"Did the Japanese colonial-era spy openly identify themselves as a spy?"
The Liberation Association stated that it may not attend the August 15 Liberation Day celebration if the government does not withdraw the appointment of the new director of the Independence Hall.
On the 9th, the Liberation Association said in a press release, "Unless the Presidential Office officially abandons the push to establish the '1948 Founding Day,' which justifies Japanese colonial rule, attending the August 15 Liberation Day celebration is meaningless," and urged, "Withdraw the director's appointment immediately, even now."
The government appointed Kim Hyung-seok as the new director on the 6th. The Liberation Association opposed the appointment, identifying Director Kim as a figure from the 'New Right' faction. However, at an inauguration briefing on the 8th, Director Kim said he had never heard of being called New Right and expressed the view that regarding Founding Day, the founding process began with the 1919 Provisional Government and was completed with the establishment of the government in August 1948, so it should be seen as a period rather than a single point in time.
Referring to Director Kim's press briefing that day, the Liberation Association criticized, "Did a Japanese colonial-era informant openly admit to being an informant?" and added, "Anyone can easily confirm through his interviews, past writings, and seminars that he came into the Independence Hall to create 'Founding Day' to glorify colonial rule and absolve pro-Japanese collaborators."
Earlier, the Anti-Japanese Independence Patriots Commemoration Group Federation (Hangdanyeon), composed of 25 organizations honoring independence activists such as the Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Project Association, the March 1st Independence Patriots' Families Association, and the Unam Kim Seong-suk Memorial Project Association, also announced that they would not attend the celebration.
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