How many people are assigned to collect records on Korea’s independence movement at the veterans ministry?

Only three of the 37 personnel in the ministry’s Patriots and Veterans Archives Management Division are assigned to collect and manage records on the independence movement. A ministry official said the office typically handles about 300,000 records a year, making the workload far larger than the staffing level.

Why is the veterans ministry worried about a shortage of personnel for independence records?

Ministry officials said the amount of records tied to the independence movement keeps piling up while staff remains short. One official said the growing volume is helping identify more potential independence activists for state recognition.

How many independence activists has Korea recognized so far?

The ministry said it has identified and honored 408 independence fighters as of August. It also said only 19,059 people have been officially recognized out of an estimated 3 million who are believed to have fought for Korea’s independence.

Only 3 researchers assigned to collect historical records linked to Korea's independence movement

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Summary

The veterans ministry has assigned only three personnel to collect and review records tied to Korea’s independence movement against Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule, raising concerns about a staffing shortage. The ministry said those three are among 37 personnel in its Patriots and Veterans Archives Management Division. The number comes as the ministry plans to honor more than 600 previously unrecognized independence activists this year.

Key Facts

The ministry said it typically collects about 300,000 records a year for this work.
Each of the three assigned researchers is responsible for roughly 100,000 historical records annually.
Separate data showed that 21 personnel are tasked with reviewing historical records of independence activists who have not yet received state honors.
The ministry had identified and honored 408 independence fighters as of August.
An estimated 3 million people are believed to have fought for Korea’s independence, but only 19,059 had been officially recognized as of last month.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 25, 2026 2:05 pm KST
Updated Sep 25, 2026 2:10 pm KST

Portraits of 36 independence activists, including Kim Koo, Ahn Jung-geun and Yu Gwan-sun, are displayed in the show window of an art academy in Busan, Aug. 14.

The veterans ministry has assigned only three personnel to collect and review materials related to Korea's independence movement against Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, data showed Friday, raising concerns over a shortage of personnel to sift through the vast amount of historical records.

Only three of the 37 personnel in the ministry's Patriots and Veterans Archives Management Division are tasked with collecting and managing records on the country's independence movement, the ministry told Yonhap News Agency.

"We typically collect some 300,000 records over the course of a year," a ministry official said, suggesting a possible disparity between the workload and the number of personnel assigned for the task.

Put simply, this means each researcher is responsible for handling some 100,000 historical records a year.

The revelation comes after the ministry earlier announced plans to honor more than 600 independence activists who have not previously been recognized by the state this year, up from 502 in 2025.

Separate data submitted to Rep. Kim Joon-hyung of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party showed that 21 personnel are tasked with reviewing historical records of independence activists who have yet to receive state honors.

The officials at the ministry's Patriots and Veterans Entitlement Division are responsible for collecting records on individuals involved in the country's independence movement to be considered by an evaluation committee that determines whether their contributions merit state honors.

"There is always a shortage of personnel," another ministry official told Yonhap News Agency. "At the same time, the amount of records linked to the independence movement that we have to go through continues to pile up, resulting in more potential independence activists being identified and recognized," the official added.

The ministry has identified and honored 408 independence fighters as of August.

An estimated 3 million people are believed to have fought for Korea's independence from Japanese colonial rule. Of them, only 19,059 have been officially recognized for their contributions and conferred state honors as of last month, accounting for less than 1 percent of the estimated total.

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