General Hong Beom-do, the hero of the Battle of Bongodong, is at the center of controversy in 2023. The controversy began when the Ministry of National Defense announced its plan to remove the busts of General Hong Beom-do installed at the Korea Military Academy and the Ministry of National Defense in August. Although his remains were repatriated to his homeland in 2021, 78 years after his death in Kazakhstan in 1943, there are still pros and cons in South Korea regarding his life and achievements. There seems to be no doubt about General Hong Beom-do's achievements as a leader of the independence army. The Battle of Bongodong in June 1920 was the first official victory of our independence army against the Japanese regular army, and the Battle of Cheongsanri in October of the same year was recorded as the independence army's greatest victory. General Hong Beom-do is the only high-ranking official who participated in both of these battles. ■ The Jayu City Massacre and Joining the Communist Party The core of the controversy surrounding General Hong is his role in the Jayu City Massacre and his history of joining the Communist Party. The Jayu City Massacre was a tragedy in which about 100 independence fighters were killed in the process of the Far East Republic disarming the Korean volunteer army belonging to the Shanghai faction among the independence fighters who gathered in Jayu City (now Svobodny, Russia) from Gando, Primorsky Krai, and Sakhalin in 1921. Despite their achievements in the Battle of Bongodong and the Battle of Cheongsanri, our independence fighters lost their center of gravity and were scattered again after the Jayu City Massacre. There is an argument that General Hong Beom-do is responsible for this tragedy because he was closely related to the Irkutsk faction, which was in conflict with the Shanghai faction. However, according to documents obtained by [Current Affairs Planning Window] at the time, General Hong Beom-do consistently demanded that the Soviet Union investigate the truth about the Jayu City Massacre and punish those responsible. He also publicly expressed his desire to escape from the control of the Irkutsk faction. The fact that General Hong Beom-do joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1927 led to even more heated controversy. The main basis for the argument that the busts in the Korea Military Academy and the Ministry of National Defense should be removed is his history of joining the Communist Party. The logic is that a person who contributed to the Communist regime cannot be the root of the Republic of Korea Army. General Hong even met Lenin in person in Moscow in January 1922, five years before joining the Communist Party, and received a pistol as a gift. However, academics believe that it was only natural that General Hong had such a close relationship, as Soviet Russia was the only force that supported the independence movement against imperialist powers including Japan at the time. They also argue that the historical context in which Lenin, who founded the Soviet Union, and his successor Stalin were leaders with completely different personalities should be considered. ■ Construction of the 'Rhee Syngman Memorial Hall' also being promoted... A 'history war' without contact This 'history war' that took place in 2023 encompasses not only General Hong Beom-do but also President Rhee Syngman. This is another controversy that was recently ignited by the promotion of the construction of President Rhee Syngman Memorial Hall and the movement to reevaluate his achievements as a national father. On the other hand, there are voices that say that the truth about the massacre of civilians committed during the presidency of Syngman Rhee should be the priority. [Current Affairs Planning Window] delves into the 'history war' that seems difficult to find common ground. We focused on clarifying the facts by deeply analyzing historical materials that have not been released until now. The debate, which was more confusing because it was far from everyday life, can be clearly understood through [Current Affairs Planning Window]. #Hong Beom-do #Battle of Bongodong #Battle of Cheongsanri #Kazakhstan #Almaty #Kyzylorda #Koryoin #Free City Massacre #Communist Party #Lenin #Stalin #Military Academy #Ministry of National Defense #Syngman Rhee #Syngman Rhee Memorial Hall #War of History Broadcast date and time: Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 22:00 KBS1TV/ YouTube 'Current Affairs Planning Window' Homepage https://news.kbs.co.kr/vod/program.do... YouTube / @kbssisa Facebook / changkbs WAVVE Search for 'Current Affairs Planning Window'