By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
Culture Minister Yu In-chon expressed his regret Monday over the government booklet that sparked a backlash from a group of independence fighters and their descendents.
The expression came after the Korea Liberation Association (KLA) announced that they would return their state-awarded medals to the government, claiming the booklet degraded their dedication and honor.
The association claimed that the government brochure, published in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the national foundation, degraded the Provisional Government of Korea, which was set up in Shanghai in 1919 during Japan's colonial rule.
``No one can deny the Provisional Government. I'm sorry to cause concern to those who did their utmost in contributing to the establishment of the country,'' Yu said during a visit to the association headquarters, asking them not to return their medals.
He said the controversial part of the brochure was a mistake but not the government's official opinion. ``The government has been planning to hold an event to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Provisional Government in Shanghai next March. We will republish a brochure that will recognize the government-in-exile.''
After Yu's visit, the association said it would decide whether to return the medals or not after watching how the government deals with the issue in the future, adding that the minister did not make it clear whether the government will recall the booklets.
Last week, the KLA, which has 7,000 members, warned that its members would give up their orders of merit, as the medals were meaningless according to the booklet, which ``degraded the honor of the independence fighters.'' They also planned a massive rally.
The brochure, written by conservative historians, said: ``The Provisional Government of Korea, without its own territory and people and international approval, neither represented an independent country, nor effectively administered a nation. Considering this, we see that democracy began here in accordance with the establishment of the Republic of Korea in August 1948.''
rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr
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