"Reimposition of Fines and Use of Enforcement Measures for Non-Compliance"
An official order has been issued to dismantle the 'Statue of Peace' installed in Berlin, Germany.
On the 11th (local time), the civic group Korea Council reported that the Mitte District Office in Berlin recently sent a demolition order. The Mitte District Office demanded the complete removal of the statue by the 31st of this month and notified that a fine of 3,000 euros (approximately 4.44 million KRW) would be imposed if it is not removed within this period. It also warned that fines could be repeatedly imposed or changed to other amounts or other enforcement measures could be taken.
The Mitte District Office cited the Federal Road Traffic Act and Berlin City Road Act as the basis for the demolition order. The local authorities explained that the permit period for the statue installed on public land in September 2020 expired in September 2022, and since then, it was tolerated at the discretion of the district office without legal grounds. The district office stated, "The delay in removal after the permit expired was to find a solution acceptable to all parties through dialogue and negotiation," and "Three private properties were proposed as candidate relocation sites, but the Korea Council did not agree." However, the Korea Council rebutted, saying, "The district office has not specifically presented any candidate relocation sites."
Both parties met on the 24th of last month to discuss the relocation to private property but ultimately failed to reach an agreement. At that time, the Korea Council also stated, "We could not agree because the district office demanded a prior promise to relocate without specifying candidate sites."
Afterwards, the Korea Council requested a response by the 10th of this month, proposing that the district office select up to five alternative public sites within its jurisdiction for discussion. However, the district office did not respond to this proposal and also rejected another request from the Korea Council to extend the installation period.
The district office pointed out that, according to its practice, artworks temporarily installed can be exhibited for up to two years, and diplomatically, German authorities including the Berlin city government and the federal government consider the 'comfort women' issue resolved by the Korea-Japan agreement in December 2015.
The district office further argued, "It poses an obstacle to the special diplomatic interests of the federal government and Berlin city," and "The statue, which is themed on the Korea-Japan conflict, is not directly related to the Federal Republic of Germany and does not directly correspond to the memory and memorial culture of the German capital." It added, "While the theme of self-assertion of rights by women who suffered sexual violence can be generalized, there is no clear reason to permanently install it in Mitte District," and emphasized, "Next year, a committee will be formed with the Berlin city and federal government to establish a memorial related to sexual violence issues." The Korea Council announced that it would file an injunction with the court against the district office's demolition order.
Meanwhile, in August, the German local media rbb reported that the Japanese Embassy in Germany lobbied advisory committee members by hosting a dinner at a five-star hotel in Berlin to oppose budget support for the Korea Council's 'comfort women' education program. The Japanese Embassy did not respond to rbb's inquiry about whether lobbying took place.
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