Groups representing the nation's independence fighters and their descendants have announced a boycott of the state ceremony marking Liberation Day on Thursday, calling for the resignation of Independence Hall President Kim Hyoung-suk amid controversy over his past remarks, which have been criticized as pro-Japanese.
 
The Korea Liberation Association announced on Sunday that, along with dozens of other independence movement groups, it plans to hold its own Liberation Day ceremony at the Kim Koo Museum and Library inside Hyochang Park. 

Twenty-five other groups that commemorate the independence movement also announced on Sunday that they plan to hold their own Liberation Day ceremony at Seoul's Hyochang Park, in collaboration with the Center for Historical Truth and Justice.
  
The alliance said that it will stage a rally in front of the Independence Hall on Wednesday, demanding that Kim step down.

On Monday, main opposition Democratic Party(DP) floor leader Park Chan-dae called on President Yoon Suk Yeol to immediately withdraw Kim’s appointment and issue a public apology.

The ruling People Power Party(PPP) said that August 15, which commemorates Korea's liberation from Japan's colonial rule in 1945, is a day of remembrance for all Koreans, stressing that attendance at the state event is not optional, nor should there be any preconditions.