Korea's independence heritage agency poised to launch anti-Japan campaign

Activists protest against Japan's release of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant during a rally in Seoul's central district of Jongno, Saturday. Yonhap

President Yoon at loggerheads with descendants of independence fighters over historical animosity

By Kang Hyun-kyung

Like other organizations reliant on state subsidies, the Heritage of Korean Independence (HKI) has been a staunch supporter of the government since its establishment in 1965.

Back then, independence fighters, their families and their descendants joined forces to create a group dedicated to passing on the legacy of Korea's independence movement during the Japanese colonial period on to future generations.

Over the past decades, government ties with the descendants of independence fighters have remained unfazed despite vicissitudes in domestic politics triggered mainly by government changes.

Recently, however, their relations showed signs of souring as HKI President Lee Jong-chan and some other members became vocal opponents of the Yoon Suk Yeol government.

The two sides have revealed a fundamental difference in how to handle South Korea's historical animosity to Japan, which formed during the latter's colonial rule.

President Yoon calls for the Korean public to move forward to cope with security challenges from North Korea. But the descendants of independence fighters disagree, claiming the purge of Japanese sympathizers remains unfinished.

The group has presented opposing views to the government's official narratives in several key issue areas, including the relocation of the bust of independence fighters.

"Inside the HKI, there is a group of vocal opponents and they keep inciting other members to stand against the Yoon government," a source familiar with the group told The Korea Times asking for anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

"In a group chat on KakaoTalk which is comprised of about 300 members including several executives, they criticized the Yoon government's handling of the wastewater release from the Fukushima nuclear reactor. Some tout the impeachment of Patriots and Veterans Minister Park Min-shik for his recent remarks about independence fighter Hong Beom-do and Gen. Paik Sun-yup."

The source added that some hardliners put forth the purge of "pro-Japan legacy" as the group's ultimate goal to achieve.

If the group were to launch the anti-Japan campaign as expected, Yoon would face an uphill battle to keep pushing for his diplomatic agenda of deepening trilateral cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan to thwart security challenges from North Korea.

President Yoon Suk Yeol sits with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a summit, Sunday, on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit held in New Delhi, India. Joint Press Corps

Since he was sworn in as president in May last year, President Yoon has sought to improve South Korea's relations with Japan, which derailed and turned sour during the previous Moon Jae-in government.

The Camp David trilateral summit held on Aug. 18 near Washington D.C. between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan has been praised for "opening a new era in trilateral cooperation" as the three leaders agreed to meet regularly to discuss ways to deepen cooperation in almost all issue areas, including defense and technology.

Since he was sworn in as president in May last year, Yoon has met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida six times. Their latest summit was held on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi last week.

The trilateral summit, meanwhile, drew cynical reactions from opposition parties. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) downplayed the outcomes of the Camp David summit, alleging the trilateral summit only benefitted the U.S. and Japan with South Korea sidelined.

The DPK strove to rally support from the public to ignite the anti-Japan sentiment as Japan began the release of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear reactor site.

The main opposition party is expected to keep playing the anti-Japan card as the National Assembly elections are to be held in April next year. A total of 300 parliamentary seats are up for grabs.

Should the descendants of independence fighters team up with the DPK to push their common anti-Japan agenda ahead of the elections, and in case their anti-Japan rhetoric successfully leads to the grassroots movement, Yoon will suffer the consequences.

The HKI has become a controversial group after its former leader Kim Won-woong (1944-2022) assumed the leadership in 2019.

During his decades-long career as a politician, Kim had zigzagged in political affiliations from conservative to liberal camps. He became a controversial figure after criticizing a DPK lawmaker for his withdrawal of support for the aborted bill to relocate tombs of the so-called Japan sympathizers from the national cemetery. He is known to have become a vocal critic of pro-Japan figures to curry favor with then the Moon Jae-in government.

"Kim filled key posts of the group with like-minded people and some of them are still there," said the source.

Kim stepped down from the leadership in 2022 for his alleged involvement in embezzlement.

He died in October 2022 after battling cancer amid the prosecution's investigation into him.

Kim Won-woong, front row left, then the leader of Heritage of Independence Fighters, chants a slogan at an anti-Japan protest in front of the HKI building in Yeouido, Seoul, in this 2019 file photo. Korea Times file

The Yoon government and the HKI, as well as its leader Lee, were at loggerheads in the relocation of the bust of independence fighter Hong Beom-do from the Korea Military Academy.

Lee harshly criticized the Ministry of National Defense for the relocation plan. However, the ministry announced it would proceed with the plan as scheduled.

The two sides clashed again last week after Patriots and Veterans Minister Park made a remark that HKI leader Lee is on the same page as the government.

Park quoted HKI leader Lee as saying that Gen. Paik Sun-yup was not a sympathizer of the Empire of Japan.

The HKI denied this.

"Our and Mr. Lee's positions on Gen. Paik are clear and consistent. Gen. Paik's feat and pro-Japan activities both should be remembered," the group said in a statement released on Sept. 5.
"Gen. Paik served (as second lieutenant) in the State of Manchuria Imperial Army during the Japanese colonial period. At the same time, however, it's also true that after Korea gained independence, he played a greater role in defending South Korea from North Korea's invasion of the country and his contribution to the military is also noteworthy."

The State of Manchuria (1932-1945) was a puppet state of Japan and its imperial army was established to suppress guerrilla activities in the eastern part of Manchuria.