At Cheongdam Road Park Han River Comprehensive Development Monument, Poet Seo Jeong-ju's Preface Surrounded by 'President Jeon Du-hwan Made the (Han River) Comprehensive Development Possible'
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seo Yoon-gi, Chair of the Seoul Metropolitan Council’s Steering Committee (Democratic Party, Gwanak 2), strongly urged the Seoul city government on the 15th to dismantle the commemorative monument praising former President Jeon Du-hwan’s Han River Comprehensive Development Project, located in Seoul, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement.
In Cheongdam Road Park, Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, a towering sculpture commemorates the completion of the Han River Comprehensive Development Project. Surrounding this sculpture is a public monument inscribed with a poem titled “Han River Comprehensive Development” by poet Seo Jeong-ju, praising former President Jeon Du-hwan. The content is as follows:
"Due to the aftereffects of this country's industrialization that developed since the 1960s / You (the Han River) were unusually worried about becoming ill / Our President Jeon Du-hwan had this comprehensive development of purification carried out / Starting construction in September 1982, after a long four years, on this day of completion / Our entire nation cheers to see you (the Han River) fully restored and more prosperous / From now on, always clear, bright, and healthy with full blossoms / Please help and protect the history of our future forever."
At the center of the sculpture, a plaque clearly engraved with the words in the name of then-President Jeon Du-hwan regarding the Han River Comprehensive Development reads: “We aim to purify and develop this eternal Han River, which has lived with our country’s history, into a world-class river and pass it on to future generations.”
Regarding this, Chair Seo Yoon-gi stated, “Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Gwangju Democratization Movement. There are various ways to honor and remember the spirits of our predecessors who willingly sacrificed their lives for this country’s freedom and equality. These include correcting the history distorted by the dictatorship, imposing appropriate punishment on the murderer Jeon Du-hwan for his deeds, and dismantling the relics of dictatorship still scattered in our daily lives, which is equally important.”
He added, “It is shameful that the monument praising Jeon Du-hwan by poet Midang Seo Jeong-ju still remains openly in our daily lives. For the sake of the seniors and colleagues who devoted themselves to democratization, including the Gwangju Democratization Movement, and for the children who will learn the history of the past dictatorship era and pioneer the future of democracy, the Jeon Du-hwan commemorative monument must be dismantled as soon as possible,” urging the removal of the Jeon Du-hwan monument.
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