'Park Jeonghee Statue' Wearing Straw Hat and Holding Sheaf... Dictator Worship vs Symbol of Industrialization

Daegu City Spends 600 Million Won to Create Park Jeong-hui Statue
"It Will Definitely Be Taken Down by Citizens"
"The Spirit of Industrialization Must Rightly Be Inherited"

Statue of Park Chung-hee installed at Dongdaegu Station. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 23rd, amid the installation of a statue of former President Park Chung-hee at Dongdaegu Station Plaza, fierce controversy has erupted.

The Anti-Park Chung-hee Idolization Citizens' Movement Headquarters held a "Citizens' Rally Against the Idolization of Park Chung-hee and Condemning the Mayor of Daegu" around 12:30 PM at Dongdaegu Station Plaza, where the statue was installed. They cited Park's pro-Japanese and dictatorial actions, stating, "The historical evaluation of former President Park is still ongoing. The statue, which ignores the will of the citizens, must be removed." They also raised their voices against Mayor Hong Joon-pyo of Daegu, saying, "You are committing an illegal (statue installation) act," and demanded, "Mayor Hong, who worships the dictator Park Chung-hee, must resign." This group had previously held a press conference condemning the installation of the Park Chung-hee statue in front of the San-gyeok office building of Daegu City Hall.

The Citizens' Coalition Against the Deification of Park Chung-hee held a press conference opposing the statue of former President Park Chung-hee installed by Daegu City at Dongdaegu Station Plaza on the 22nd. Yonhap News

The Democratic Party of Korea Daegu City Party also held a press conference at 11 AM on the same day at Dongdaegu Station Plaza, strongly condemning the "illegal installation of the Park Chung-hee statue." The party stated, "Although the Korea National Railway Corporation filed a suspension of construction injunction with the Daegu District Court on the 13th, Daegu City installed the statue on the 21st before the court's decision was made," calling it "a clear illegal act." They emphasized, "The statue of Park Chung-hee, who overthrew the constitutional order through a coup and degraded the identity of the Republic of Korea into a dictatorship without human rights, will definitely be taken down by the citizens."

They also criticized, "The commonality between Yoon Seok-youl and Mayor Hong Joon-pyo is that the constitution and laws apply only to others, while they perceive themselves as beings above the constitution and laws." They added, "In particular, Mayor Hong, by defending a dictator, is dragging out Park Chung-hee?whose historical controversies have not ended?for his own 'presidential ambitions,' thereby humiliating Park Chung-hee." Conservative-leaning figures once criticized the rally and press conference loudly, but no major clashes occurred due to police intervention.

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo is giving a greeting at the 'Park Chung-hee Statue Unveiling Ceremony' held at Dongdaegu Station Plaza on the afternoon of the 23rd. Photo by Yonhap News

Since March, Daegu City has enacted an ordinance and allocated a budget of 600 million won to promote projects honoring former President Park Chung-hee's achievements, producing a 3-meter-tall statue. The statue's surrounding stone base is inscribed with phrases such as "The road beyond the barley hump, always thinking of farmers" and "A president who never missed a single year of rice planting and harvesting during his 18 years in office." On the afternoon of the 23rd at 2 PM, the unveiling ceremony of the Park Chung-hee statue was held at Dongdaegu Station Plaza with about 2,000 attendees, including Mayor Hong Joon-pyo and members of civic groups. The Daegu Police Agency deployed around 400 personnel around the ceremony site and installed order-maintaining lines (barriers).

Mayor Hong said, "Along with the patriotic spirit of the National Debt Repayment Movement and the freedom spirit of the February 28 Movement that resisted the Liberal Party dictatorship, President Park Chung-hee's spirit of industrialization is one of Daegu's three proud spirits." He added, "We must properly commemorate and inherit the spirit of industrialization, born from President Park's love for the people and innovative leadership, to advance toward a developed nation era."