Veterans minister nominee says independence fighter Hong Beom-do should be honored
Veterans Minister nominee Kang Jung-ai, center, speaks to reporters outside her office in central Seoul, Dec. 5. Yonhap
The nominee for Korea's new veterans minister said Tuesday late independence fighter Hong Beom-do should be honored for his role against Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea amid an ongoing ideological dispute over his ties to Soviet communist forces.
Kang Jung-ai made the remarks a day after being nominated to the post as the defense ministry has pushed to relocate the revered independence fighter's bust from the Korea Military Academy due to his past record of collaborating with Soviet forces.
"I personally think General Hong Beom-do had truly made efforts for the country's independence and as an independence fighter he should be honored," she said.
Kang, however, stopped short of offering her thoughts on the relocation of the bust, noting that discussions are under way between relevant authorities.
In August, the Korea Military Academy announced it will remove Hong's bust from its grounds, days after the defense ministry said it was considering the move.
The announcement has sparked fierce debate over its legitimacy, with the opposition Democratic Party of Korea and advocates for independence fighters strongly protesting against the relocation.
Hong is known for leading Korean independence forces and spearheading major victories against Japanese troops in 1920. He moved to the Soviet Union the following year to seek refuge from Japanese forces.
He was forced to relocate to current-day Kazakhstan in 1937 under then Soviet leader Joseph Stalin's policy, along with many other ethnic Koreans. He died in the Kazakh region of Kyzylorda in 1943, two years before Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule.
In 2021, his remains were repatriated to Korea.
Kang is required to undergo a parliamentary confirmation process, though the consent of the National Assembly is not necessary for appointment. (Yonhap)