"Increasingly Daesan... The Rampage to Enforce Narrow Ideological Views on Everything"
Former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, Lee Nak-yeon, strongly criticized the Ministry of National Defense's plan to relocate busts of independence activists such as General Hong Beom-do, saying, "Stop this reckless rampage immediately."
On the 28th, Lee posted on Facebook, "They are trying to move the statues of anti-Japanese armed struggle heroes like General Hong Beom-do from the Korea Military Academy. The reckless actions of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration are becoming increasingly outrageous," he said.
On the 28th, the Ministry of National Defense announced that it is considering relocating the bust of the late General Hong Beom-do, not only within the Korea Military Academy campus but also the one installed in front of the Ministry of National Defense building if necessary. The photo shows the bust of the late General Hong Beom-do installed in front of the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. 2023.8.28 [Image source=Yonhap News]
He pointed out, "General Hong Beom-do endured countless hardships in the former Soviet territory while fighting the anti-Japanese armed struggle and passed away two years before liberation," adding, "the government's crude perception of associating such a general with North Korea or the Korean War does no good to the nation or history."
He continued, "We have tried to embrace the history of the anti-Japanese independence struggle as broadly as possible," and said, "bringing General Hong Beom-do's remains back in 2021 was an extension of that effort. That was the legitimacy of the Republic of Korea and the superiority of its system."
He then raised his voice, saying, "This action damages the legitimacy and superiority of the Republic of Korea," and "how far will this dangerous rampage, which tries to judge everything by narrow ideology, ruin the nation and history? Do not insult the heroes of the anti-Japanese independence struggle such as Hong Beom-do, Kim Jwa-jin, Lee Hoe-young, Lee Beom-seok, and Ji Cheong-cheon."
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