"Why Specifically on Gwangbokjeol?"... Subway Dokdo Sculptures Removed One After Another

Sculptures Disappear at Jamsil, Anguk Station, Gwanghwamun Station
Transit Corporation: "Safety Issues... No Political Intent"

It has been revealed that the Dokdo sculptures installed at various Seoul subway stations were removed just before Liberation Day.

According to Seoul Metro, the Dokdo model installed in the Jamsil Station concourse was removed on the 8th. The Dokdo model located in the center of Anguk Station was also removed on the 12th. The Dokdo model at Gwanghwamun Station was confirmed to have already been removed and discarded in May.

The Dokdo models installed at three locations?City Hall Station, Itaewon Station, and Gimpo Airport Station?are still in place.

The Dokdo models were first installed in 2010. This was part of the ‘Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Urging for Measures to Protect Dokdo’ proposal initiated by Seoul City Council member Lee Sang-yong and others in 2009.

At the time, a Seoul Metro official explained, “We hope that installing life-sized Dokdo models inside the stations will raise awareness among Seoul citizens about the Dokdo issue,” adding, “We installed them at busy transfer stations such as City Hall and Jongno so that as many citizens as possible can see and feel them.”

Dokdo Sculpture at the Subway Station
[Image Source=Online Community Capture]

Regarding the sudden removal of the models that have promoted Dokdo for 15 years, Seoul Metro stated that it was a preemptive safety measure.

The company said it conducted a thorough inspection of all stations to identify facilities and sculptures that could obstruct passenger movement or cause inconvenience to vulnerable passengers. The inspection included not only the Dokdo models but also shops, kiosks, and artworks.

However, voices of suspicion are rising on online communities and elsewhere, suggesting that the models, which had no significant issues for 15 years, were removed just before Liberation Day amid controversies over the appointment of the Independence Hall director and debates about National Foundation Day.

Seoul Metro denied any political intent. They reiterated that aside from ensuring passenger safety in relation to the Itaewon tragedy and congestion issues on the Gimpo Gold Line, no other considerations were involved in the removal of the Dokdo models.

They also stated that the Dokdo models at City Hall Station, Gimpo Airport Station, and Itaewon Station will remain, and they are considering placing framed pictures depicting Dokdo at the stations where the models were removed.

The company said, “Although the removal was unavoidable due to passenger safety concerns caused by congestion, aging sculptures, and management difficulties, considering the symbolic significance of Dokdo, we are reviewing the installation of framed pictures at Jamsil Station, Anguk Station, and Gwanghwamun Station, where the removal has been completed, in a way that does not obstruct passenger flow and is easy to maintain.”