Daejeon Democratic Party Former and Current Leaders Urge Withdrawal of Independence Hall Director Appointment

Press Conference at Daejeon City Council... "A Historical Coup Turning Back the Wheel"

Former Daejeon Mayor Heo Taejung, along with current and former Democratic Party local leaders and city and district council members, are demanding the withdrawal of the appointment of the director of the Independence Hall at the Daejeon City Council on the 13th. / Democratic Party Daejeon Chapter

Current and former local government heads and city and district council members of Daejeon from the Democratic Party of Korea have called for the withdrawal of the appointment of Kim Hyungseok as Director of the Independence Hall of Korea.

At a press conference held in the lobby of the Daejeon City Council on the 13th, they stated, "There have been numerous pro-Japanese actions since the launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, but the sudden appointment of Kim Hyungseok ahead of Liberation Day is an event that clearly reveals to the world that this is a pro-Japanese administration. Appointing a representative pro-Japanese figure, who has denied the history of our independence struggle and represented Japan's historical perspective, as Director of the Independence Hall is tantamount to denying the entirety of Korea's modern and contemporary history."

They continued, "Kim Hyungseok is a figure who has repeatedly defended and justified pro-Japanese and pro-Nazi activities of Ahn Eik-tae and the activities of Baek Seon-yeop in the Gando Special Force, thereby denying the need to clear out pro-Japanese collaborators and representing anti-national pro-Japanese figures. Appointing such a person as Director of the Independence Hall is an act that denies the very reason for the institution's existence," they added.

They further stated, "Appointing someone who shamelessly makes remarks such as 'During the Japanese colonial era, our people were Japanese subjects' as Director of the Independence Hall is a historical coup that turns back the wheels of history," and demanded, "President Yoon Suk-yeol must apologize to history and the people, and immediately withdraw the appointment of the pro-Japanese figure Kim Hyungseok as Director of the Independence Hall."