Busts of six independence fighters stand in front of the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan District, Seoul, Aug. 28, 2023. The independence activists represented are Hong Beom-do, Ahn Jung-geun, Yoon Bong-gil, Lee Bong-chang, Kang Woo-kyu and Park Seung-kwan. Yonhap

A group of independence fighters' descendants criticized the defense ministry, Thursday, for the Korea Military Academy's attempt to relocate the bust of independence fighter Hong Beom-do due to his past record of collaborating with Soviet communist forces.

Calling the relocation plan "a traitorous act," the group known as Heritage of Korean Independence said the government should destroy the bust rather than move it to another location.

"The Korea Military Academy's plan to relocate the bust of General Hong Beom-do goes against President Yoon Suk Yeol's governing philosophy," the association said in a statement.

The group called for Defense Minister Shin Won-sik's resignation, saying, "The Ministry of Defense was heavily involved in its plan to remove and relocate busts of independence fighters. It damaged the reputation of independence activists."

In August last year, the government announced it was considering relocating Hong's bust from outside of the military academy leading to fierce debate over its legitimacy, with the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and advocates for independence fighters strongly protesting the move.

Born in 1868, Hong is a renowned independence fighter who was the commander-in-chief of the Korean Independence Army. He led some 1,300 freedom fighters to victory against Japanese troops at the Battle of Bongodong in 1920.

He moved to the Soviet Union the following year to seek refuge from Japanese forces. He was forced to relocate to Kazakhstan in 1937 under then-Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin's policy of forced relocation, along with many other ethnic Koreans.

The dispute is a recurring theme in Korean politics where conservatives and liberals tend to hold different views on Korea's history following its independence from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial occupation.

The defense ministry was seeking to relocate busts of four other independence fighters, including General Kim Jwa-jin — which are currently situated alongside Hong's. However, the relocation plan may change as it faces strong opposition from the DPK, which achieved a decisive victory in the April 10 general elections by winning 175 seats out of 300.

In response to the strong backlash, an ROK Army official said, "No specific decision has been made yet, and we are currently reviewing the plan."