Historical clash continues as ministry reconsiders sub's name

The ideological clash over independence fighter Hong Beom-do continued Monday as the defense minister floated the idea of renaming a Navy submarine that bears the general's name...

The bust of Hong Beom-do, a general of the Korean Independence Army during the Japanese occupation, at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Seoul in this file photo dated Aug. 28. Hong is revered in Korea for his victories over Japanese forces in several high-profile battles such as the Battle of Fengwudong at northeastern China in 1920. However, he is also accused of having ties with communists, including an event where Soviet forces disarmed Korean independence fighters.[YONHAP]

The ideological clash over independence fighter Hong Beom-do continued Monday as the defense minister floated the idea of renaming a Navy submarine that bears the general's name.

“I do think that it is worth considering changing the name of ROKS Hong Beom-do,” Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup told lawmakers during a National Assembly committee meeting in Seoul on Monday.

“I think even the prime minister may have mentioned the need for the change,” Lee said, adding that the ministry will discuss the matter further with the Navy.

The Navy in its press briefing on Aug. 28 said it had no plans to change the name of its submarine named after Hong in 2016 during the conservative Park Geun-hye administration.

Changing the name of a military vessel is also rare, though instances exist, largely following the collapse of a regime.

The latest controversy on Hong stems from a decision of the Defense Ministry to relocate the statues of late Korean freedom fighters with alleged communist affiliations both from a military academy and its own headquarters.

Hong, a general of the Korean Independence Army during the Japanese occupation, is revered in South Korea for his victories over Japanese forces in several high-profile battles such as the Battle of Fengwudong at northeastern China in 1920.

However, he is also accused of having ties with communists, including an event where Soviet forces disarmed Korean independence fighters.

Hong posthumously received the Presidential Medal of the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1962. In August 2021, the Moon Jae-in administration brought back Hong's remains from Kazakhstan, and he was buried at the national cemetery in Daejeon.

Then last month, the Defense Ministry revealed a plan to relocate the busts of five late Korean independence activists, including revered freedom fighter Hong, currently erected in front of the Korea Military Academy in Nowon District, northern Seoul. The ministry and military academy cited records of their past affiliations with the Soviet Communist Party and communist activities.

The decision drew strong backlash from liberals and civic groups, and even state-run media in China.

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung speaks with the press during a rally to oppose the government decision to remove the bust of Hong Beom-do and other independence fighters with ties to communism from the Defense Ministry headquarters and a military academy, at a cemetery in Daejeon where Hong's remains lie on Aug. 29. [YONHAP]

The Global Times, an English-language newspaper affiliated with the state-run People’s Daily, released an opinion piece last month criticizing the decision and suggesting that the Korean government would “go so far” as to replace the bust of Hong, “an anti-Japan fighter” with that of Paik Sun-yup, a Korean War hero and four-star general, but a “pro-Japan” figure.

Paik, who died in 2020, was described as a pro-Japanese traitor in his state burial record. This information was deleted by the Yoon Suk Yeol administration in July.

Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Min-shik warned China against “meddling.”

“There is no reason for China to interfere in South Korea’s internal affairs,” Park posted on his Facebook account on Sunday. “Please be careful of behavior that violates etiquette in diplomatic relations.”

The presidential office, which had refrained from making direct comments on the ongoing controversy, jumped into the fray on Monday after former President Moon Jae-in made a comment.

Moon wrote on his Facebook account on Sunday that the presidential office should step in to try to resolve the issue, and that he hopes the plan to remove the bust of Hong would be scrapped. It was his second posting on the issue within a week.

“The problem here is not about the involvement of the current presidential office,” said a high-ranking presidential official in meeting with the press on Monday. “The problem here is actually the over-involvement of the former president.”

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]