Yuksa, Controversy Over Removal of Independence Army Bust Sparks Buzz in Yeouido Political Circles

Democratic Party "Thought It Was Fake News... Historical Distortion"
Hong Joon-pyo, Yoo Seung-min and Others in Ruling Party Also Say "Ideological Excess"

The plan to remove and relocate the busts of five independence and liberation army heroes within the Korea Military Academy (KMA) has become the biggest topic of interest in Yeouido's political circles. The controversy is intensifying to the point that concerns are being raised not only by the opposition but also within the ruling party.

Earlier, the KMA announced that to mark the 99th anniversary of the March 1st Movement in 2018, it was promoting a plan to remove the busts of independence heroes General Hong Beom-do, General Kim Jwa-jin, General Ji Cheong-cheon, General Lee Beom-seok, and Mr. Lee Hoe-young, founder of the Shinheung Military Academy, which were erected in front of Chungmugwan within the academy, and relocate them to the Independence Hall of Korea.

The Democratic Party criticized the removal of the busts as agitation aimed at rallying their support base through ideological confrontation.

Woo Won-shik, a Democratic Party lawmaker and chairman of the Hong Beom-do General Memorial Project Association, said, "When I first heard about the removal, I thought it was fake news," adding, "Suddenly removing and relocating the busts for unclear reasons is an act that instills a sense of humiliation toward independence activists. I was so angry I couldn't sleep."

Kim Byung-joo, a four-star general and Democratic Party lawmaker, also said, "The atmosphere among KMA alumni and within the academy is very tense," and added, "They are questioning why the KMA is being dragged into the political whirlpool and turned into a political issue."

Kim said, "Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop thinks that people like them should not be on campus because they fought against communists, but the military does not only fight communists; it fights any country that invades the nation and its people."

A bust of an independence war hero erected in front of Chungmugwan at the Korea Military Academy on the occasion of the 99th anniversary of the March 1st Movement in 2018. [Image source=Army]

Voices of criticism have even emerged from within the ruling party. Hong Joon-pyo, mayor of Daegu, wrote on Facebook on the 27th of last month, "(General Hong Beom-do) was neither from the North Korean army that started the Korean War nor from the Chinese People's Volunteer Army that participated in the war, so why is this issue becoming controversial now?" He pointed out, "Trying to label even heroes of the anti-Japanese independence war as communists and push them out is way over the top."

Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min also wrote on Facebook the same day, "The ideological excesses of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration have gone too far. If they turn a blind eye to pro-Japanese traitors but dig up even the wartime records of those accused of pro-North or leftist sympathies from the Japanese colonial era to slander them, this is ideological bias and excess."

Supreme Council member Kim Byung-min also said, "I think the Ministry of National Defense and the KMA are pushing for some adjustments regarding things that happened during the Moon Jae-in administration, but personally, I think this is a case of excess."

Kim added, "Mr. Woo Dang Lee Hoe-young was an indispensable and truly important figure in the history of Korea's independence who founded the Shinheung Military Academy," and said, "His grandson, Chairman Lee Jong-chan, is working hand in hand with the Yoon Seok-yeol government as the president of the Liberation Association, so their criticism is very painful."

Meanwhile, as the controversy grew, the KMA officially announced on the 31st of last month that among the busts of the five independence activists installed on campus, only the bust of General Hong Beom-do will be relocated to the Independence Hall of Korea. However, it appears that the other busts will be moved to different locations within the campus.

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