Expansion of Compensation for Independence Patriots' Descendants Starting Next Year

Over 2,300 Newly Eligible Beneficiaries
Cabinet Approves Amendment to Independence Patriots Act

Starting next year, compensation will be provided to all grandchildren of independence activists, regardless of when the activist passed away.

According to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs on May 6, a revision to the "Act on the Honorable Treatment of Independence Activists," which expands the scope of compensation for descendants of independence activists, has been approved by the Cabinet.

On August 13, 2025, at the National Seoul National Cemetery in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, Ministry of National Defense honor guards are transporting the spirit tablets of six independence activists, including Governor Kim Deokyun, to Daejeon National Cemetery during the repatriation ceremony for the remains of overseas independence activists.

If the revised bill takes effect next year, approximately 2,300 descendants of independence activists will newly receive compensation. Under the current law, compensation is provided only to the spouse and children of independence activists, with an additional payment to one grandchild only if the activist died before Korea’s liberation. As a result, if the activist died after the liberation, their grandchildren could not receive compensation, leading to discriminatory eligibility among beneficiaries.

However, with this amendment to the Independence Activists Act, all grandchildren of independence activists will be eligible for compensation, regardless of when the activist passed away. Currently, if the child of an independence activist dies without having received compensation, only one closest direct descendant is eligible to receive it. This has been criticized for limiting compensation to a single generation of family members, falling short of the state's responsibility.

The revised bill will allow at least two generations to receive compensation by including the children of a grandchild who is the first beneficiary within the scope of eligible family members. The amendment is scheduled to be promulgated this month and to take effect on January 1 of next year. Under the principle of "special compensation for special sacrifice," the Lee Jaemyung administration is expanding commemorative activities for independence activists and support programs for their descendants.

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