The office of President Yoon Suk Yeol denounced former President Moon Jae-in on Monday for "meddling excessively" in the issue surrounding the relocation of the bust of revered independence fighter Hong Beom-do from the Korea Military Academy (KMA).
The KMA announced a decision last Thursday to remove Hong's bust from its grounds in northern Seoul due to controversy over his past record of collaborating with Soviet communist forces. The statue was erected during Moon's presidency in 2018.
Moon showed apparent displeasure over the KMA's decision, saying in a Facebook post Sunday that the presidential office should step forward and clarify the issue because it has become a big controversy. Moon expressed similar concerns a week earlier, calling for a reconsideration of the bust relocation plan.
An aide to Yoon was asked to comment on Moon's remarks in a media briefing Monday and made the accusation, saying, "It's not a problem that the presidential office does not take action on the bust relocation issue."
Source: Yonhap News Agency