The Military Academy decided to move the bust of General Hong Beom-do outside the school and move the remaining busts to other locations on campus.
Instead of leaving the space where the bust was erected empty, a plan is being promoted to place a monument symbolizing overcoming national crises of each era within the building, but the controversy is not abating.
Reporter Kim Moon-kyung reports.
[Reporter]
This is a bust of five independence fighters and independence fighters installed in front of the Chungmugwan Military Academy.
Among these, it was decided to move the bust of General Hong Beom-do out of the school, and the remaining busts, including Generals Kim Jwa-jin and Lee Beom-seok, to other places on campus.
The Military Academy is considering leaving the space where the bust was installed empty and creating an exhibition hall containing the history of overcoming national crises by era on each floor of Chungmugwan.
This is in line with the original position that the busts were concentrated in a specific period.
[Colonel Seo Woo-seok / Chief of Army Public Affairs Division: 메이저놀이터We will create a space where we can commemorate and learn about overcoming national crises of our time and the ROK-US alliance… .]
However, with only General Hong Beom-do moving out of the Military Academy, the historical-ideological controversy continues unabated.
The Ministry of National Defense explains that there is controversy about the bust of General Hong, a member of the Communist Party, in a military academy that fosters views of the enemy. [Jeon Ha-gyu / Ministry of
National Defense Spokesperson: In relation to General Hong Beom-do, it is pointed out that he joined the Communist Party or engaged in activities related to him… .]
It is pointed out that they are trying to denigrate General Hong’s achievements and erase the history of the independence movement.
[Kang Seon-woo / Spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea: Are you saying that the roots of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces are not the independence army? [This is a ‘historical coup’ by the Yoon Seok-yeol regime that seeks to erase the history of the anti-Japanese independence movement.]
On the other hand, there are doubts about its intention, saying it was installed during the Moon Jae-in regime.
[Kang Min-guk/Chief Spokesperson of the People Power Party: I think the issue is why it was installed in the military headquarters where the South Korean Army’s guard (shield and castle) was raised during the Moon Jae-in administration. It is more important for the general public to be able to see it… .]
The Ministry of National Defense, which has always emphasized political neutrality, appears to be embroiled in an unexpected historical-ideological controversy with the relocation of the bust.
In addition, we are facing an awkward situation due to the overlap of whether to relocate the bust of General Hong Beom-do in front of the entrance of the Ministry of National Defense and whether to change the name of the Navy ship Hong Beom-do.