Special Exhibition on President Park Jeonghee, 'Glorious Days with the Great People'

Opening at Gumi Saemaeul Undong Theme Park from July 28 to September 25

'The Glorious Days with the Great Days' Special Exhibition of President Park Chung-hee Opens.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] “Which ancestor would want to pass down the legacy of poverty and backwardness to their descendants? The only way we can prevent passing down this cursed legacy to future generations is to overcome today's difficulties with patience and courage and to devote all our efforts to the modernization of our homeland.”

This statement was made by former President Park Chung-hee in his National Foundation Day speech on October 3, 1965.

South Korea amazed the world by increasing its exports from $100 million in 1964 to $10 billion in just 13 years, by 1977.

Economists called this the “Miracle on the Han River,” and foreign media praised, “South Korea did not just develop; it soared like a rocket.”

Of course, evaluations of former President Park are mixed.

However, it is widely agreed that during his tenure, he contributed significantly to the remarkable development of the devastated Korean economy through infrastructure construction such as the Gyeongbu Expressway, export and income increase, promotion of savings, self-sufficiency in food, and the Saemaul Undong (New Village Movement).

To commemorate this, the Park Chung-hee Presidential Foundation has prepared a special exhibition titled “Glorious Days with Great Days.”

The opening ceremony of this exhibition, which runs from July 28 to September 25, was held on the morning of the 28th at the “Gumi Saemaul Undong Theme Park Exhibition Hall.”

This special exhibition is organized to reflect on the 6,737 days from May 16, 1961, to October 26, 1979, during which President Park Chung-hee worked tirelessly for the modernization of the homeland.

It was planned to create an opportunity to re-examine the history of South Korea’s development and the story of its miracle achieved together with the people.

The exhibition is themed around “The History of Hope,” which was the background for the implementation of the Five-Year Economic Development Plan that laid the foundation for South Korea’s new hopeful history; “The History of Challenge,” highlighting President Park’s relentless efforts to turn crises into opportunities and build a prosperous nation; and “The History of Science and Technology,” which re-examines the president’s dedication to scientific and technological self-reliance for the future of South Korea.

Through this, visitors can reflect on President Park Chung-hee’s intense anguish, the blood and sweat of the people, and the meaning of sacrifice and tears.

Kang Sung-jo, Deputy Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, said, “This exhibition will awaken the spirit of our nation, break the 5,000 years of poverty, and serve as a time to reevaluate the Saemaul Undong and his achievements, which became the cornerstone of South Korea becoming one of the world’s top 10 economies. Going forward, the province and the foundation will discover various joint projects to elevate this into a second Saemaul Undong.”