South Korean actress Ha Young (하영) recently became embroiled in controversy regarding her great-grandfather Ahn Sang-ho's (안상호) alleged pro-Japanese activities. As the issue escalated, past controversies involving her grandfather and her mother's previous remarks about having "200 million won in a safe" during an interview also resurfaced, sparking further public discussion. Amidst this, actor Song Il-kook (송일국), the great-grandson of Korean independence activist General Kim Chwa-chin (김좌진), has seen his past comments about the plight of independence heroes' descendants recirculate, drawing significant attention.
In May, Song Il-kook appeared on MBN's program Kim Ju-ha's Day&Night, where he discussed his sense of responsibility as a descendant of an independence hero and his family's journey. During the show, the host asked Song if his three sons understood the importance of their ancestors. He admitted, "They don't quite understand yet. To be honest, even I only truly grasped the meaning of these things after I turned 30."
Song Il-kook revealed that his family constantly reminded him from a young age: "At the very least, don't do anything that would shame your grandfather (Kim Chwa-chin)." He now tells the same to his three sons, explaining, "I can't help it, because there's a line we can't cross. I tell them, 'If you do something wrong, five generations will be affected.'" He chuckled, noting that his family lineage, including General Kim Chwa-chin, his grandfather Kim Du-han (김두한), his mother Kim Eul-dong (김을동), and himself, has always been under public scrutiny. "And my mother is also a high-ranking public official," he added, making his children's every move particularly noticeable.
Song Il-kook also spoke about his feelings as a descendant of General Kim Chwa-chin, revealing that this family history is viewed very differently by outsiders compared to his own family. He stated, "General Kim Chwa-chin is a hero in the eyes of the public, but what people don't know is that, from a family's perspective, he was truly a husband and father who caused his family immense hardship."
Song Il-kook disclosed that Kim Chwa-chin invested most of his wealth into the independence movement, leading to severe financial difficulties for his family left in Korea. He recalled that Kim Chwa-chin once lived in a large 99-room house in Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province, which by modern standards would be comparable to the wealth of a mid-sized business owner.
However, to fund the independence movement, Kim Chwa-chin later sold off and distributed much of his family's assets, even converting his own residence into a school. His family's life plummeted from affluence into hardship. Song Il-kook described it as if his family, who had been living comfortably, suddenly lost everything and even faced homelessness, while Kim Chwa-chin himself went to Manchuria to dedicate himself to the independence movement. "You can imagine how much his family resented their father at the time," Song said.
Song Il-kook also shared a family photo taken before the Korean War, featuring four generations of women: his mother, former actress and politician Kim Eul-dong, who was only six years old at the time; General Kim Chwa-chin's mother; his wife Oh Suk-geun (오숙근); and Kim Du-han's wife Lee Jae-hee (이재희).
Looking at the family in the photo, Song Il-kook remarked with emotion, "Watching these women, I truly feel their lives were incredibly tumultuous." He lamented that these women, by marrying men who were swept into the currents of history, endured unimaginable hardships.
Among other topics, Song Il-kook's discussion of the stark reality between the descendants of pro-Japanese collaborators and independence activists garnered particular attention. He stated bluntly, "Ironically, because of this, the pro-Japanese collaborators actually took better care of their families."
He further explained that some pro-Japanese individuals, by not participating in the independence movement, were able to retain more resources for their families, providing their children with good education and even sending them to study abroad. In contrast, the descendants of independence heroes who sacrificed everything for the cause found it "difficult to even feed themselves, let alone study." Song Il-kook believes this is precisely why Korean society should do more to support the descendants of independence activists.
Additionally, Song Il-kook shared a past experience of visiting the National Cemetery with his mother-in-law after his marriage. He recalled that his mother-in-law took his hand, led him to a small tombstone, and told him, "Go pay your respects to him; he is my father."
It turned out that Song Il-kook's father-in-law had died during the Korean War. Song remembered his mother-in-law telling him, "While there are heroes like General Kim Chwa-chin, it is precisely because of countless unknown soldiers that victory was achieved in the war." These words deeply moved him.
Song Il-kook concluded emotionally, "Our nation was built on the sacrifices of countless individuals, but we often only remember heroes like my grandfather." He emphasized that beyond remembering historical heroes, it is crucial not to forget the "countless nameless victims who disappeared without leaving their names," as their sacrifices are equally deserving of remembrance.
