Joo Ki-hwan, Gwangju City Party Chairman of the People Power Party, "Let's Hold a Public Hearing on the Creation of Jeong Yul-sung Park"

Urgent Call for Immediate Nullification and Direct Notification of Jeong Yulseong's Case to Citizens

Joo Ki-hwan, chairman of the Gwangju Metropolitan City Committee of the People Power Party, recently urged Gwangju City to halt the ongoing Jeong Yul-seong Park development project and hold a public hearing to accurately reveal the truth.

On the afternoon of the 4th, Chairman Joo held a press conference at the Gwangju City Council briefing room, stating, “I hope that no more regrettable incidents occur where the spirit of Gwangju and the identity of the Republic of Korea are damaged because of Jeong Yul-seong,” and added, “Gwangju City should scrap the Jeong Yul-seong Park development project and begin efforts to accurately inform citizens of the true nature of Jeong Yul-seong as he really is.”

He continued, “The pride and honor of Gwangju, and the spirit of May 18, are the very essence of the constitutional spirit of liberal democracy deeply engraved in the hearts of Gwangju citizens,” and criticized, “To honor Jeong Yul-seong, a communist who stands in direct opposition to the May 18 spirit, at the historical site of Gwangju where the values of liberal democracy and human rights were defended, is in itself an insult to the citizens of Gwangju.”

He also emphasized, “Jeong Yul-seong abandoned his motherland, the Republic of Korea, denied the liberal democratic system, and devoted his life to communism, being praised as a hero in China and North Korea,” adding, “It is inappropriate to idolize such a person with the taxes of Gwangju citizens.”

Furthermore, he pointed out, “There are attempts to disguise a communist as a symbol of Korea-China friendship and to symbolize him as such, but this is being dismissed as an old ideological debate,” and criticized, “The ongoing Jeong Yul-seong memorial project cannot be excused by claiming administrative continuity.”

He also revealed, “Over the past decade, Gwangju City and some local governments have invested 11.7 billion won in projects and memorial facilities honoring Jeong Yul-seong,” and stated, “In particular, events such as the Jeong Yul-seong children’s song festival, concerts, documentaries, and large murals have been sufficient to blind the eyes and ears of innocent citizens and conceal Jeong Yul-seong’s collaborationist actions.”

Chairman Joo asserted, “It is shameful that the wrong decisions and arbitrariness of politicians who did not properly understand the true nature of Jeong Yul-seong have been perceived as the will of Gwangju citizens, leading to Gwangju being isolated and divided once again as a battleground for ideological disputes,” and said, “Mayors, district heads, and others who participated in the idolization of Jeong Yul-seong must confess the truth that they were ignorant about him before the citizens of Gwangju, sincerely apologize, and offer a profound apology.”

He added, “Gwangju City should immediately stop the Jeong Yul-seong Park development project and hold a ‘Jeong Yul-seong Truth Awareness Public Hearing’ centered on experts with a balanced perspective based on historical records,” and concluded, “I earnestly hope that no incidents occur that damage the spirit of Gwangju and the identity of the Republic of Korea because of Jeong Yul-seong.”

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