© 한국청소년정책연대(The People’s Solidarity for Korea Youth Policy) 제공

최근 윤석열 대통령이 김형석 교수를 독립기념관장으로 임명하자 논란은 점점 커지는 모양새다. 

지난 10일 청소년단체도 성명을 내고 김 교수의 독립기념관장 임명 철회를 요구하고 나섰다. 이종찬 광복회장이 김 교수를 뉴라이트(친일) 인사로 지목해 철회를 촉구하고, 광복절 기념식 불참을 선언한 가운데 향후 정부의 대응이 주목된다. 

한국청소년정책연대(The People’s Solidarity for Korea Youth Policy;PSFKYP)는 성명에서 “독립기념관은 수많은 청소년들이 방문해 독립운동의 산 역사를 배우고 꽃다운 나이에 조국을 위해 희생한 독립투사들의 얼과 숭고한 희생정신을 배우는 중요한 장소”라며 “독립기념관 수장에 ‘일제 강점기가 한국 근대화에 도움이 됐다'고 주장하는 사람이 관장이 된다는 것은 미래 후손들에게 역사관 혼란을 야기함은 물론, 차마 부끄럽고 치욕스런 기막힌 일이 분명하다”고 비판했다.

광복회에 따르면 김 교수는 이승만 대통령을 우파, 김구 주석을 좌파로 갈라치기하고 대한민국이 1919년 임시정부로 건국된 것이 아니라 1948년에 건국됐다고 주장한 것으로 알려졌다.

김경훈 한국청소년정책연대 청소년 대표는 “신임 독립기념관장이 그간 자신이 일궈온 행적들이 독립의 기념이 아니라 일제 패망을 추념하는데 앞장서는 사람이라는 오명에 덮이지 않길 바란다”고 비판했다.

김 청소년대표는 또 “일제 강점기가 한국 근대화에 도움이 됐다는 인물이 독립기념관장을 한다는 것은 상상할 수도 없고 있어서도 안 되는 일”이라며 또래 청소년들도 어이없어 한다고 전했다.

한국청소년정책연대는 친일사고를 지닌 편향인사의 추천에 대해 “36년간의 일제 식민지배에 면죄부를 주고 되려 이를 미화하는 반역사적인 만행이며 반국가적 행태”라고 비판하고“‘대한국민은 3ㆍ1운동으로 건립된 대한민국임시정부의 법통을 계승한다’는 우리 헌법정신을 폄훼하고 친일사관에 물든 반역사적 집단의 심각한 도전행위”에 대해 좌시하지 않겠다고 주장했다.

한국청소년정책연대는 김 교수의 원장 철회를 요구하며 "광복의 얼이 서린 8월에 친일 뉴라이트 인사를 독립기념관장으로 임명한 것은 반국가적 헌법 부정행위로 국민들의 비난은 물론 정부의 정통성마저 의심받을 것이 분명하다. 윤 대통령은 대한민국 대통령으로서의 민족정기 선양에 앞장설 것”촉구했다.

한국청소년정책연대는 과거 미얀마 군부에 대한 규탄 성명을 발표한 바 있다. 

*아래는 위 기사를 '구글 번역'으로 번역한 영문 기사의 [전문]입니다. '구글번역'은 이해도 높이기를 위해 노력하고 있습니다. 영문 번역에 오류가 있을 수 있음을 전제로 합니다.<*The following is [the full text] of the English article translated by 'Google Translate'. 'Google Translate' is working hard to improve understanding. It is assumed that there may be errors in the English translation.>

“Creating confusion in young people’s view of history... opposition to the appointment of the director of the Independence Hall of Korea”

Korea Youth Policy Solidarity condemns “serious acts of defiance by an anti-historical group steeped in pro-Japanese historical views”

The controversy seems to be growing after President Yoon Seok-yeol recently appointed Professor Kim Hyeong-seok as the director of the Independence Hall of Korea.

On the 10th, youth groups also issued a statement demanding the withdrawal of Professor Kim's appointment as director of the Independence Hall of Korea. As Chairman Lee Jong-chan of the Liberation Association pointed out Professor Kim as a New Right (pro-Japanese) figure, called for a withdrawal, and announced that he would not attend the Liberation Day commemoration, the government's response in the future is attracting attention.

The People's Solidarity for Korea Youth Policy (PSFKYP) said in a statement, “Numerous young people visit Independence Hall to learn about the living history of the independence movement and to see the souls and noble spirit of sacrifice of the independence fighters who sacrificed themselves for their country at a young age. “It is an important place to learn about Korea,” he said. “For a person who claims that ‘the Japanese colonial period was helpful to the modernization of Korea’ to become the head of the Independence Hall of Korea is an outrageous thing that not only causes confusion in the future generations’ view of history, but is also shameful and disgraceful.” “He criticized.

According to the Liberation Association, Professor Kim is known to have divided President Rhee Syngman into the right wing and President Kim Koo to the left wing, and claimed that the Republic of Korea was not founded as a provisional government in 1919, but in 1948.

Kim Gyeong-hoon, PSFKYP youth representative, criticized, “I hope that the new director of the Independence Hall of Korea will not be covered by the stigma that his achievements so far are someone who takes the lead in commemorating the defeat of Japan rather than commemorating independence.”

Youth representative Kim also said, “It is inconceivable and should not be possible for a person who is said to have helped modernize Korea during the Japanese colonial period to be the director of the Independence Hall of Korea,” and said that youths of his age were also dumbfounded.

 PSFKYP criticized the recommendation of a biased person with pro-Japanese views as “an anti-historical atrocity and anti-national behavior that exonerates and glorifies 36 years of Japanese colonial rule,” and added, “The Korean people are He insisted that he would not sit idly by and ignore “serious acts of defiance by anti-historical groups steeped in pro-Japanese views of history and denigrating our constitutional spirit of ‘inheriting the legal tradition of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.’”

PSFKYP demanded Professor Kim's withdrawal from the directorate, saying, "Appointing a pro-Japanese New Right figure as the director of the Independence Hall in August, when the spirit of liberation was in full swing, is an anti-national constitutional fraud that will certainly draw criticism from the public and even question the legitimacy of the government." He urged President Yoon to take the lead in promoting national spirit as the president of the Republic of Korea.

PSFKYP has previously issued a statement condemning the Myanmar military.