Seoul City Completes Removal of Two Im Ok-sang Artworks Installed at 'Site of Memory'

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that on the morning of the 5th, it completed the removal of two sculptures by Im Ok-sang, "Eyes of the Earth" and "Navel of the World," installed at the site of the Japanese Resident-General's Office in Namsan Park, known as the "Place of Memory." With this, all of Im Ok-sang's works within the "Place of Memory" have been removed.

Previously, Seoul stated that maintaining the works of an artist convicted of sexual harassment in a space dedicated to honoring comfort women who suffered lifelong pain due to wartime sexual violence is an insult to the comfort women and goes against public sentiment, thus removal was appropriate. Im Ok-sang was found guilty in the first trial on the 17th of last month on charges of forcible molestation.

Seoul explained that considering the results of a public opinion survey and the fact that the "Place of Memory" was created through citizen fundraising, the "Place of Memory" itself will be preserved, but only Im Ok-sang's sculptures within the site have been removed.

According to a survey conducted by Seoul targeting 1,000 citizens, 65% of respondents said Im Ok-sang's works should be removed (53.6% said only the sculptures involving the artist should be removed, 11.4% said the entire "Place of Memory" should be closed). Meanwhile, 23.8% supported the view that only the artist's name should be deleted and the entire sculptures preserved, as argued by organizations such as the Justice and Memory Foundation.

Seoul plans to fill the space left by the removed sculptures with new content, based on suggestions from related parties and experts at the time of the site's creation, and after consultation with the Public Art Committee.

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