Yeonpyeongdo War Dead's Mother: "Jeong Yulseong Project Insults the Spirit of Gwangju"

Sergeant Seo Jeong-woo from Gwangju's Mother
"The Spirit of Gwangju Is Not a Spirit That Commemorates Communists"

As Gwangju City is promoting the 'Jeong Yul-seong Historical Park' project, the mother of the late Sergeant Seo Jeong-woo, who died during the 2010 North Korean Yeonpyeong Island shelling, voiced criticism, saying, "The spirit of Gwangju is not a spirit that commemorates communists."

Earlier, when controversy arose surrounding the Jeong Yul-seong Historical Park project, Gwangju Mayor Kang Gi-jung mentioned both Sergeant Seo and Jeong Yul-seong's family on his Facebook, stating, "There are many proud figures in Gwangju and Honam."

On the afternoon of the 28th, at Gwangju City Hall, Kim Obok, the mother of the late Sergeant Seo Jeong-woo who died during the Yeonpyeong Island shelling, is speaking at a press conference held by Gwangju veterans' organizations opposing the Jeong Yul-seong Historical Park development project. Photo by Yonhap News

On the afternoon of the 28th, Kim Oh-bok, mother of Sergeant Seo, attended a press conference held by veterans' organizations opposing the 'Jeong Yul-seong Historical Park Development Project' in front of Gwangju City Hall in Seo-gu, Gwangju. Speaking to reporters, she said, "My son was brutally killed at North Korea's Yeonpyeong Island, and the pain of soldiers dying due to North Korea's continuous provocations such as the Cheonan sinking and Yeonpyeong shelling still continues."

She added, "Using taxpayers' money to build a memorial park to commemorate a person who devoted and incited for North Korea and the Communist Party throughout his life is an insult to the spirit of Gwangju and denies the national identity."

Furthermore, she emphasized, "Many bereaved families of the Korean War who lost parents, children, or husbands and have lived in pain their entire lives attended this event," and said, "Millions of lives from countless families were sacrificed by the North Korean Communist Party, and we need to listen more to their voices."