"I am the grandson of that independence activist, owning a shabby countryside house..." A sharp rebuke to Yoon Seo-in

On the 12th, cartoonist Yoon Seoin posted a photo on Facebook comparing the houses of descendants of pro-Japanese collaborators and descendants of independence activists. The post has since been deleted. / Photo by Online Community Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-eun] Webtoon artist Yoon Seoin has sparked controversy by posting disparaging comments and photos of the house of a descendant of an independence activist. The subject of the photo taken inside the independence activist's birthplace, posted by Yoon, has now come forward.

A netizen, identified as A, who introduced themselves as the great-grandchild of independence activist Jo Byeong-jin, posted a message titled "I am the grandson of independence activist Jo Byeong-jin, whom Yoon Seoin disparaged" on the online community 'Bobae Dream' on the 20th.

Photo by online community 'BobaeDream' post capture

A said, "As mentioned in the title, I am the great-grandchild of my grandfather Jo Byeong-jin. Our family, like all common people of the Republic of Korea, endured the dark and difficult period of Japanese colonial rule. In particular, my grandfather's eldest son, who is my grandfather, was conscripted and drafted by the Japanese and died in battle less than a month after being conscripted near Shandong Province in China, which is a sad family history," he explained.

He continued, "The photo posted by Yoon Seoin this time is of my great-grandfather Byeong-jin's daughter’s house, who is my great-aunt by marriage. The rural birthplace where my grandfather lived is now being cared for solely by my mother," he said.

A added, "It is wrong to judge a person's life based on a shabby rural house," and said, "I want to ask Yoon Seoin, who disparaged my grandfather’s life as careless despite his small contribution to the independence of our country without collaborating with the Japanese, whether the descendants of pro-Japanese collaborators who are living well today are proud of their ancestors." He added, "They may live comfortably financially, but there must be a sense of shame deep in their hearts."

Furthermore, A said, "Neither my grandfather, who fought for independence, nor his descendants have ever lived carelessly in this era. We live as members of this society more diligently than anyone else, and I want to tell people like Yoon Seoin, who have such misguided views, this," emphasizing, "Although we may be financially less well-off than the descendants of pro-Japanese collaborators, emotionally and as descendants of a proud grandfather, we live a fulfilling life."

The post uploaded by Yoon Seo-in is currently deleted. Photo by Online Community Capture

Earlier, on the 12th, Yoon posted on his Facebook a photo comparing the houses of descendants of pro-Japanese collaborators and independence activists, writing, "While the descendants of pro-Japanese collaborators work so hard, what on earth have the descendants of independence activists done? If you look closely, weren't the so-called pro-Japanese collaborators people who worked hard even 100 years ago, and weren't the independence activists people who lived carelessly?" This drew public criticism.