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The strongest pillars supporting the Republic of Korea and maintaining its continuity are the just compensation and trust in veteran affairs for those who sacrificed for the nation. Only when there is confidence that the state will take responsibility for those who gave their lives in times of national crisis, will the patriotism and will to protect sovereignty among citizens truly function. However, our society is currently being shaken to its core by a "fake veteran" cartel, which hides behind the sanctified title of national veteran to enjoy unfair privileges, undermining the nation's systems.

While the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs supports approximately 830,000 national veterans, safeguarding the identity and pride of the Republic of Korea, the "fake veteran" cartel, exploiting weak endorsements and flawed reviews, is paralyzing the nation's moral operating system and causing conflict.

1. The Fake Veteran Cartel is a Crime Exploiting Information Secrecy and Asymmetry

Fake veterans are individuals registered as veterans without any actual contributions or sacrifices. The fake veteran cartel is a self-serving collective of high-ranking individuals in politics, media, culture and arts, education, and social movements who acquire and maintain veteran status through power dynamics. Those who unjustly hold veteran status are thieves who steal the honor of real heroes, parasites who plunder national resources, and perpetrators of grave offenses against national integrity.

The critical background behind the formation of the fake veteran cartel is the impenetrable shield of "non-disclosure of danh dậ." In particular, some veterans of the May 18 Democratization Movement have their danh dậ and records of service thoroughly concealed under the guise of personal information protection laws. Numerous organizations have urged the disclosure of the May 18 veteran danh dậ for the sake of national justice and public harmony, but the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs has remained unresponsive.

A state of "blind administration" persists, where it is impossible to know the basis on which individuals became veterans. Within this loophole, the phenomenon of "identity laundering," where individuals who were not present at the actual May 18 democratization movement or were unrelated to the events acquire veteran status, has continued for a long time.

2. The Fake Veteran Cartel is a Corrupt Triangle Alliance of Politics, Administration, and Region

The May 18 veteran system was first established in 1990 with the enactment of the "Gwangju Compensation Act." Initially, compensation focused on "related individuals" such as the deceased and the injured. However, with the enactment of the Honor and Merit Act in 2002, their status was elevated to "veterans," and veteran benefits were significantly enhanced.

Certain political factions have packaged their support bases as veterans, granting them status and economic benefits. The system of "reciprocal endorsements," where politicians attest to each other's merits, has undermined the veteran verification system, leading to a continuous expansion of the scope of beneficiaries within a cartel structure that links politics, administration, and region.

According to a Sky Daily report on May 18, 2023, suspicions were raised that among May 18 veterans, 135 out of 181 journalists (approximately 75%), 160 out of 179 in culture and arts (approximately 89%), and 308 out of 339 politicians (approximately 91%) were either fake or had unclear contributions.

The claim that 254 out of 309 individuals in education, including 15 university presidents (approximately 82%), and 57 out of 67 religious figures (approximately 85%) were unqualified suggests that veteran affairs have devolved into a "distribution channel for the benefit" of specific groups.

3. Fake Veterans Enjoy Secret Benefits While Real Heroes Are Neglected in Veteran Affairs Corruption

While fake veterans enjoy benefits, real heroes who risked their lives have been neglected due to administrative ignorance and indifference. The 46 heroes of the Cheonan ship and the key figures of the First Battle of Yeonpyeong defended our territorial waters at the risk of their lives, yet they still have not received adequate compensation for PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and remain in the blind spots of veteran affairs. In fact, eight soldiers who participated in the First Battle of Yeonpyeong were denied veteran status after their service because they had engaged in economic activities or lacked a PTSD diagnosis, which was not established at the time of the incident.

Conversely, those accused of being fake veterans are causing extreme equity issues by receiving compensation not only through unscientific endorsements but also for the trauma of their parents and siblings. In particular, the act of children of veterans preying on the opportunities of honest young people through unfair advantages such as preferential treatment in employment (5-10%) is a destruction of social fairness that has not been improved. In national examinations where a 0.1-point difference is crucial, the preferential treatment for children of veterans instills not just anger but despair in young people who value fairness.

Allowing the fake veteran cartel to persist is a cowardly insult to the soldiers who perished in the fires of war, and to the ancestors and patriotic spirits who genuinely dedicated themselves to their country.

4. Implement Public Disclosure of Veterans and a Veteran Re-evaluation Project

The integrity of the national system takes precedence over the private right to personal information. The government must immediately reclaim veteran affairs administration from local governments and ensure transparency by fully disclosing veteran danh dậ and records of service. A "Fake Veteran Cleanup TF" should be established to recover all illegally obtained funds with legal interest, and the officials and politicians involved in this collusion must be held strictly accountable for "violating national sovereignty."

Only by dismantling the privilege cartel built on power can the Republic of Korea restore its moral legitimacy. Decisively weeding out the fake and more highly honoring the genuine to create a transparent nation is the greatest legacy we can pass on to future generations. The resources secured by removing the fake should be concentrated on the real heroes who risked their lives, such as the victims of the genuine democratization movement, fallen soldiers and police officers, and the heroes of the West Sea Defense.

Currently, 243 local governments, including 17 metropolitan and 226 basic local governments, provide veteran honor stipends, and the disparities are vast. The reality of local government heads using national honor as their political assets for electioneering is an insult to national identity and integrity. The situation where the value of patriotism is tiered based on residency, and the honor stipends, which have become a means of preferential treatment for certain political factions and a waste of taxpayer money, are being spent without central government control, should be reviewed for a unified payment method.

The honor of national veterans shines only when it stands on truth. Removing fake veterans and restoring a just and fair veteran system is the first step toward normalizing the Republic of Korea. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs is urged to take its final mission and decisive action to maintain the continuity of the Republic of Korea as a sovereign nation.

◆ Park Pil-gyu

Editor, Hanmi Ilbo

Korea Military Academy, Class of 40