Oh Se-hoon: "Establishing the Syonghyeon Square Syngman Rhee Memorial Hall Requires National Consensus"

"Exhibit Engineering and Science 50/50"

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon stated that the construction of the Rhee Syngman Memorial Hall, which is being promoted mainly by the conservative camp, "must be based on national consensus."

On the 11th, during the 324th Seoul Metropolitan Council extraordinary session's administrative inquiry, in response to a question from Jeong Jun-ho, a Democratic Party city council member, regarding the promotion of the Rhee Syngman Memorial Hall construction, Mayor Oh replied, "We are currently observing the process of public opinion formation."

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is delivering a greeting at the 2024 Press Access New Year Meeting held on the 17th at Seoul City Hall on Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

Regarding the proposed site for construction being the Open Songhyeon Green Square in Jongno-gu, he said, "There are people who oppose the location. Notably, the Buddhist community has expressed opposition, so recently, we requested the construction promotion committee to directly negotiate with those who hold differing opinions."

He continued, "There should be enough time for national discussion, and as a result of such discussions, depending on how public opinion forms, there should be discussions at the city level about whether this place (Songhyeon Square) is the most suitable site, and the council should also gather opinions for progress to be made."

Regarding the nature of the memorial hall, Mayor Oh said, "All historical figures have both merits and demerits, and the intention is to exhibit these merits and demerits equally, 50-50." He added, "If that is the case, misunderstandings arising from the name (Rhee Syngman Memorial Hall) might be dispelled."

However, Mayor Oh also emphasized that there are biased aspects in the historical evaluation of the former president. He stated, "Because of the circumstances surrounding his resignation at the end, even his previous achievements have been excessively disparaged." He added, "I do not want the debate to flow in that direction. That is why perhaps the memorial hall is necessary?to dispel misunderstandings."

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