The Korean ideology of reward for patriots who contributed to public interest
includes 3 values, ‘national independence’, ‘protection of state’, and
‘democratic development’. Each value should not be disgraced by making
unqualified people patriots. So, only when all those 3 values are kept pure, we
can say the government is loyal to the aim of reward for patriots and basic
principle of honorable treatment of them. The application of 3 values to people
shows that those values are sometimes harmonious, but are at other times
conflicting, especially. a man with a long life can be patriot in terms of one
value but can be traitor in terms of other value. It is very controversial how
we should treat him and whether he is a patriot or traitor, whose issue causes
national division and social conflict. For a man who only one value can be
applied to , the ideal type of Korean ideology of reward for patriots is that the
value is not disgraced and for a man who more than 2 values can be applied
to, the ideal type is they are harmonious, not contradictory. The cases of
conflict among 3 values are, ①to dishonor the value of national independence
but later contribute to the value of protection of state, ②to contribute to the
value of national independence but later be friendly to North Korea and
communism, ③ to contribute to democratic development but later be involved in
anti-state activities. To solve the contradiction of ①, the government should
deprive pro-Japanese soldiers, who actively cooperated with Japanese
Imperialism, of the right to be a man of national merit. To solve the
contradiction of ②, it should deprive people, who contributed to national
independence but be involved in anti- ROK activities, of the right to be a man
of national merit. To solve the contradiction of ③, it should guarantee the third
party, anyone interested in national merit policy, the right to demand review on
the cases of contributors to democratic movement or allow only the people, who
were involved in anti-state activities and found guilty but later found innocent
by retrial, to apply for ‘Committee of Deliberation of and Compensation for contributor to Democratic Movement’.