Kazakh Goryeo-in Oppose Relocation of General Hong Beom-do's Bust... Shocked

Hold a Press Conference Urging Withdrawal of Relocation Plan
"Only General Hong Among Independence Heroes Relocated... More Shocking"

When the Korea Military Academy decided to relocate the bust of Independence Army leader General Hong Beom-do, ethnic Korean residents in Kazakhstan expressed their opposition. Kazakhstan is where General Hong Beom-do spent his later years.

General Hong Beom-do was relocated from the Maritime Province to Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan, due to Stalin's regime's forced Korean migration policy, and he passed away in 1943 at the age of 75. He is regarded as a spiritual pillar for ethnic Koreans in Kazakhstan and other regions.

On the 1st (local time), Li Lyubov, Artistic Director of the Kazakhstan National Academy Korean Theater, and Park Dmitri, Chairman of the Kazakhstan branch of the General Hong Beom-do Memorial Association, held a press conference at the Almaty Korean Theater to protest the plan to relocate the bust.

General Hong Beom-do’s remains were repatriated from Kazakhstan to Korea in August 2021, coinciding with Liberation Day, and were interred at Daejeon National Cemetery.

Park, who was present at the time, said, “General Hong Beom-do was proud and felt fulfilled thinking that he would rest peacefully in the arms of the beautiful liberated homeland, Korea. The people of Kazakhstan shared the same sentiment.”

On the 1st (local time), ethnic Korean compatriots in Kazakhstan urged the withdrawal of the plan to relocate the bust in front of a large photo of General Hong Beom-do at the Almaty Goryeo Theater.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, he stated, “I was even more shocked to hear that among the five independence war heroes, only General Hong Beom-do’s bust would be removed.”

He continued, “Is my late father, and am I, who was born in the former Soviet Union and lived about half of my life under the Soviet system, also a target for removal? It’s been over 30 years since the Communist Party and the Soviet Union ceased to exist?does this make any sense in the 21st century?” he questioned.

Artistic Director Li said, “Even if regimes and governments change, General Hong Beom-do remains a hero of our nation’s independence war,” and added, “The Korean Theater will do its utmost to ensure that he never disappears from the memory of the 80 million Korean people.”

They expressed their opposition by holding placards in front of a large photo of General Hong Beom-do inside the Korean Theater, with messages such as “If General Hong Beom-do’s Communist background is a problem, are my family and the 500,000 ethnic Koreans also enemies of the motherland?” and “Independence war hero General Hong Beom-do?if you are going to take him away, do it properly.”

Earlier, the Ministry of National Defense issued a statement saying, “It is not appropriate to install and commemorate the bust of General Hong Beom-do, who has a communist background, at the Korea Military Academy considering the academy’s identity.”

Subsequently, on the 31st of last month, the Korea Military Academy announced, “The bust of General Hong Beom-do will be relocated to a suitable place outside the academy that properly reflects his achievements as an independence activist while considering the academy’s identity and respect for independence fighters. The busts of the other five heroes will be moved to appropriate locations within the academy grounds.”

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