Installation of Priority Parking Spaces for Independence Patriots in Jung-gu, Seoul

Presentation of Appreciation Plaques to Independence Patriots and Provision of Priority Parking Spaces

On the occasion of the 78th Liberation Day, Jung-gu District Office in Seoul (Mayor Kim Gil-seong) presented appreciation plaques to the families of independence patriots and held a plaque ceremony for priority parking spaces for national merit recipients.

To honor the great dedication and noble spirit of the patriotic martyrs, on the morning of the 10th, at the mayor’s office, appreciation plaques were awarded to Mr. Seo Yun-hwan, grandson of patriot Kim Sa-bong, and Ms. Kim Yong-ae, great-granddaughter of independence activist Lee Seok-young. Appreciation plaques will also be delivered to 22 other independence patriots at their respective community service centers.

Following this, a plaque ceremony commemorating the installation of priority parking spaces for national merit recipients was held at the Jung-gu District Office’s underground level 2 parking lot.

In July, Jung-gu promulgated and implemented an ordinance concerning the installation of priority parking spaces for national merit recipients and the improvement of convenience in using public facilities. A total of 16 priority parking spaces for national merit recipients were established across 8 public parking lots, including 2 spaces in the Jung-gu District Office underground parking lot.

This ordinance is the third of its kind among Seoul’s autonomous districts. Mayor Kim Gil-seong explained the purpose of the project, saying, “It is to provide convenience to national merit recipients and to honor and consider those who sacrificed for the country.”

On this day, 10 guests including independence patriots and heads of veterans’ organizations also visited a special exhibition dedicated to Udang Lee Hoe-young (李會榮, 1867?1932, born in Myeong-dong) set up in the first-floor lobby of the district office. They listened attentively to explanations while appreciating Lee Hoe-young’s life story and achievements, the memoir “Seogando Sijonggi” by his wife Lee Eun-sook, and his ink-and-wash orchid paintings.

The Udang Lee Hoe-young family was known as one of the “Samhan Gapjok” (the most prestigious families in Korea). They were especially wealthy landowners in the Myeong-dong and Jeodong areas of Jung-gu, reportedly owning land near the current YWCA in front of Myeong-dong Cathedral. After the 1910 Eulsa Treaty placed the country under Japanese control, the family sold all their assets and moved with six brothers and 50 family members to Manchuria, where they established the Shinheung Military Academy and devoted themselves to training independence fighters.

Priority Parking Area for Independence Patriots

Notably, Ms. Kim Yong-ae, who received an appreciation plaque on this day, gained attention in 2021 when she was identified as the great-granddaughter of Lee Seok-young, the second eldest brother of Lee Hoe-young.

Mayor Kim Gil-seong stated, “In Myeong-dong, there is an honorary street name ‘Udang Lee Hoe-young-gil’ commemorating Lee Hoe-young. We will do our best to honor independence patriots so that the spirit of the independence movement, which spread from Myeong-dong to Manchuria 113 years ago, will be remembered in Jung-gu for a long time.”