Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
Ideological dispute intensifies over Korea's independence movement
Kim Hyoung-suk, new director of the Independence Hall of Korea, is caught dozing off during a Liberation Day ceremony held at the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, Wednesday. / Yonhap
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Independence Hall of Korea controversy reveals long-running ideological rift
An ideological dispute over Korea's independence movement has intensified in politics after President Yoon Suk Yeol appointed Kim Hyoung-suk as the new director of the Independence Hall of Korea. This national museum, dedicated to the country's independence movement, has become a focal point of contention, according to political analysts and scholars.
Kim has come under fire for his past remarks that are seen as justifying Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule over Korea and praising those who collaborated with the Japanese authorities during the occupation.
After Kim's appointment on Aug. 8, the Heritage of Korean Independence (HKI), a state-funded association of independence fighters, urged the president to reverse the decision, arguing that it reflects a flawed understanding of history.
Opposition parties and civic groups, including descendants of independence fighters, boycotted the government-led Liberation Day ceremony on Thursday in protest. Instead, they held a separate ceremony, marking an unprecedented split in the long-standing commemoration of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule.
The ideological dispute is a recurring theme in Korean politics where conservatives and liberals tend to hold different views of Korea’s history following its independence from Japanese colonial occupation.
Last year, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs removed a state burial record labeling Korean War hero Gen. Paik Sun-yup as a pro-Japanese figure, arguing that the description lacked legal basis. The Ministry of National Defense also sought to remove busts of five independence fighters, including Hong Beom-do, from the Korean Military Academy in Seoul due to their connections with the Soviet Communist Party.
The plan was suspended following strong opposition from political parties and associations representing independence fighters.
Yoon has highlighted closer ties with Japan as a key diplomatic success of his administration, yet many argue that his outreach goes beyond mere pro-Japanese diplomacy. The ongoing controversy over UNESCO's listing of Japan’s Sado mines has reignited debate on the Yoon government's submissive diplomacy. Critics contend that the government has failed to secure Japan's explicit acknowledgment of the coercive mobilization of Koreans during the colonial period.
Pundits say that the Yoon government is the most pro-Japanese regime Korea has ever seen.
Ban Byung-ryul, professor emeritus at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, criticized Kim for making statements that, in his view, contradict the foundational goals and objectives of the Independence Hall of Korea.
“While academic debate is normal, Kim's comments on Korean contemporary history seem particularly problematic and biased, given his role as director of the Independence Hall of Korea. This position is crucial for upholding the legacy of Korea's independence movement. For instance, Kim has denied that Gen. Paik Sun-yup and composer Ahn Eak-tay were pro-Japanese collaborators, despite historical evidence to the contrary,” Ban said.
The professor said Kim’s appointment is an insult to Koreans’ national pride.
“I don’t think it’s simply a mistake. Yoon has consistently rolled out policies that are deemed pro-Japanese, from endorsing Japan’s Fukushima water release and reigniting the 'Foundation Day' controversy. Our relations with Japan surrouding the historical dispute is a tricky matter that can further escalate tensions,” the professor added.
The Yoon administration has aimed to shift the focus from the traditional Aug. 15 Liberation Day, which commemorates Korea's liberation from Japan in 1945, to Aug. 15 Foundation Day, which marks the establishment of the Syngman Rhee administration in 1948. This perspective is supported by the New Right, a group of right-wing conservative historians.
On the other hand, liberal politicians and scholars regard 1919, when a government-in-exile was set up in Shanghai, China, as the year the country was founded. They view that the interim government undertook administrative, diplomatic and military activities to gain independence from Japan's colonial rule in 1945, and thus serves as the basis for Korea today.
The grave of independence fighter Hong Beom-do is seen at the Daejeon National Cemetry in Daejeon, Wednesday. Yonhap
Political commentators shared similar opinions.
“The Yoon administration’s pro-Japanese stance is the strongest of all time. Controversies over historical interpretation existed under the conservative Lee Myung-bak (when the government attempted to replace Liberation Day with Foundation Day) and Park Geun-hye (when the government unveiled state-authored history textbooks playing down pro-Japanese collaborators) administrations. But all of them failed to win public consensus. However, pro-Lee factions became the leading force of the pro-Yoon factions, and they are now trying to complete what they failed to achieve under the Lee administration,” Rhee Jong-hoon, political commentator, said.
“The heads of the National Institute of Korean History, the Academy of Korean Studies and Northeast Asian History Foundation have been dominated by New Right figures who are pro-Japan. The institutions tasked with carrying out research into Korea’s contemporary history have fallen under pro-Japan forces. The government's effort to distort history is being conducted systematically step-by-step.”
Park Chang-hwan, a political commentator and professor at Jangan University, said even Yoon’s key supporters in Daegu, a conservative stronghold, and those in their 70s, oppose Kim’s appointment.
“This is clearly not normal. Yoon’s pro-Japan stance has come to the extent of hurting Korea’s national interest. Over the years, Japan has made significant diplomatic advances with Korea. However, many argue that Korea has seen little in return for these efforts. This suggests Yoon's broken compass diplomacy, and Korea-Japan relations cannot remain competitive going forward,” Park said.