Unveiling Ceremony of 3m Tall Park Jeonghee Statue at Dongdaegu Station Plaza... Democratic Party Says "Citizens Will Pull It Down"

Daegu City held an unveiling ceremony for the statue of President Park Chung-hee at Park Chung-hee Square in Dongdaegu Station at 2 p.m. on the 23rd.

Since March of this year, Daegu City has completed the production of the statue of President Park Chung-hee through the enactment of ordinances, the formation of the Park Chung-hee Presidential Memorial Project Promotion Committee, and a statue production contest, in order to promote projects honoring the achievements of President Park Chung-hee.

(From left) Park Chang-dal, former president of the Federation of Korean Associations; Choi Young-soo, president of Daegu Saemaeul Association; Hong Joon-pyo, mayor of Daegu; Lee Man-gyu, chairman of Daegu City Council; Kang Eun-hee, superintendent of Daegu Education Office; Jo Jae-gu, mayor of Daegu Nam-gu; and Kim Jin-yeol, governor of Gunwi County, Daegu, are clapping at the unveiling ceremony of the Park Chung-hee statue. Daegu City

President Park Chung-hee attended Daegu Normal School from April 1932 to March 1937 for five years, married Mrs. Yuk Young-soo at Gyesan Cathedral in December 1950, and lived in Daegu for more than 14 years, including his newlywed life in Samdeok-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu until 1959.

During his presidency, official national events that laid the foundation for South Korea’s development were held, including the groundbreaking ceremony for Daegu 3rd Industrial Complex in March 1967, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Gyeongbu Expressway section between Daegu and Busan in May 1968, and the National Saemaul Leaders Conference in December 1975.

The newly erected statue of President Park Chung-hee was created based on a photo of him smiling broadly while harvesting in the fall of 1965.

This reflects the fact that President Park is recognized as a leader who transformed South Korea, one of the world’s poorest countries at the time, into an economic powerhouse through light industry-based industrialization, and who made agricultural innovation for food self-sufficiency a national task to revive the rural economy and overcome poverty.

The statue stands 3 meters tall, and the surrounding stone bench is inscribed with phrases such as “The road beyond the Barley Hump, always thinking of farmers” and “The president who never missed a single year of rice planting and harvesting during his 18 years in office,” emphasizing President Park’s humble and down-to-earth image.

The unveiling ceremony was attended by about 50 key guests including Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu, and about 2,000 members of civic groups welcoming the establishment of the Park Chung-hee statue.

Mayor Hong Joon-pyo of Daegu said, “Along with the patriotic spirit of the National Debt Repayment Movement and the freedom spirit of the February 28 Movement that resisted the dictatorship of the Liberal Party, President Park Chung-hee’s spirit of industrialization is one of Daegu’s three proud spirits,” adding, “We must rightfully commemorate and inherit the spirit of industrialization created by President Park’s love for the people and innovative leadership to advance toward a developed nation.”

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party Daegu Branch held a press conference on the same day, strongly condemning “the illegal installation of the Park Chung-hee statue that forces praise of a dictator.”

Heo So, Chairperson of the Democratic Party Daegu Branch, stated, “The Park Chung-hee statue, which forces praise of a dictator who overthrew the constitutional order by coup d’?tat, destroyed the identity of the Republic of Korea, and turned it into a dictatorship without human rights, will definitely be taken down by the citizens.”

Chairperson Heo also said, “The Korea National Railway Corporation sent official letters on November 13, November 26, and December 6 stating that any additional facilities to be installed at Dongdaegu Station Square require consultation with the corporation. Daegu City proceeded with foundation work for illegal construction without consultation. In response, the Korea National Railway Corporation filed a suspension of construction injunction at the Daegu District Court on the 13th. Despite the injunction result pending, the city proceeded with pre-installation on Saturday the 21st as if occupying the site, which clearly constitutes illegal activity.”

Heo So further urged, “This illegal facility installation, which will bring disgrace to Daegu’s future, South Korea’s democracy, and even to Park Chung-hee himself, driven solely by Mayor Hong’s presidential ambitions, must be stopped immediately.”