On the 29th, the Korea Military Academy Alumni Association issued a statement regarding the relocation of the bust of General Hong Beom-do installed in front of the Army Corps Chungmugwan (Cadet Learning Center) and said, “We must not let cadets salute the Soviet Army personnel.” Pointing out that General Hong belonged to the Soviet Army before liberation, it was interpreted as supporting the transfer of the bust of General Hong by the Ministry of National Defense and Army. The General Alumni Association said, “There were many opinions that the placement of the bust of General Hong Beom-do was inappropriate when the sculpture was installed in the military camp in 2018.” On this day, I had a phone interview with Park Jong-seon, president of the Korea Military Academy Alumni Association, who served as the 49th school principal from 2011 to 2012.
– Why did you give the entrance statement?
“There was an uproar at the military alumni reunion, saying that the military had become the subject of a political dispute. KakaoTalk group chat rooms are bubbling over메이저사이트. There was a minority of opinions asking if we could jump in in the midst of this, but the absolute majority of voices said, ‘We can’t stand by anymore.’”
– Among the five busts in front of Chungmugwan, General Hong is controversial.
“There is no intention to disparage those of national merit or independence. There’s no reason to cut it down. Currently, five busts are enshrined, and there is no great opposition to each figure at the general reunion. It also recognizes General Hong’s independence movement activities. However, this person’s last move is obviously controversial. It is known that General Hong sympathized with the Soviet Union when it disarmed the Korean Independence Army. General Kim Jwa-jin and Lee Beom-seok said that disarming should not be done, but they stood in the position of the Soviet Union. Afterwards, the disarmed independence army was almost annihilated, and hundreds of survivors stood before the Soviet court, and General Hong even served as a member of this judge. In the end, hundreds of independence fighters were executed and imprisoned as a result of this trial. General Hong served in the Soviet Army, met Lenin, received a pistol, and took pictures.”
– You received a medal in recognition of your independent activities.
“In historical evaluation, I think what happened later is important. If you reflect and repent, you can forgive. However, no matter how well you do, it becomes a different story if things change later. General Hong was active in the independence army, but eventually stood on the side of the Soviet Army.”
-There is also a ship called Hong Beom.
“Isn’t the location of the bust controversial now? Everyone acknowledges and respects that he is a man of merit. Chungmugwan, where the bust is located, is a place where cadets come and go several times a day. No one told them to, but the cadets voluntarily saluted in front of the bust. But at the time of June 25, our enemies were North Korean, Chinese, and Soviet troops. Isn’t it an exposed fact that the Soviet Union watched Kim Il-sung’s invasion from behind? However, a critical mind is being raised as to whether it would be okay to let our cadets salute a person who served in the Soviet Army.”
-The bust was already installed five years ago.
“The controversy over the bust of Hong Beom-do occurred during the installation in 2018 as well as within the General Alumni Association. But at the time, could the general alumni association act as a group? I said let’s stay for a while. I wasn’t the president at the time, so I don’t know exactly. However, this time, the political struggle over the military history was more severe than that time, and if left as it is, the cadets who should focus on their studies would be confused, so it was decided that we should establish a clear view of the history of the military history, so we issued a statement.”
-Is there any solution?
“The five busts in front of Chungmugwan are all figures of the Independence and Liberation Army. However, there are no busts of national heroes related to the Korean War. In the first place, if the bust of the 6·25 hero had been placed together with the bust in front of Chungmugwan, it would have created a sense of balance and would not have led to such an argument. There are statues such as Van Fleet, a US soldier who contributed to the opening of the Army Corps with his own money, and Major Kang Jae-gu, who saved a soldier by blocking a grenade with his body in 1965. We have to fix it right now.”