the reorganization project focuses on creating an optimal environment that embodies the school's identity and founding purpose, and allows for the appreciation of the values and significance of protecting liberal democracy and the ROK-US alliance."

Meanwhile, the busts of Generals Kim Jwa-jin, Hong Beom-do, Ji Cheong-cheon, Lee Beom-seok, and Lee Hoe-young, unveiled on March 1, 2018, to mark the 99th anniversary of the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, were made by melting 300 kg of shell casings equivalent to 50,000 rounds of live ammunition used by military personnel during training.

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