About 130 lawmakers of the governing and opposition parties Thursday called for the restoration of honor of the late Cho Bong-am (1898-1959), who was executed for spying for communist North Korea.
``Historical evaluation of the independence fighter who laid the foundation for the establishment of the nation and pursued peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula should be made in a proper manner,'' said a statement issued by the legislators at the Korea Press Center in Seoul.
They called on the Supreme Court to reopen the trial on the matter as requested by Cho's bereaved family at an early date so that his honor could be restored posthumously.
In 2007, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called the execution an ``inhumane act of political suppression infringing upon human rights,'' asking the government to take steps to restore Cho's honor, and to apologize and compensate for the incident.
Legislators of the governing Grand National Party, who signed the petition, included Chung Eui-hwa, Won Hee-ryong, Chung Doo-un and Yim Tae-hee. From the main opposition Democratic Party, Choo Mi-ae, Moon Hee-sang and Park Jie-won were among the petitioners.
Also signing the petition were 18 elders, including former National Assembly Speaker Kim Won-ki; former Prime Minister Lee Soo-sung; and Suh Young-hoon, former president of the Korean National Red Cross.
In his speech, former Assembly Speaker Lee Man-sup said that ``when it comes to correcting history, ideology is not needed.''
He thanked the lawmakers for joining hands to posthumously restore Cho's honor.
jckim@koreatimes.co.kr
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