Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung has instructed the veterans ministry to consider revoking the national merit status of a late Army colonel, following backlash over his involvement in the suppression of a civilian uprising on Jeju Island in 1948. Officials announced this directive on Monday after criticism emerged regarding the actions of Col. Park Jin-kyung.

According to Yonhap News Agency, President Lee's directive came a day after the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs faced scrutiny for awarding the designation to Col. Park, who allegedly led violent operations against civilians during the Jeju uprising. In October, the ministry approved a request from a member of Park's family to recognize him as a person of national merit, referencing a military decoration he had previously received. The certificate was given to Park's family last month.

This decision sparked public outcry, leading the ministry to issue an apology to the victims and families affected by the Jeju incident. Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul visited Jeju last week to apologize in person. However, he stated that the ministry currently lacks the legal authority to rescind the merit status, indicating that legislative changes would be necessary to alter such designations.

The Jeju uprising, which began on April 3, 1948, and lasted for seven years, saw Jeju islanders resist the U.S. military-led rule following Korea's liberation from Japanese occupation. The conflict resulted in the deaths of an estimated 14,000 to 30,000 civilians, representing up to 10 percent of the island's population at the time, due to armed crackdowns.