Im Oksang Accused of Sexual Assault, Steps Underway to Replace 'Cheonggyecheon Jeon Tae-il Statue'

'The Eye of the Earth' and 'The Navel of the World' Followed by the Third
Deliberation Committee Sent Recommendation to Jeon Tae-il Foundation on the 12th

The Cheonggyecheon Jeon Tae-il statue, a work by the people's artist Lim Ok-sang (73), is expected to be replaced with a new sculpture. Earlier, Lim was sentenced to six months in prison with a two-year probation for forcibly molesting an employee at the art research institute he operated.

According to the Jeon Tae-il Statue Retention and Replacement Deliberation Committee (Deliberation Committee) on the 15th, the committee sent a recommendation letter to the Jeon Tae-il Foundation on the 12th, requesting the erection of a new sculpture honoring the spirit of martyr Jeon Tae-il.

Cheonggyecheon Jeon Tae-il Statue Photo by Yonhap News

The Deliberation Committee made this decision at a meeting held on the 5th at the Jeon Tae-il Memorial Hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul, attended by nine committee members. During the meeting, there was also an opinion that the statue should be removed by the 13th of next month, the 53rd anniversary of martyr Jeon Tae-il, but the committee did not set a specific timeline.

However, regarding the retention of the statue, the foundation stated that it would delegate the decision to the Deliberation Committee, so an official announcement from the foundation is expected soon.

The Jeon Tae-il statue was installed in 2005 during the restoration of Cheonggyecheon, funded by donations from workers and citizens, and placed in front of the Jeon Tae-il Bridge at the Cheonggyecheon Peace Market.

Earlier, on the 5th of last month, the Seoul Metropolitan Government removed Lim’s works, including ‘Eyes of the Earth’ and ‘Navel of the World,’ which were installed in memorial spaces such as ‘The Place of Memory’ honoring comfort women victims, stating that it was inappropriate to keep works by an artist who caused social controversy.

The Seoul Museum of Art, a subordinate institution, also removed Lim’s work ‘Drawing Seoul.’ The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office removed Lim’s bust of martyr Lee Jun, Korea’s first prosecutor, which had been purchased and exhibited in honor of him. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also made private the works displayed overseas, including eight prints from the ‘Flower’ series held by the Egyptian Embassy and the Western painting ‘Hanbaram’ exhibited at the Kazakh Embassy.

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