Seoul: The defense ministry will consider revoking an order of military merit awarded to a late colonel who led a bloody crackdown on a 1948 uprising on Jeju Island, officials said Monday, amid criticism over his recent designation as a person of national merit.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the defense ministry announced, "Feasible measures will be taken after a comprehensive review of relevant law and the (investigation) outcome of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission." This decision follows President Lee Jae Myung's directive to the veterans ministry to reevaluate the status of the late Army Col. Park Jin-kyung, who was criticized for leading a violent suppression of civilians during the uprising.

The Jeju uprising, which began on April 3, 1948, is recorded as one of the bloodiest government crackdowns in South Korea, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 14,000 to 30,000 civilians. This tragic event took place during a period of armed resistance by Jeju residents against the U.S. military government and subsequent South Korean government after Korea's liberation from Japanese rule.

In October, the veterans ministry approved a request from Park's family to recognize him as a person of national merit due to his military decoration. This recognition granted various state benefits to his relatives and descendants. However, the public backlash prompted the ministry to apologize to victims and bereaved families for not thoroughly screening the case.

While the veterans ministry is responsible for designating individuals as persons of national merit, these decisions are based on military decorations. In Park's situation, the defense ministry had recommended him for a military honor, which qualified him for the national merit designation. A veterans ministry official noted that Park's designation cannot be arbitrarily withdrawn, but if the defense ministry revokes his military decoration, the national merit status could be retroactively canceled.