Yoon: "What Help for People Struggling to Make a Living"
The Presidential Office on the 13th responded to the declaration by the Liberation Association, a group of descendants of independence activists, to boycott the Liberation Day event invited by the President, stating once again that "the government has never mentioned nor attempted to promote a National Foundation Day."
A Presidential Office official said, "President Yoon is known to have said, 'What help would the controversy over National Foundation Day be to people struggling to make a living?'" adding, "The intention is that people's livelihoods are more important amid the poor economic situation."
On the same day, the Liberation Association held a rally in front of the War Memorial near the Yongsan Presidential Office, urging the withdrawal of the appointment of Kim Hyung-seok, the director of the Independence Hall, amid the 'New Right' controversy. Lee Jong-chan, chairman of the Liberation Association, described Director Kim as "a New Right figure who holds the view that the Republic of Korea was founded in 1948."
In response, a Presidential Office official reiterated, "The Presidential Office has never promoted National Foundation Day, nor does it plan to do so in the future," and conveyed that "President Yoon believes the National Foundation Day controversy is an unnecessary ideological dispute disconnected from the people's livelihoods."
In particular, the Presidential Office emphasized that the opposition parties and the Liberation Association's claims that "Director Kim's appointment is a preliminary step to promote the establishment of National Foundation Day" are completely unfounded.
The Presidential Office's position is that the founding of our country is a process that has continued through the March 1st Movement and the establishment of the Provisional Government in 1919, the establishment of the government in 1948, followed by industrialization and democratization, and that it is impossible to set a specific point in time. Based on the Constitution, which states that "the territory of the Republic of Korea shall consist of the Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands," the unification point is considered the founding date.
Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kang Jeong-ae (right) is meeting with Lee Jong-chan, President of the Liberation Association, on the 13th at the Liberation Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, to persuade him to attend the Liberation Association's Liberation Day celebration. Photo by Yonhap News
Concerned about the Liberation Day event without the Liberation Association, Jeon Gwang-sam, Senior Secretary for Civil Society, recently visited the chairman of the Liberation Association to explain the position and attempted to persuade him, but it is reported that the chairman's stance remains unchanged.
It is also known that on the same day, Chairman Lee repeatedly demanded the resignation of the Independence Hall director to Kang Jeong-ae, Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, who came to the Yeouido Liberation Association Hall to persuade him to attend the Liberation Day ceremony. Minister Kang encouraged attendance, saying, "The Liberation Day ceremony should not be divided. Please attend for national unity," but Chairman Lee did not waver in his belief that Director Kim's resignation is the only solution to the current situation.
The Liberation Association and other independence-related organizations strongly demand the resignation of Director Kim, who is embroiled in the New Right controversy, and have announced their intention to boycott the government-hosted Liberation Day ceremony and hold a separate Liberation Day event.
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