Lee Young-ae Criticized For Donating To Rhee Syngman Memorial Hall, “I’m Grateful That I Don’t Have To Live In North Korea”
Actress Lee Young-ae took a stand on the controversy over her donation of 50 million won to build the Presidential Memorial of Rhee Syng-man
Regarding the criticism of her donation to the construction of the Presidential Memorial of Rhee Syng-man, Lee Young-ae said on October 3rd that her actions were aimed at harmony.
Rhee Syng-man was the first President of South Korea from 1948 to 1960, who had contributed to the independence of the country. However, many people criticized for allegedly trying to seek dictatorship.
As a media outlet published an article criticizing Rhee Syng-man’s mistakes, telling Lee Young-ae to look carefully at his mistakes, the actress countered, “I’m not trying to cover up his mistakes.”
“The fundamental purpose (of the donation) is that the mistakes of those who served as presidents will remain in history as mistakes, but if we don’t hate each other while looking at their contributions and harmonizing, our children can live in a more peaceful country,” she reiterated.
In a letter sent to Kim Hwang-sik, chairman of the Presidential Memorial Foundation, Lee Young-ae wrote that President Rhee Syng-man was “a man who laid the foundation stone for a free Korea.” “My purpose is to thank him for protecting our country from North Korea’s armed invasion and help us not become a country like North Korea.”
“If our country had become an autocratic communist state of an individual family according to the ambition of the North Korean regime, our children would now be living in the poorest and least free place in the world. What a terrible thing this is,” she pointed out.
Earlier on September 12th, Lee Young-ae donated 50 million won to the Presidential Memorial Foundation for the construction of the memorial hall.
In addition to the Presidential Memorial Foundation of Rhee Syng-man, Lee Young-ae also sponsored the Presidential Foundation of other past presidents such as Park Chung-hee, Kim Young-sam, Kim Dae Jung, and Roh Moo Hyun.
Source: insight
