"Kim Gu, Ahn Joonggeun Called Criminals, Yu Gwansun Dismissed? Posts Belittling Independence Activists Spread Ahead of Liberation Day"

Seokyung Deok: "Many Posts Mocking Independence Activists Still Remain"
"Posts Distorting Historical Facts... Deeply Troubling"

On the 13th, two days before the 81st Liberation Day, citizens visiting Seodaemun Prison History Hall in Seoul take commemorative photos in front of a large Taegeukgi flag. Photo by Yonhap News

As Liberation Day approaches, there has been growing concern over a series of social networking service (SNS) posts belittling independence activists.

On August 13, Seokyung Deok, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, pointed out on his Facebook page, "Ahead of the upcoming Liberation Day, I investigated posts mocking independence activists on TikTok last week and found that many such posts still remain, which has become a source of controversy." Professor Seo further explained that, after receiving reports from internet users and reviewing posts on Threads, he discovered numerous posts containing profanity and derogatory remarks about independence activists.

He stated, "It is at an extremely serious level," adding, "There are rampant insults directed at independence activists, posts circulating that are completely disconnected from historical facts, and attempts to rank the achievements of these activists, all of which are deeply troubling."

A social networking service (SNS) post mocking independence activists has sparked controversy. Professor Seo Kyungduk's Facebook

According to the posts made public by Professor Seo, some depicted independence activists such as Kim Gu, Ahn Joonggeun, and Yu Gwan-sun as if they were criminals. There were also posts mocking Yu Gwan-sun by associating her with Yi Wan-yong, one of the so-called "Five Eulsa Traitors."

In particular, some posts described Kim Gu as "a criminal with a record of murder and looting," or called Ahn Joonggeun "the culprit who pushed Japan toward imperialism and a murderer." Some even disparaged Yu Gwan-sun by saying "She had no real accomplishments." Additionally, there were posts belittling Yoon Bong-gil and Lee Bong-chang.

Professor Seo said, "No matter how much freedom of expression there may be, these misguided posts only serve to deny historical facts." He emphasized, "On Threads, the mocking comes through text content, and on TikTok, through videos and photos that ridicule independence activists. This must stop now."

He also called on internet users to actively report such content. "When you encounter this kind of malicious content, it is most important to actively report it so that these posts do not spread further," he said, adding, "Threads should also strengthen active monitoring to prevent such content from being uploaded." He further stated, "I will continue to do my best to widely promote the noble spirit and achievements of independence activists both domestically and internationally."

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