Lee orders review of revoking April 3-linked honors

Dec 15, 2025, 10:19 am

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President Lee Jae-myung speaks during a policy briefing by the Ministry of Education, the National Education Commission and the Ministry of Government Legislation at the Government Sejong Convention Center in Sejong on Dec. 12. / Source: Yonhap News

The presidential office said on Dec. 15 that President Lee Jae-myung has instructed the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs to review whether to revoke the state honoree status of the late Col. Park Jin-kyung, who has been at the center of controversy over responsibility for the suppression of the Jeju April 3 uprising.

According to the presidential office, Lee issued the directive on Dec. 14, calling for a review of the process that led to Park’s designation as a national merit recipient.

Following the president’s instruction, the ministry is expected to examine procedures to cancel Park’s status under the Act on Decorations and Medals, which allows the revocation of honors if the cited merits are later found to be false. The review will focus on whether Park’s actions during the April 3 crackdown undermine the grounds for his recognition as a state honoree.

However, Veterans Affairs Minister Kwon Oh-eul previously said on Dec. 11 that while all administrative procedures had been examined, the issue would require legislative action. “Under the current system, it is not possible to cancel the registration,” Kwon said at the time.

In a Facebook post on Dec. 14, Kwon said he was “completely knocked out” by the controversy surrounding the issuance of a state honoree certificate bearing President Lee’s name to a figure identified as responsible for suppressing the April 3 uprising. He said he had visited bereaved families of April 3 victims on Dec. 11 to offer apologies and promise corrective measures, and later met with conservative veterans’ group leaders in Jeju to seek their understanding.

Kwon said April 3 victims were “victims of state violence,” while soldiers and police mobilized at the time were also “victims of a chaotic era.” He added that the ministry would assess the matter based on facts and pursue follow-up measures, noting that “the work of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, where ideology and political camps collide, is by no means easy.”

Park, who was appointed commander of the 9th Regiment stationed in Jeju in May 1948, is widely known for leading hardline suppression operations. April 3 civic groups have long criticized him as bearing responsibility for civilian massacres.

In October, the Seoul Veterans Affairs Office approved an application by Park’s bereaved family to register him as a state honoree based on his receipt of a military merit medal. A certificate bearing the seals of President Lee and Minister Kwon was subsequently issued. After the decision became public, April 3 organizations demanded the immediate revocation of Park’s designation.

#Lee Jae-myung #Jeju April 3 #Park Jin-kyung #state honoree #Veterans Affairs