Rumor Claiming Ilgwang Place Name Is Pro-Japanese
Local Historian Sends Empirical Data Against Absurd Argument
"Disgusted by Ridiculous Pro-Japanese Accusation"
Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, criticized on the 9th, saying, "A local historian sent evidence that the origin of the name Ilgwang dates back to the Joseon Dynasty," and added, "The media accusing Ilgwang of pro-Japanese collaboration should immediately apologize to the residents of Ilgwang."
On the same day, Ha posted on his Facebook, "A local historian from Gijang, who was outraged by the claim that Ilgwang is a pro-Japanese name created by the Japanese colonial government, sent me evidence records showing the origin of the name Ilgwang," explaining, "The first historical record of the name Ilgwang dates back to 1638 (the 6th year of King Injo's reign)."
He continued, "This record is found both in the Ilgwang town chronicle and the old Gijang-gun local history," and pointed out, "How angry must they have been at the absurd media's slander that Ilgwang is a pro-Japanese place name to have searched for and sent all these historical records?"
The so-called 'Ilgwang' controversy began when President Yoon Suk-yeol, on the evening of the 6th, held a dinner with ministers, provincial governors, and National Assembly members from the Busan area to celebrate the determination to host the Expo. The restaurant's name was 'Ilgwang Hoetjip' (Ilgwang Raw Fish Restaurant), and the media outlet 'The Tam-sa' claimed that Ilgwang-myeon in Gijang-gun, Busan, was an administrative district created during the Japanese colonial period, stating, "Ilgwang means 'sunrise' in English and symbolizes the Rising Sun Flag," sparking controversy.
Ha said, "I cannot remain silent as the absurd pro-Japanese accusations against Ilgwang Hoetjip proceed," adding, "Ilgwang Hoetjip is a restaurant currently in my constituency, and Ilgwang is a town belonging to Gijang-gun, which was my constituency when I was a first-term lawmaker."
Ha Tae-kyung, chairman of the People Power Party's Task Force for the Investigation of the Shooting Incident of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Officials, is announcing the investigation results at the National Assembly on the 6th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
He further criticized, "They say the Yoon Suk-yeol government and the People Power Party are pro-Japanese, so eating at this restaurant means supporting pro-Japanese collaborators. This is truly absurd and disgusting," and questioned, "If the name Ilgwang is pro-Japanese, does that mean all the people living in Ilgwang-eup are pro-Japanese, and everyone working at Ilgwang restaurants is pro-Japanese?"
He also said, "If you translate Ilgwang into English, it is 'Sunlight,' not 'Sunrise.' Sunrise means 'sunrise'." He added that the 'Ilgwang Jogye Order,' which includes the monk Geonjin, is unrelated to Ilgwang in Gijang-gun and is named after Ilgwangsa Temple in Chungju, the head temple of the Jogye Order.
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