"No Political Interests... Hope for Increased Interest in Korean History"
Strong Criticism Arises as Immediate Responses to Student Questions Are Avoided
Jeon Hangil, a leading lecturer in Korean history, recently expressed his stance on the controversy sparked by the relocation of General Hong Beom-do’s bust within the Korea Military Academy, stating that "General Hong Beom-do was an outstanding independence fighter."
"Hong Beom-do was an outstanding independence fighter... No reason for past history controversy"
On the 5th, Jeon posted a message titled ‘Explanation from Hangil Teacher on the Recently Hot Issue Regarding General Hong Beom-do’ on his fan cafe. Earlier, when a student asked for his thoughts on the Hong Beom-do issue, he refrained from commenting, calling it a "political dispute," which led to criticism from some netizens accusing him of ignoring historical distortion.
First, Jeon addressed the recent criticisms directed at him, saying, "'Why don’t you take a stance?' 'You’re quiet, so you must be aligned with a certain political faction,' and they jump to conclusions and make a fuss," adding, "I wanted to clarify things as they are to avoid any misunderstandings."
He stated, "You can see what I think about General Hong Beom-do’s achievements from the lectures I posted last year," and added, "I have consistently taught that he was an outstanding independence fighter in every lecture. No one has disputed this."
He also said, "This is already a well-known and revealed part of past history, so there is nothing controversial about it. Therefore, I have nothing new to say on this matter," and added, "Since it has already turned into a political issue, I refrained from commenting to avoid further controversy."
Jeon emphasized, "(I am) not a politician, have no intention to engage in politics, have no political interests, and as a public servant Korean history lecturer, I only teach based on facts," and expressed hope that "this opportunity will increase interest and educational emphasis on Korean history."
Responded to student with "political dispute"… Netizens fiercely criticize with "Are you a supporter of candidate number 2?"
On the 31st of last month, a student named A asked Jeon, "Hangil teacher, I am curious about your thoughts on the currently controversial issue regarding General Hong Beom-do."
A wrote, "When we learned from you, teacher, we were told that General Hong Beom-do made great achievements in overseas independence movements in 1920 alongside General Kim Jwa-jin, but the current discussions are quite confusing," and added, "As a history expert, I am curious about your opinion."
Jeon replied, "Regarding the historical facts about General Hong Beom-do, we only need to study the facts," and said, "Currently, the evaluation is being politicized with the ruling party, opposition parties, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Liberation Association each emphasizing what they want, using political standards to make claims."
When Jeon defined the Hong Beom-do controversy as a "political dispute," some netizens criticized him, saying, "You were very critical of the government during the previous administration, so this is very disappointing," "Ignoring historical fact distortion as political conflict is cowardly and lacks conscience," and "Are you a supporter of candidate number 2 (referring to voting for candidate number 2 in the last presidential election)?"
"Judging the past by current standards is distortion" Concerns from history lecturers
Bust of Hong Beom-do in front of the Ministry of National Defense under previous review. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Meanwhile, other history lecturers have also expressed their views on the Hong Beom-do issue. Shim Yonghwan, director of the History N Education Research Institute, pointed out that "judging the past by today’s standards is distortion" regarding General Hong Beom-do’s membership in the Communist Party during his time in the Soviet Union.
Shim explained, "General Hong Beom-do fought as a militia leader and then became an independence fighter. Although the country disappeared, he was an important figure who bridged the historical legitimacy from the independence movement period in Joseon to the post-liberation Republic of Korea."
Additionally, Hwang Hyunpil, director of the History Correction Research Institute, criticized the unfairness of removing Hong Beom-do’s bust on his YouTube channel, reflecting concerns among history lecturers. The National Association of History Teachers, the largest history teacher organization in Korea, plans to address the Hong Beom-do issue in an urgent special lecture titled ‘Watching the Hong Beom-do Discussion: Selective Exclusion and Identity, Anti-Communism? Then What About Pro-Japanese?’ on the 7th.
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