Cheonan City Expresses Concern Over Movement to Establish Second Independence Hall

Mayor Park Sangdon: "Actions That Undermine the Independence Hall's Representation and Status"

As Gyeonggi Province and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs show movements to build a second and third Independence Hall, Cheonan City, Chungnam, where the Independence Hall is located, immediately opposed, calling it an act that "weakens the representativeness and status of the Independence Hall."

As Gyeonggi Province and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs are moving to establish the second and third Independence Memorial Halls, Cheonan City in South Chungcheong Province, where the current Independence Hall is located, has voiced opposition, stating that such actions would undermine the representativeness and status of the Independence Hall.

Last month, Governor Kim Dongyeon of Gyeonggi Province brought the idea of constructing a second Independence Memorial Hall to public attention, saying, "We will push forward with the project to build an Independence Memorial Hall for Gyeonggi Province in the metropolitan area." Following this, Lee Jongchan, President of the Liberation Association, also expressed support for Governor Kim's proposal, stating, "We will establish a committee within the Liberation Association to propose a site and other details."

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs has also allocated 439 million won in next year's budget for a basic survey and design cost of 399 million won and additional facility expenses of 40 million won for the construction of a National Memorial Hall for the Independence Movement in the Jongno area of Seoul.

The memorial hall is planned to be built in Jongno-gu, Seoul, with one basement floor and two above-ground floors, covering a total floor area of 5,000 square meters, with a total project budget reportedly set at 24.5 billion won.

In response, Park Sangdon, Mayor of Cheonan, held a press conference at the Cheonan City Hall briefing room on the 30th, expressing his displeasure regarding the moves to establish the second and third Independence Memorial Halls.

Mayor Park Sangdon stated, "It is welcome that local governments across the country are establishing their own facilities to honor the independence movement and preserve its noble value." He continued, "However, the Cheonan Independence Hall has, over the past 37 years, established itself as a national symbol of the independence movement and a sacred site for the Korean people, greatly contributing to shaping the correct national consciousness among all citizens as the sacred ground of Korea's independence movement."

He further argued, "The claim that a new hall is needed because the current one is too far from the metropolitan area is simply unreasonable," and asserted, "Building a second or third Independence Memorial Hall would undermine the representativeness and status of the Cheonan Independence Hall, which was established with donations from people across the nation."