New Education Center of 3,972 Square Meters to Be Built... 2,365 Square Meters of Green Space and Walking Trails Also Planned
Mayor Lee Sangil: "I Hope This Becomes a Space to Remember Jo Gwangjo's Patriotism"
A 'Simgokseowon Historical Park' honoring Jeongam Jo Gwangjo will be established in Sanghyeon-dong, Suji-gu, Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province. On the 9th, Yongin City held a groundbreaking ceremony for the 'Simgokseowon Historical Park' at 198-4 Sanghyeon-dong, with over 100 attendees including Mayor Lee Sangil, Simgokseowon officials, local organization leaders, and residents.
At the groundbreaking ceremony for 'Simgokseowon Historical Park' held on the 9th in Sanghyeon-dong, Suji-gu, Yongin City, attendees including Mayor Lee Sangil of Yongin City are performing the first shovel ceremony. Provided by Yongin City
Simgokseowon is a seowon (Confucian academy) built to commemorate the scholarship and virtue of Jeongam Jo Gwangjo, a leading Confucian scholar and reformist politician of the mid-Joseon Dynasty. It was designated a National Historic Site in 2015.
The project will be funded by a total budget of 16.58 billion KRW, including 3.58 billion KRW from the national government and 6.5 billion KRW from the provincial government. The park will feature 2,365 square meters of green space and walking trails, and a new education center will be constructed with a total floor area of 3,972 square meters, spanning one basement level and two above-ground floors. The education center, scheduled for completion by the end of next year, will host traditional cultural programs of Simgokseowon as well as a variety of educational and experiential activities operated by the city.
Mayor Lee stated, "I hope that the complex spaces to be established in the historical park, such as the Rakivium (a combination of archive, library, and museum) and the education center, will play a significant role in promoting Jo Gwangjo's patriotism and spirit of reform." Mayor Lee added, "When Jo Gwangjo was exiled to Hwasun and received poison at the age of 37, he left a farewell poem that said, 'I worried about the country as if it were my own home.' If people take even just this one message deeply to heart, I believe it will help unite strength for the development of the nation and the region, overcoming differences and conflicts."
The city plans to make Simgokseowon Historical Park a space that anyone can easily visit and enjoy, in order to widely promote its historical and cultural significance and to carry on the spirit and traditions of the ancestors.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
