Lee Jong-chan "National consensus first... No pressure on administrative actions"
Yongsan "Not a matter for the Presidential Office to decide"
On the morning of the 79th anniversary of the August 15 Liberation Day, at the Baekbeom Kim Gu Memorial Hall in Hyochang Park, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Lee Jong-chan, President of the Liberation Association, is delivering a commemorative speech at the Liberation Day ceremony hosted by the Liberation Association. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Lee Jong-chan, chairman of the Gwangbokhoe, stated on the 22nd that he had "not heard" about the presidential office's reported consideration of designating additional public law organizations besides the Gwangbokhoe, adding that "it is unlikely" and that "the Gwangbokhoe does not care."
In a phone interview with Asia Economy that morning, Chairman Lee said, "The Gwangbokhoe is not a simple registered organization of the government but a statutory organization."
Public law organizations are entities delegated authority by the state or local governments to perform public duties. Under the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, there are 17 public law organizations related to veterans affairs, with the Gwangbokhoe being the only one in the independence sector. Currently, the Gwangbokhoe received a budget of about 3.2 billion won last year, but if the government moves to designate additional public law organizations in the independence sector, the related budget could be reduced.
Chairman Lee emphasized, "To elevate other organizations to the level of the Gwangbokhoe, a legislative process must be undertaken, but there is no justification for that," adding, "National consensus is paramount, and it should not be pressured through administrative actions to overcome the current crisis with mere tricks." To designate additional public law organizations, amendments to related laws such as the Act on National Merit Organizations are necessary, but it is expected to be difficult due to opposition from opposition parties including the Democratic Party of Korea.
This year's 79th anniversary of the August 15 Liberation Day event saw separate government-hosted celebrations and commemorative ceremonies held by independence movement organizations amid conflicts between the Gwangbokhoe and the presidential office over the newly appointed director of the Independence Hall. It was an unprecedented situation. The Gwangbokhoe held its own event demanding the resignation of Kim Hyung-seok, the director of the Independence Hall. In this context, the government's move to designate additional public law organizations has led some to speculate that it was a punitive measure against the Gwangbokhoe, which is in conflict with the presidential office.
Chairman Lee expressed caution regarding recent political interpretations of the Gwangbokhoe's actions, saying, "There is no reason to rely on the power of political parties such as the opposition. Social consensus is the most important." When asked whether he had contacted the chief of staff of the presidential office to finalize the Liberation Day event on the 15th, he replied, "There was contact, but communication was not smooth."
Meanwhile, a senior official from the presidential office said regarding reports that the government is considering designating additional public law organizations, "There have been various demands to add public law organizations, so the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs was reviewing the matter. Nothing has been decided."
The official added, "Many organizations have requested to become public law organizations, but since it involves legal amendments, it is not something the presidential office can decide immediately," and "I recall that it took a long time for the May 18 organization to become a public law organization."
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