"Why Are There Graves in the Park?... Even Passing by During the Day Is Scary" Residents Oppose Busan Art Park

Residents Oppose Installation of Stone Relics at Busan's Igidae Art Park
"Eerie" and "Looks Like Graves," They Say

The "Igidae Art Park" project, which aims to transform the Igidae area in Nam-gu, Busan into a world-class art park, has become embroiled in unexpected controversy. Residents have voiced complaints that the stone relics installed on "Old Stone Street" within the park "look like graves" and "feel eerie."

According to the city of Busan on November 10, the city has been actively promoting the "Igidae Art Park" project since the beginning of this year, with the goal of creating a cultural landmark that blends nature and art in the Igidae area, known for its stunning natural scenery.

Statue appearance. Screenshot from the resident community.

The project is divided into three phases, and currently, facility installations are underway in the first phase around the "Oryukdo Sunrise Park" in Yongho-dong. This area, serving as the gateway to the art park, will feature the Oryukdo Art Center with a total floor area of about 6,000 square meters, a 2,500-square-meter visitor center, "Old Stone Street," a wooden observatory, and more.

The center of the controversy is "Old Stone Street." In this section, 65 stone relics repatriated from Japan by the Old Stone Cultural Foundation are scheduled to be displayed. According to the foundation, these stone relics include many "Muninseok" statues, which were traditionally placed in front of graves of noble families as guardians, as well as "Jangmyeongdeung," stone lanterns installed before burial mounds, "Seokjangseung," stone totems that protect villages, and "Gwansoldeung," lanterns used to light up government offices or temples.

"It looks like a set from 'Legends of the Haunted Village'... Residents Continue to Complain"

Once the relics were placed in the park, the public response was cold. On local online communities, posts have appeared saying, "The statues are so old and covered in mold and moss, they give off a grave-like atmosphere," "It looks like a set from 'Legends of the Haunted Village,'" "It's so eerie that it's scary to walk by even during the day," "I'm not sure if this fits the sophisticated vibe of an art park like the Pompidou," "I thought there were actual graves in the park," and "These relics don't seem related to Igidae at all."

In response, a representative from the Old Stone Cultural Foundation explained, "There is historical significance, as the city of Busan said that Japan could be seen from Igidae Park, so we donated relics that had been repatriated from Japan."