Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs to Soon Recommend Director Kim Hyungseok's Dismissal to President

Audit findings and other grounds for dismissal presented at hearing

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs is expected to soon recommend to the president the dismissal of Kim Hyungseok, head of the Independence Hall of Korea.

Yonhap News Agency

On February 3, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs held a hearing at the Government Complex Sejong to guarantee the right of defense of Independence Hall Director Kim Hyungseok, who is facing dismissal. The hearing proceeded for about two hours, with the ministry explaining the causes and legal grounds for the dismissal and Director Kim presenting his views.

The ministry is said to have cited as grounds for dismissal the recently announced audit findings on Director Kim, violations of the founding purpose stipulated in Article 1 of the Independence Hall of Korea Act and its articles of association, and significant disruption to the performance of his duties as director of the Independence Hall.

In a recent audit, the ministry examined issues including the controversy over Director Kim allegedly privatizing the Independence Hall, budget execution, and his overall conduct including the use of business promotion expenses, and announced 14 instances of misconduct. Earlier, the board of directors of the Independence Hall also passed a motion recommending his dismissal based on the audit results.

However, Director Kim, who attended with his legal counsel, is reported to have countered that the audit was conducted improperly for the purpose of dismissing him, irrespective of the substantive facts. He is also said to be considering legal action, including an administrative lawsuit.

With the completion of the hearing procedure, Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kwon Oeul is expected to soon recommend his dismissal to the president. The dismissal of the director of the Independence Hall requires presidential approval.

Director Kim was appointed in 2024 under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, and the ruling bloc has been calling for his resignation, describing him as a New Right scholar with a distorted view of history. In particular, on August 15 last year, during a ceremony at the Independence Hall marking the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day, he sparked controversy by asserting that "there is also a view that liberation was a gift from the Allied Powers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.