President Yoon pledges support for independence fighters' legacy and descendants

President Yoon Suk Yeol told descendants of independence fighters that he will work toward ensuring that the legacy of freedom fighters is properly honored, and that their relatives will also be taken care of, on Wednesday, the eve of Liberation Day.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, greets judoka Huh Mi-mi, an Olympic medalist, during a luncheon event for descendants of independence fighters at the Blue House in central Seoul on Wednesday, on the eve of Liberation Day. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Yoon Suk Yeol told descendants of independence fighters that he will work toward ensuring that the legacy of freedom fighters is properly honored, and that their relatives will also be taken care of, on Wednesday, the eve of Liberation Day.

Yoon spoke at a luncheon event at the Blue House for around 100 descendants of independence fighters, including judoka Huh Mi-mi, an Olympic medalist, ahead of the 79th anniversary of Korea's liberation from the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule.

Huh won a silver medal in the women's 57-kilogram final at the Paris Olympics earlier this month, the first for a female judoka since 2016, fulfilling her grandmother's dream to see her representing Team Korea. She is a naturalized South Korean athlete originally from Japan, initially holding dual citizenship as she was born to a Korean father and a Japanese mother. Huh is also the great-granddaughter of Korean independence activist Huh Suk, who lived from 1857 to 1920 during colonial rule.

"I will do my best to ensure that the spirit of independence and legacy left behind by independence heroes will be remembered forever, and that those who made meritorious contributions, as well as their descendants, will receive proper treatment," Yoon said at Wednesday's luncheon.

"We were able to regain our country through the sacrifices and dedication of independence heroes," Yoon said. "We will never forget the will of our ancestors who protected and developed the value of freedom."

He promised to do his best to "build a Republic of Korea of freedom, peace and prosperity."

President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, salutes the flag during a luncheon event for 100 descendants of independence fighters, including judoka Huh Mi-mi, an Olympic medalist, left, at the Blue House in central Seoul on Wednesday, on the eve of Liberation Day. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

During the event, Huh, who returned from Paris last week, said, "When I first came to Korea following my grandmother's wishes, I learned that I was a descendant of a figure who had contributed to the country's independence."

She added, "I felt even more proud to practice judo wearing the Taegeukgi symbol," referring to the Korean national flag.

Huh promised to "train harder so that I can sing the national anthem at the Los Angeles Olympics" in 2028, earning her loud applause.

Around 30 descendants of independence fighters from the United States, China and Kazakhstan also attended the luncheon and are scheduled to attend the Liberation Day ceremony hosted by the government on Thursday.

Yoon is set to give an annual Liberation Day address at this ceremony, an occasion for the president to outline his new North Korea policy and direction of Seoul-Tokyo ties.

However, the state-funded Heritage of Korean Independence, the country's largest association of independence fighters and their descendants, along with the liberal Democratic Party (DP), have vowed to boycott Thursday's Liberation Day ceremony to protest Yoon's appointment of a controversial figure as president of the Independence Hall of Korea.

The newly appointed president, Kim Hyoung-suk, has drawn public scrutiny over accusations that he had tried to justify Japan's colonial rule.

Kim has received criticism for comments made during a conservative group lecture last year, where he indicated that Aug. 15, 1945, was not the true Liberation Day, instead asserting that it should be on Aug. 15, 1948, when President Syngman Rhee was inaugurated as South Korea's first president.

Upon taking office, Kim also expressed his intention to lead efforts to restore the honor of those he believed were wrongfully labeled pro-Japan collaborators.

There has been an ongoing political and ideological debate over the founding day, with one side citing April 11, 1919, when the Korean provisional government was established during Japan's colonial rule in China following the March first independence movement earlier that year. The so-called new right movement has claimed that Aug. 15, 1948, should be recognized as the founding day, which some say undermines Korean independence fighters' contributions.

To protest Kim's appointment, Lee Jong-chan, head of the Heritage of Korean Independence, said he would boycott the government's ceremony and hold a separate ceremony. He also didn't attend Yoon's luncheon on Wednesday, despite being a guest of honor in last year's event, sitting at the same table as the president.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]