Gukim Joint Speech Meeting at Party Convention, Cha Visits Gwangju
Visits Jeong Yulseong Project Site, Urges Withdrawal
Gwangju City: "The City Can Resolve It Wisely"
Assemblywoman Na Kyung-won, who is running for the leadership of the People Power Party, has called for the withdrawal of the Jeong Yul-seong Historical Park development project being carried out by Gwangju Metropolitan City.
On the 8th, during her visit to Gwangju for a joint speech event with Gwangju, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, and Jeju, Assemblywoman Na visited the site of the Jeong Yul-seong Historical Park development project in Bulo-dong, Dong-gu. She was accompanied by Kim Oh-bok, the mother of Sergeant Seo Jeong-woo, a fallen soldier in the Yeonpyeong Island shelling and the operating committee chairperson of the pan-citizen coalition opposing the park development, as well as bereaved families of war veterans.
She stated, "Jeong Yul-seong is the main culprit of the Korean War, ranking within the top 10 revolutionaries in China," adding, "I am appalled that a park is being created to honor Jeong Yul-seong."
She continued, "Commemorating a communist with Chinese and North Korean nationality in Gwangju, the sacred place of democratization, is a disgrace," and said, "I cannot help but be outraged by such actions that deny the foundation of our nation."
Furthermore, she urged, "The development project must be immediately withdrawn and transformed into a historical park for citizens that truly commemorates democratization," adding, "I ask the citizens of Gwangju to restore the Democratization Historical Park and the Gwangju Modern and Contemporary History Park."
In response, Gwangju Mayor Kang Ki-jung immediately rebutted the claims, calling them ideological division. Mayor Kang posted on social media, "As soon as Assemblywoman Na Kyung-won arrived in Gwangju, she raised the issue of Jeong Yul-seong."
He added, "It is regrettable that the ruling party leadership candidate is still stuck in ideological division," and said, "Shouldn't the first topics Assemblywoman Na should address upon visiting Gwangju be the May 18 Democratic Uprising, AI, future cars, and the military airport issue?"
He emphasized, "The issue of Jeong Yul-seong can be wisely resolved by our city if left to us."
Meanwhile, the Jeong Yul-seong Historical Park, which Gwangju City is developing with an investment of 4.8 billion won, was planned to remodel Jeong Yul-seong’s birthplace in Bulo-dong and exhibit materials related to Jeong Yul-seong. However, in August last year, then Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Min-sik demanded the withdrawal of the project, citing concerns over Jeong Yul-seong’s activities in North Korea and China, sparking controversy.
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