The Gyeongnam Regional Headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) has once again called for the removal of the stone monument bearing the handwritten calligraphy of former President Yoon Seokyeol, which is installed in the front yard of the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation Gyeongnam Regional Headquarters.
On the morning of July 8, the KCTU Gyeongnam Headquarters held a press conference in the front yard of the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation Gyeongnam Headquarters and reiterated this demand.
The union also criticized the recent indictment of a KCTU Gyeongnam Headquarters executive, who was referred to the prosecution on charges of property damage after engraving the word "insurrection" on the monument.
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Gyeongnam Headquarters is holding a press conference in the front yard of the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation Gyeongnam Regional Headquarters. Photo by Lee Seryoung
Kim Eunhyeong, head of the Gyeongnam Headquarters, stated, "I want to ask Changwon City whether a monument for someone who was dismissed and labeled as the ringleader of an insurrection should remain on the land of Changwon, which is a sacred site for democratization," adding, "Our resistance is an act to restore democracy and justice, and it deserves to be applauded."
Kang Donghwa, chairperson of the KCTU General Union, said, "Labeling it as 'insurrection' is a just and righteous act of protest," and questioned, "What crime is there in scribbling on a piece of stone that should have been smashed and thrown out onto the street long ago?"
Attorney Choi Yonghyeon commented, "The monument can simply be erased or replaced, but the values of democracy, freedom, and equality that have been damaged, as well as the lives of those of us who were pushed into a state of emergency from December 3 until the impeachment verdict, have suffered irreparable harm."
Previously, on December 3 of last year, the KCTU Gyeongnam Headquarters criticized former President Yoon for declaring martial law and called him the "insurrection president." On December 10, they spray-painted the word "insurrection" in black in front of his name on the monument.
At the time, the headquarters stated, "This was an expression of anger against the illegal martial law," and added, "We have recorded in history that Yoon Seokyeol is the insurrection president."
Subsequently, the Changwon Jungbu Police Station launched an investigation into the damage to the monument and recently referred a KCTU Gyeongnam Headquarters executive to the prosecution on charges of property damage.
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Gyeongnam Headquarters is performing a demonstration to dismantle the stone monument bearing the handwritten calligraphy of former President Yoon Seokyeol installed in the front yard of the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation Gyeongnam Regional Headquarters. Photo by Lee Seryoung
The stone monument, inscribed with the phrase "Changwon National Industrial Complex, the cradle of an industrial powerhouse" in the handwriting of former President Yoon, was erected on April 24, 2024, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Changwon National Industrial Complex in Seongsan-gu, Changwon, Gyeongnam.
Approximately 700 million won was spent on the entire site, including the installation of the monument and nearby sculptures.
The Changwon City government, which owns the monument, is reportedly deliberating over a clear plan for its removal, preservation, or restoration to its original state.
Since December 11, 2024, the monument has remained covered with a black cloth.
The headquarters argued, "The Constitutional Court's dismissal of President Yoon Seokyeol on April 4, 2025, proves that the actions of the KCTU Gyeongnam Headquarters were justified," and added, "If there is any crime, it is only that we were ahead of our time and represented the will of the people."
"Nevertheless, referring the case to the prosecution with a recommendation for indictment is a regressive act that does not reflect the will of the people," they said, calling for the immediate halt of the investigation into the KCTU Gyeongnam Headquarters, the prompt removal of the calligraphy monument, and the arrest and thorough investigation of former President Yoon Seokyeol.
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