Seungro Lee, Seongbuk-gu Mayor, and 7 Gyeseong High School Students Deliver Message Requesting Permanent Installation of Berlin Peace Statue of a Girl

Decision to Extend the Preservation Period of the Peace Statue in Mitte District, Berlin, Germany by One Year on August 31... Seungro Lee, Seongbuk-gu Mayor, and Gyeseong High School Students Deliver Permanent Preservation Request Message on September 1

On September 1st, in front of the Korea-China Peace Statue of a Girl installed at the Hansung University Entrance Station Fountain Plaza, Seungro Lee, Mayor of Seongbuk District, and students from the Gyesung High School 'Statue Guardians' club (from left: Seoyeon Go, Seungro Lee, Mayor of Seongbuk District, Junseo Lim, Taeyeon Kim, Yeonsu Lee, Yujeong Noh, Eunbyeol Kim, Songa-rin Kim) held a 'Message Delivery Ceremony Requesting the Permanent Preservation of the Berlin Peace Statue of a Girl.'

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, and children and adolescents of Seongbuk-gu have reunited for the Berlin Peace Statue of a Girl.

On the 31st of last month, the Mitte District of Berlin decided to extend the preservation period of the Peace Statue of a Girl by one year, prompting them to deliver a message requesting permanent preservation.

On the 1st, Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, and seven members of the ‘Statue Guardians’ club from Gyeseong High School (Kim Tae-yeon, Lim Jun-seo (both 2nd year high school), Go Seo-yeon, Kim Song-a-rin, Kim Eun-byeol, Noh Yoo-jung, Lee Yeon-su (all 1st year high school)) held a ‘Message Delivery Ceremony Requesting Permanent Preservation of the Berlin Peace Statue of a Girl’ at the Fountain Square of Hansung University Station, where the first Korea-China Peace Statue of a Girl was installed.

At the site, Mayor Lee Seung-ro raised his voice, saying, “I hope that Berlin, which loves peace and human rights, and the Peace Statue of a Girl can be together forever.”

In response, the seven students, including Kim Tae-yeon, a 2nd-year student at Gyeseong High School, requested citizens and city officials from 16 cities in six countries worldwide, including Berlin, Germany, where Peace Statues of a Girl have been erected, to protect the statues together.

Students of Gyeseong High School had previously created a significant impact by voluntarily informing the German public about the meaning of the Peace Statue of a Girl and collecting over 3,600 handwritten letters urging them to protect the statue when the Mitte District of Berlin decided to dismantle the statue in 2020.

German citizens and administrative officials who received the letters through local civic groups were deeply moved, raising expectations for permanent preservation. Meanwhile, the activities of Japanese right-wing groups persistently demanding the removal of the Peace Statue of a Girl have intensified.

Kim Tae-yeon (2nd year, Gyeseong High School) said, “Although I expected the Berlin Peace Statue of a Girl to be permanently preserved, I am greatly disappointed by the decision to extend it by only one year. However, I will not stop here and will work hard with seniors, juniors, and friends to promote the meaning of overseas Peace Statues of a Girl so that we can hear news of permanent preservation.”

Mayor Lee Seung-ro of Seongbuk-gu stated, “Originally scheduled for removal, the over 3,600 handwritten letters written by children, adolescents, and citizens of Seongbuk-gu deeply moved Berlin citizens and city officials, creating a great impact, and many there expected permanent preservation. Seongbuk-gu will actively support the activities of children, adolescents, and citizens conveying the meaning of peace and universal human rights embodied by the Peace Statue of a Girl, and will also make administrative efforts such as sister city partnerships to make permanent preservation a reality, not just an expectation.”

Following this, the students spoke in unison, “We hope that Berlin, which loves peace and human rights, and the Peace Statue of a Girl can be together forever. We ask for much attention to the overseas Peace Statues of a Girl, which are always at risk of removal due to persistent pressure from Japanese right-wing groups.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.