Shim Yong-hwan, who made a principled statement amid the controversy over Ha Young's "pro-Japanese" family, now says, "What does a father's merit have to do with his son's life?" [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Historian Shim Yong-hwan, who had taken a cautious stance on the controversy surrounding actress Ha Young's pro-Japanese family background, went on to discuss descendants of independence activists.

On the 28th, through his personal SNS, Shim posed the question: "Why should 'descendants of independence activists' inherit the honor of independence activists? As time passes, the scope of 'great-grandchildren' or collateral relatives expands, leading to the rampant use of vague terms like 'descendants.' Is this a normal situation?"

He then criticized celebrities who appear on broadcasts claiming to be one with independence activists despite having no knowledge whatsoever of their ancestors' activities, as well as those who create buzz by claiming to be descendants of pro-Japanese figures. "Even after witnessing all kinds of situations, most historians simply swallow their saliva," he remarked.

In particular, Shim emphasized: "Is this normal? What does a father's merit have to do with his son's life? Isn't An Jung-geun's nobility entirely unrelated to the foolishness of his eldest son, An Jun-saeng? Is South Korea still a Confucian monarchy requiring four generations of ancestral worship? Coldly speaking, even if one is only a grandson, it is irrelevant in reality. The modern history of South Korea has become far more complex. Shouldn't each person be evaluated based on their own merits and faults?"

Previously, Shim stated that two key issues needed to be addressed regarding the pro-Japanese status of Ha Young's great-grandfather, Ahn Sang-ho: "First, whether being listed in the Daetong Friendship Association roster alone justifies labeling someone as a pro-Japanese collaborator; second, whether Ahn Sang-ho committed crimes worthy of historical condemnation."

Below is the full text of Shim Yong-hwan's post.

<The Issue of Treatment for Descendants of Independence Activists or Anti-Japanese Fighters>

"Why should 'descendants of independence activists' inherit the honor of independence activists? As time passes, the scope of 'great-grandchildren' or collateral relatives expands, leading to the rampant use of vague terms like 'descendants.' Is this a normal situation?"

Since these are individuals who are already highly exposed, I will speak directly. Politician Kim Jong-in is the grandson of Kim Byeong-ro, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, a prominent civil rights lawyer during the Japanese colonial period, and an independence activist. Kim Jong-in was punished for bribery due to his involvement in the creation and transfer of slush funds during the Roh Tae-woo administration. Although he prides himself as a political veteran, symbolized by his five nationwide National Assembly elections, his political conduct was typical of that of a "spring bird" (one who changes allegiance with the wind).

As for current #Gwangbok Association President Lee Jong-chan, just as Park Geun-hye's confidant Yoo Young-ha directly criticized him in the National Assembly, he was selected by Chun Doo-hwan. Lee began his political career upon becoming a member of the National Security Planning Committee (NSPC), an organization established by the military junta that suppressed the the 18th Gwangju Uprising and played a decisive role in building the Fifth Republic around then-President Chun Doo-hwan. Lee flourished during the Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo administrations, enjoyed prominence under the Kim Dae-jung administration after opposing Kim Young-sam, and continues to wield immense influence under the name of being a descendant of the Lee Hoe-young family.

Are these figures too old? Let's then look at '#Kim Yong-man (Rep.)', the great-grandson of #Kim Gu, who has recently gained attention. Setting aside discussions about his criminal convictions involving his father and uncle, the issue lies with his grandfather, #Kim Shin. Kim Shin was the second son of Kim Gu and made remarkable contributions to defending free Korea after liberation, including serving as Chief of Staff of the Air Force during the Korean War.

However, unlike his father Kim Gu, he did not shy away from a glamorous path. He enjoyed all privileges under the Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan administrations. During the the 16th military coup, he served as Chairman of the National Reconstruction Committee; during the Park Chung-hee administration, he was Ambassador to the Republic of China and Minister of Transport; and when the Yushin system was established, he became a member of the 9th Yushin United Party in the National Assembly. The pinnacle of Kim Shin's political career was serving as the first director of the Independence Hall of Korea. The problem is that the Independence Hall was established early in the Chun Doo-hwan administration and functioned politically at the time, regardless of its current value.

In fact, the background to why Kim Gu's name, once a taboo during the Syngman Rhee administration, became widely known today cannot be ignored as being based on Kim Shin's active support for the government, as well as the contributions of Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan, who honored the son of an anti-Japanese revolutionary. Why does 'Kim Yong-man (Rep.)' only mention his great-grandfather Kim Gu while omitting any reference to his grandfather Kim Shin?

This discussion could go on endlessly. Lee Jong-geol Jeon (Rep.) emphasized that the Lee Hoe-young family spent over 1 trillion won to build the Heungmin Military Academy, yet never uttered a single word about Lee Hoe-young's extreme leftist tendencies and anarchist background in public forums. It is also well known that there was significant criticism regarding Yoon Ju-kyung, a descendant of martyr Yoon Bong-gil.

The essence of the issue lies in the elderly desire to elevate one's own honor and status by invoking the names of widely known independence activists. Additionally, it is a fact easily observable within this circle that most commemorative associations are made possible through the financial support of economically successful descendants, leading to conflicts among these descendants.

Celebrities who appear on broadcasts claiming to be one with independence activists despite having no knowledge whatsoever of their ancestors' activities. Conversely, celebrities who create buzz by claiming to be descendants of pro-Japanese figures. Even after witnessing all kinds of situations, most historians simply swallow their saliva.

Is this normal? What does a father's merit have to do with his son's life? Isn't An Jung-geun's nobility entirely unrelated to the foolishness of his eldest son, An Jun-saeng? Is South Korea still a Confucian monarchy requiring four generations of ancestral worship? Coldly speaking, even if one is only a grandson, it is irrelevant in reality. The modern history of South Korea has become far more complex. Shouldn't each person be evaluated based on their own merits and faults?

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.