5m Tall 'Park Chung-hee Square' Signboard Erected in Front of Dongdaegu Station... Opposition Parties and Civic Groups Protest

Hong Jun-pyo "The Merits and Demerits of Historical Figures Are Always Present"

Daegu City has named the plaza in front of Dongdaegu Station as 'Park Jeong Hee Square' and installed a 5-meter-high signboard.

On the morning of the 14th, Daegu City held an unveiling ceremony for the Park Jeong Hee Square signboard at the plaza in front of Dongdaegu Station. The ceremony was attended by Daegu Mayor Hong Jun-pyo and others.

On the morning of the 14th, at Dongdaegu Station, Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu, and other officials are taking a commemorative photo in front of the signboard at the 'Park Chung-hee Square Signboard Unveiling Ceremony.' [Image source=Yonhap News]

The signboard had been installed the previous evening and was covered with a white cloth, being revealed for the first time on this day. The signboard measures 5 meters in height and 0.8 meters in width. At the very top of the signboard is a portrait of former President Park Jeong Hee along with the small inscription 'PARK JEONG HEE SQUARE.' Below that is the phrase '박정희 광장' (Park Jeong Hee Square) written in Korean. It is reported that the city spent about 25 million won to install the signboard.

At the unveiling ceremony, Mayor Hong said, "The industrialization spirit of former President Park can be considered the driving force that made present-day Daegu and the Republic of Korea what they are." He added, "Based on the spirit of industrialization, I hope the citizens will share the meaning so that Daegu can once again take a leap forward." He further stated, "There are always pros and cons regarding historical figures, so we should not only focus on the negatives but also commemorate the positive aspects."

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo is giving a greeting at the 'Park Chung-hee Square Signboard Unveiling Ceremony' held in front of Dongdaegu Station on the morning of the 14th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

However, civic groups and opposition parties held a press conference opposing the installation of the signboard before the unveiling ceremony and expressed their objections. Heo So, chairman of the Daegu branch of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "We have never seen a large statue erected at any airport or plaza anywhere in the world," and criticized, "The core of an international cultural city is diversity, so what would the many tourists visiting Dongdaegu Station from around the world feel when they see a gigantic statue of Park Jeong Hee?" Civic groups also held placards and shouted slogans demanding the removal of the signboard.

Meanwhile, the Daegu Police Agency deployed police personnel on site in preparation for any possible incidents, but no major clashes occurred.