The veterans ministry said Wednesday it will seek to identify more independence activists who have yet to be recognized for their role in achieving Korea’s independence from Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule and award state honors to them. In a policy briefing to President Lee Jae Myung, the ministry said it plans to award more than 600 independence activists previously not recognized by the state, up from 502 in 2025, according to the ministry. The government is also pushing to reassess the contributions of independence activists by reviewing newly discovered achievements and granting additional state honors based on the findings. “Given that times have changed, I suggested that it may be necessary to revisit the criteria as well,” Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul told a press briefing on Monday. The ministry is reviewing focusing the reassessment on independence activists who were awarded the Order of the President or the Order of Independence before the 1970s, when historical records and relevant research were insufficient. There are currently about 18,000 people who have been awarded state h
Veterans ministry to expand state awards to independence activists
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