Appointing New Right figure as head of Independence Hall. Is Yoon administration out of its mind?[Editorial]

Lee Jong-chan, chairman of the Heritage of Korean Independence, speaks during a press conference at its building in Yeouido, Seoul, on August 5. Courtesy of the Heritage of Korean Independence

President Yoon Suk-yeol reportedly appointed Kim Hyung-seok, a professor at Kosein University, as the new head of the Independence Hall of Korea on August 6. The appointment comes a day after Lee Jong-chan, chairman of the Heritage of Korean Independence, held a press conference to call for an end to the appointment, which he said was "contrary to the spirit of the constitution and historical justice." Lee, who participated in the candidate screening as an ex officio member, criticized Kim for "dividing former President Syngman Rhee to the right and Former Head of State of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea Kim Ku to the left, devaluing the history of the provisional government, and claiming that the Republic of Korea was not founded in 1919 as a provisional government but in 1948." In addition, during a candidate interview, Kim allegedly said, "There was no country during the Japanese colonial period, so our people were Japanese citizens at that time," in an attempt to justify Japanese colonization.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs countered that "Kim is not a New Right figure," saying, "He has argued that both the 1919 Korean Provisional Government and the 1948 National Day are important." However, based on Lee's comments and Kim’s past interviews, it seems reasonable to categorize him as a New Right figure. President Yoon has already appointed New Right figures to various positions, including Minister of Unification, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the Foundation of Broadcast Culture. In February, he appointed an economic historian who served as head of the New Right-leaning Nakseong University Economic Research Center as the board director of the Independence Hall of Korea. However, the appointment of a New Right figure to head the Independence Hall, which is related to national identity, is a shock of a different kind. The Independence Hall, which opened on August 15, 1987, was established to "collect, preserve, exhibit, investigate, and research materials related to the history of national development and the history of our nation's overcoming national distress and protecting national autonomy and independence.” New Right figures have promoted the theory that Japanese colonization helped to modernize Korea. In the meantime, they have attacked the study of the history of the resistance independence movement and activities to support “Japanese Military Sexual Slavery” and the victims of forced mobilization as “anti-Japanese tribalism.” As a researcher, advocating colonial modernization theory may be seen as academic freedom. However, it is not in line with the purpose of the institution to have someone who advocates such an argument as the head of the Independence Hall.

It is bad enough that Yoon is ignoring past history in his foreign policy decisions, but it is deplorable that he has gone so far backwards in the appointments of heads of domestic historical research, education, and other related institutions. If he does not want to sin against history, he should rescind the appointment of Kim and start the appointment process again with a new nomination committee.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.