On the final day of the Liberation Day holiday, President Lee Jae-myung watched the documentary film 'Independence Army: The Ongoing War' about General Hong Beom-do with citizens on the 17th.
On the morning of that day, President Lee watched the film with 119 citizens selected through a pre-announcement lottery at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Yongsan District, Seoul. Also present was First Lady Kim Hye-kyung.
Earlier, on the 16th, President Lee noted on Facebook, 'To commemorate the 80th anniversary of liberation, I will watch the movie 'Independence Army: The Ongoing War' recommended by actor Jo Jin-woong,' adding, 'In the foundation of the prosperity and freedom we enjoy today, there exist countless unnamed heroes who, with an unwavering will for liberation and strong hope for the recovery of sovereignty, sacrificed themselves.'
Before the movie started, President Lee visited the theater with First Lady Kim Hye-kyung. He greeted citizens and took photos. He also asked Jeong Jong-min, CEO of CJ CGV, 'The audience has increased a bit because of the people's livelihood recovery consumption coupons, right?'
After the movie, which lasted just over 100 minutes, he asked actor Jo Jin-woong, 'When did you start filming the movie?' to which Jo replied, 'I started filming from the previous administration.' First Lady Kim also commented, 'I thought the movie would be really long, but it was short. It was engaging.'
This film primarily deals with General Hong Beom-do's wartime experiences. Former President Yoon Suk-yeol had caused ideological controversy by announcing plans to transfer the statue of General Hong at the Korea Army Academy in 2023. At the time, the government raised concerns about General Hong's history of activities with the Soviet Communist Party.