Why Was the Columbus Statue Beheaded... Overseas Trends Reflect 'Political Correctness' [Statue Report]

Stories Behind Overseas Statues
Many Statues of Leaders and War Heroes
Controversies Over Merits and Faults Due to Racism and White Supremacy
Criticism Over 'Too Many Statues of White Men'
Increasing Number of Statues of Women and Black Individuals

Controversies surrounding statues persist overseas as well. Debates continue over the merits and faults of the figures, and criticisms arise that some statues are unnecessary. For these reasons, a global consensus has recently formed that statues should be erected with consideration of 'Political Correctness (PC)'.

'Why was it placed here?' Unavoidable debates overseas too

There are statues overseas that have been criticized for inaccurate historical representation of the figures or for designs that are aesthetically displeasing and cause discomfort. A statue of American comedian Lucille Ball in her hometown of New York was criticized for bearing no resemblance to her appearance during her lifetime and for its exaggerated expression that caused discomfort. Although there were calls to rebuild the statue, New York citizens strongly opposed it as a waste of public funds, and eventually the New York mayor officially announced that no tax money would be spent on it.

There have also been cases where statues were erected due to personal friendships and then criticized. An example is the Michael Jackson statue that was erected at Fulham's London home stadium in the English Premier League. The then club owner, the late Mohamed Al-Fayed, showcased his personal friendship with Jackson by placing the statue in front of the football stadium. It was even placed next to the statue of legendary football star Johnny Haynes, who scored 158 goals for Fulham, drawing criticism from both music fans and football fans. Eventually, the statue was removed immediately after Mohamed stepped down as club owner.

Michael Jackson statue being dismantled at Fulham Stadium in London, England. Fulham official website.

Honoring legacy vs. changing evaluations... debates over merits and faults

The statue of Christopher Columbus, who embarked on the exploration of the New World in 1492, has become a subject of removal debates as the historical merits and faults of the figure have come to the forefront. There are 149 Columbus-related monuments across the United States, making him the third most commemorated figure in terms of statues. However, public opinion began to shift as Columbus was increasingly viewed as an invader who brutally massacred indigenous people to colonize the New World after his discovery. Columbus statues have effectively become symbols of racism and white supremacy, leading to protests during the U.S. holiday commemorating Columbus on October 12, known as 'Columbus Day,' where demonstrators have beheaded or pulled down his statues. Conscious of these controversies, some cities have recently taken down statues preemptively to prevent conflicts.

The most controversial monument in Europe was the equestrian statue of King Leopold II erected in Brussels, Belgium. During his reign from 1885 to 1908, he declared the present-day Democratic Republic of Congo as his private property. He turned resource-rich Congo, abundant in cobalt, gold, and tin, into the world's only personal colony. During the exploitation process, if workers failed to meet rubber or cocoa production quotas, their family members' hands and feet were cut off. Due to forced labor and terror tactics, Leopold II earned the nickname 'The Butcher of Congo.' Nevertheless, a statue honoring him was erected in Belgium in 1926, and clashes between his admirers and opponents continued unabated. After standing for nearly a century, the statue was finally removed in 2020 following ongoing controversy.

Turning point with 2020 protests... 'PC statues' emerge

In the United States and Europe, fundamental reflection on 'who should be commemorated with statues' began after the 2020 George Floyd incident. Following the death of George Floyd, a Black man, due to excessive force by a white police officer, protests against racial discrimination erupted under the slogan 'Black Lives Matter.' It was revealed that many figures previously regarded as heroes and commemorated with statues had promoted racism and white supremacy, transforming statues from objects of respect into targets of attack. Statues of former presidents such as Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, who owned Black slaves, also became targets. In Philadelphia, protesters set fire to a statue of former mayor Frank Rizzo. Although he was praised for declaring a war on crime and responding harshly without leniency during his tenure from 1972 to 1980, he was criticized for discriminating against Black people and sexual minorities during that time.

A new public discourse surrounding statues has also formed. This is because most statues erected so far have been of white men. The New York Times (NYT) pointed out, "If aliens arrived on Earth after it was destroyed, they would have every reason to believe that all of human history consisted only of men on horseback by looking at the statues." The UK cultural foundation ArtUK noted, "There are more animal statues than female statues in London."

As a result of this reflection, overseas there has been a new trend of erecting statues of people who had not previously been commemorated, such as women and Black individuals. In 2020, statues of Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Sojourner Truth were added to Central Park in New York, USA. These women were key figures in the women's suffrage movement and represent the first female statues in Central Park. In Luxembourg and Italy, artist groups have created tours of cities featuring statues of women erected in public spaces. In the UK, more than one-third of the statues of figures erected since 2023 have been of non-white individuals.

Our analysis method

From 1990, we conducted a comprehensive survey of press releases and municipal news containing keywords such as 'statue' and 'unveiling' on portal sites and local government websites. Through this, we compiled records of statue unveiling ceremonies held from 1990 through April of this year.

Busts and reliefs were excluded, and only statues modeled after real historical figures were analyzed. Therefore, statues such as the late Kim Bok-dong's statue were excluded, while the Statue of Peace and worker statues were not included in the analysis. Statues erected at educational institutions such as universities were also excluded, focusing only on statues erected in public places such as parks and memorial halls.