Controversy Erupts Over Park Chung-hee Statue Installation in Daegu

A statue of former President Park Chung-hee is set to be unveiled at the Dongdaegu Station plaza in Daegu. The city announced that the unveiling ceremony will take place on December 23 at 2 PM. Earlier in August, the city renamed the plaza to 'Park Chung-hee Plaza' and installed a 5-meter tall sign, with the statue being an additional feature.

The statue, measuring 3 meters in height, has a budget of 600 million KRW allocated for its construction. Furthermore, Daegu plans to erect another statue of Park Chung-hee in the 'Park Chung-hee Park' scheduled to be developed in Nam-gu, Daegu next year.

However, the installation has sparked backlash from some civic groups and opposition parties. The 'Citizens' Movement Against the Glorification of Park Chung-hee' held a press conference at the Dongdaegu Station plaza, arguing that the statue represents a regressive mindset that contradicts contemporary values. Approximately 70 participants clashed with police for about 20 minutes, even writing words like 'dictator' in chalk on the ground around the statue. On the morning of December 23, the Daegu chapter of the Democratic Party of Korea plans to hold a press conference condemning the statue's installation.

Additionally, a legal dispute is ongoing with the Korea Railroad Corporation, which operates Dongdaegu Station. On December 13, the corporation filed for a temporary injunction to halt the statue's installation, while Daegu city maintains that it has the authority to manage the plaza without issues.

Recently, several statues of Park Chung-hee have been erected in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions. In October, a statue was installed at Yeungnam University in Gyeongsan, and on December 5, an 8-meter statue was unveiled in front of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Office in Andong. Park Chung-hee was born in Gumi, Gyeongbuk, and graduated from Daegu Normal School.