Cheonan Civic Group Urges Kim Hyungseok to Voluntarily Resign as Director of Independence Hall

Declaration of Second Protest... Nationwide Citizens' Rally Planned for September

The "Citizens' Coalition for the Withdrawal of the New Right Independence Hall Director Appointment" held a press conference at the Cheonan City Hall briefing room on the 27th and declared the start of the second phase of their struggle.

Calls for the resignation of Kim Hyungseok, Director of the Independence Hall of Korea, continue to grow.

The 'Pan-Citizen Countermeasure Committee for the Withdrawal of the New Right Independence Hall Director Appointment,' composed of civic groups from Cheonan, held a press conference at the Cheonan City Hall briefing room on the 27th and declared the launch of their second phase of protest.

They stated, "For the first time since its opening in 1987, the Independence Hall canceled the Liberation Day celebration, and the government-hosted 79th anniversary Liberation Day event was held as a half-hearted event with many independence movement organizations and political parties absent." They criticized, "Ultimately, the 79th Liberation Day celebration became not a venue for national unity, but an event for conservative unity, and the Pan-Citizen Countermeasure Committee views the extreme rightward shift of the Yoon Sukyeol administration with grave concern."

They continued, "Recent public opinion polls show that 7 out of 10 citizens are demanding the withdrawal of the appointment. However, Director Kim has stated he will not resign, and both the presidential office and the government maintain that the appointment cannot be withdrawn."

The Pan-Citizen Countermeasure Committee declared, "We are launching the second phase of pan-citizen action to demand the voluntary resignation of Director Kim Hyungseok and the withdrawal of his appointment."

Specifically, they plan to: △ conduct daily public campaigns demanding the withdrawal of the appointment, △ carry out a pan-citizen signature campaign, and △ hold the second 'Pan-Citizen Resolution Rally for the Withdrawal of the New Right Independence Hall Director Appointment' in September.

Democratic Party member Gu Hyungseo, a Chungnam Provincial Councilor, is holding a solo protest in front of the Independence Hall.

The Chungnam Provincial Party of the Democratic Party of Korea is also continuing its one-person protests day after day.

Since the 15th, leading political figures from the region, including Moon Jinseok, Chair of the Chungnam Provincial Party, Lee Jeongmoon, Lee Jaegwan, and Yang Seungjo, Chair of the Hongseong-Yesan Regional Committee, have participated in the one-person protests.

In addition, Democratic Party-affiliated members of the Chungnam Provincial Council and Cheonan City Council will continue the protests through September. Notably, on the 26th, the Hongseong-Yesan Regional Committee also joined the relay protest, spreading the movement throughout Chungnam Province.

Chair Moon Jinseok stated, "We can never tolerate a history-distorting director of the Independence Hall in Chungnam, a land of loyalty." He added, "This relay protest is a struggle to protect the values and identity of the independence movement that Korea has upheld, and the spirit and determination of the independence activists who never yielded to Japanese aggression."

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