Democratic Party Lawmakers Demand Dismissal of Director Kim Hyungseok for Private Misuse of Independence Hall Facilities

Kim Yongman, Moon Jinseok, and Song Okju Call for Dismissal
Ministry Audit Confirms Director Kim's Misconduct

Kim Yongman, Moon Jinseok, and Song Okju, members of the Democratic Party of Korea and non-standing directors of the Independence Hall, announced on January 13 that they are demanding the convening of a board meeting to discuss a motion for the dismissal of Director Kim Hyungseok in order to restore normal operations at the Independence Hall.

Democratic Party lawmakers Moon Jinseok (left), Song Okju, and Kim Yongman, members of the Board of Directors of the Independence Hall of Korea, condemned Kim Hyungseok, director of the Independence Hall of Korea, on the 17th at the National Assembly Communication Office, accusing him of undermining the board's supervisory function. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

At a press conference held at the National Assembly that day, they stated, "According to the audit results from the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, which were officially notified on the previous day (January 12), Director Kim was found to have directly contradicted the founding purpose and identity of the Independence Hall, violated laws and regulations, and privatized the institution."

They added, "We believe that Director Kim is no longer able to operate the institution in a normal manner. As directors, we are making an unavoidable decision to officially request the convening of a board meeting with the dismissal of Director Kim as an agenda item, in order to restore the Independence Hall to normalcy."

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs released an audit report on its website the previous day, which included 14 violations by Director Kim, such as privatization of the institution and misuse of business operation funds. This audit was initiated in response to controversies over Director Kim's "New Right" historical perspective, which surfaced during last year's Liberation Day commemorative address and other occasions.

Director Kim had been suspected of providing facilities such as the Independence Hall auditorium free of charge to religious organizations and Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) alumni events. The ministry's audit, which began in September last year, confirmed that most of these allegations were true.

The ministry also determined that Director Kim had intentionally instructed staff to allow free use of facilities to organizations with personal ties to him. Furthermore, he was found to have violated the "Regulations on Collection and Management of Materials" by removing certain artifacts from storage and allowing ROTC alumni and church acquaintances to privately view them.

The audit also newly revealed that Director Kim had instructed the removal of the government's basic principle-"Since the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty was illegal, Japanese nationality does not apply"-from a National Assembly inquiry regarding the nationality of Koreans during the Japanese colonial period. Previously, during a National Assembly audit by the Political Affairs Committee in October last year, Director Kim had sparked controversy over historical distortion by stating, "During the Japanese occupation, Korean citizens were considered foreigners with Japanese nationality."

It was also confirmed that Director Kim used a corporate card to pay for admission and meals during a visit to an arboretum with his wife, and used the corporate card for expenses unrelated to the Independence Hall, including payments for other institutions and acquaintances. The ministry decided to recover the amounts that were clearly misused.

Director Kim appealed the audit results on January 5, but the ministry rejected his request for a re-examination.

The ministry plans to convene a board meeting as early as next week to discuss a motion for Director Kim's dismissal. If the board passes the dismissal motion, the Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs will recommend his dismissal, and the President will give final approval.