Independence Hall cancels Liberation Day celebration as controversy rages over new 'pro-Japanese' director

The Independence Hall of Korea canceled its annual Aug. 15 Liberation Day celebration following the controversial appointment of a new director who faces accusations of justifying Japan's colonial rule and being "pro-Japan."

Kim Hyung-seok, the new director of the Independence Hall of Korea, bows during a press conference held at the Seoul Regional Office of Patriots and Veterans Affairs in central Seoul on Monday. The conference addressed the cancellation of the Independence Hall’s Liberation Day celebration and his alleged ties to the New Right movement. [NEWS1]

The Independence Hall of Korea canceled its annual Aug. 15 Liberation Day celebration for the first time in its history following the controversial appointment of new director Kim Hyung-seok, who faces accusations of justifying Japan's colonial rule and being "pro-Japan."

Initially, the Independence Hall had scheduled the celebration to take place at 10 a.m. on Thursday, with around 100 families, including descendants of independence fighters, expected to attend. However, following Kim's appointment on Aug. 8, the hall abruptly canceled the event on Monday.

The hall cited "Kim’s invitation to attend the government-hosted Liberation Day ceremony" as the reason for the cancellation, stating that it was "difficult to proceed without the presence of the director." Despite the cancellation of the morning ceremony, performances scheduled for the afternoon will still take place as planned.

This marks the first time since its opening in 1987 that the Independence Hall has not held a Liberation Day celebration. For 37 years, the hall has hosted its own event, aimed at commemorating the joy of independence from Japan's colonization and establishing a proper national identity, with the participation of independence fighters' descendants and their families. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, when a virtual event was held, the hall did not skip the commemoration.

Although the official explanation for the cancellation centers on Kim's attendance at the government event, controversy continues to surround his appointment. Kim has been linked to the "New Right" movement, and his past remarks have been criticized for allegedly glorifying Japan's imperial past.

The director of the Independence Hall, an organization under the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, is appointed by the president upon the minister's recommendation.

Kim has drawn criticism for comments made during a conservative group lecture last year, where he claimed that Aug. 15, 1945, was not the true Liberation Day, instead asserting that the founding of the Republic of Korea on Aug. 15, 1948, should be recognized as such. Upon taking office, Kim also expressed his intention to reexamine errors in the dictionary of pro-Japanese collaborators and lead efforts to restore the honor of those he believed were wrongfully labeled pro-Japanese.

The controversy surrounding Kim’s appointment has led to strong opposition from organizations related to the independence movement as well as from opposition political parties.

The Heritage of Korean Independence, which represents the descendants of independence fighters, was the first to declare on Sunday that it would not attend the government-hosted ceremony. Instead, it plans to hold its own event and send a formal inquiry to Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, asking him to reaffirm that Japan’s colonial rule was "illegal and null and void," as per the consistent stance of the South Korean government. The association has labeled Kim Hyung-seok as a "New Right figure" and demanded the withdrawal of his appointment, accusing him of promoting the idea of a founding day rather than a liberation day. The Anti-Japanese Independence Martyrs Memorial Association, consisting of 25 organizations dedicated to honoring independence fighters, also decided to boycott the government-hosted ceremony.

The liberal Democratic Party (DP) similarly announced that it would not attend the government-led Liberation Day ceremony unless Kim’s appointment is withdrawn.

"The president should immediately withdraw the appointment of Kim as the director of the Independence Hall to avoid bringing shame before the independence activists and apologize to the public for this reckless personnel decision," said Park Chan-dae, the DP floor leader, on Monday. "Appointing such a person as the director of the Independence Hall is an outrageous act that fundamentally shakes the identity of the Republic of Korea and denies its history."

Other liberal parties, including the Rebuilding Korea Party and the Progressive Party, also declared their intention to boycott the Liberation Day ceremony in protest against Kim’s appointment.

In response to the growing controversy, Kim held a press conference on Monday to address the accusations against him and reject calls for his resignation.

"The founding of the Republic of Korea was not achieved overnight; it was a historical process that began with the establishment of the Provisional Government in Shanghai in 1919 and was completed with the founding of the government in 1948," the new Independence Hall head said.

He also addressed criticism about his past remarks concerning the nationality of Koreans during the Japanese colonial period.

"When asked about the nationality of Koreans during the Japanese colonial period, I responded our nationality was Japanese. That's why the independence movement was carried out — to reclaim our nationality," Kim said, asserting that his statements were being misrepresented to paint him as a pro-Japanese collaborator.

Kim further argued, “If my views are wrong, they should be corrected academically. But instead, it seems like a witch hunt, much like the medieval church’s persecution of Galileo for his heliocentric theory, with a public trial being conducted against me.”

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]