▲This photo provided by Showbox show scene from 'Exhuma.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

SEOUL April 23 (Yonhap) -- Kim Jeong-ryuk, the son of independence activist Kim Sang-duk (1892-1956), recently shared his impressions on the box-office hit film "Exhuma," which has surpassed 10 million viewers.

"Exhuma" has gained attention for its incorporation of hidden "anti-Japanese codes" throughout the story, particularly in the adoption of names of independence activists from the Japanese colonial era for its characters.

The character played by actor Choi Min-sik, a feng shui master, is named after Kim Sang-duk, who served as the chairman of the "Special Commission for Investigating Anti-National Activities" (known as the "Anti-National Commission") established in 1948, drawing from his role as an independence activist.

Director Jang Jae-hyun, who appeared on a broadcast last month, expressed his emotional connection to the film, stating, "I wanted to summon the independence activists who sacrificed for the nation." 

 

▲This photo shows Kim Sang-duk. (Yonhap) 

Kim Jeong-ryuk, speaking to Yonhap News on April 23, initially felt reluctant about his father's name being attached to a character unrelated to his father's profession. However, he expressed pride in the positive reactions he has received since the movie's release.

Born in Nanjing, China, in 1935, Kim Jeong-ryuk followed his father, who was active in the provisional government, throughout his upbringing. He recalled the hardships his family faced, including the loss of his youngest sister and his own placement in an orphanage at the age of four.

"Seeing his youngest child starve to death deeply impacted my father. While he usually enjoyed watching his children play, on the way to the orphanage, he kept his head down and remained silent. He was a kind father who always embraced his son tightly whenever he visited the orphanage once a month."

▲This photo shows Kim Jeong-Ryuk. (Photo by Choi Won-jeong) 

After liberation, Kim Sang-duk, who later served as a member of the first National Assembly, took a leading role in establishing the Anti-National Commission to investigate and punish pro-Japanese activities during the colonial period.

The activities of the Anti-National Commission posed a significant threat to pro-Japanese forces, including the military and police at the time. Kim Jeong-ryuk asserted that the commission faced persistent interference from President Rhee Syngman's regime, including assassination attempts targeting his father.

"Around late May 1949, President Rhee visited our house and offered to appoint my father as the Minister of Education. My father, enraged, asked, 'Are you bargaining with a traitor who concealed the daggers in the nation's back?' He could sense President Rhee's displeasure as he left with a sour expression, and he knew then that the Anti-National Commission was in deep trouble."

Ultimately, on June 6, the Anti-National Commission was neutralized by a police raid, and in July 1950, Kim Sang-duk was abducted to North Korea by two agents of the North Korean political security bureau.

Kim Jeong-ryuk, burdened by the label of "the son of a North Korean defector," struggled to make a living through newspaper delivery and temporary construction jobs. Surveillance on him persisted until his father was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1990.

Now, as he approaches the 68th anniversary of his father's passing on April 28, Kim Jeong-ryuk calls for an apology from the police who led the destruction of constitutional institutions and trampled on national dignity.

▲This photo shows various members who fought for Korean rights and freedom. (Yonhap) 
"I will have to apologize to my father when I see him again. He raised an unworthy child, and I've never been properly recognized. An apology from the police for their past mistakes would be the first step toward restoring honor."

 

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]