Gumi is C vs Daegu is J... Divided TK over Park Chung-hee Square English Spelling

Dispute Over English Signage at 'Park Chung-hee Square'
Gumi City: "Respect Former President Park's Intent... Should Correct to 'Chung'"
Mayor Hong Joon-pyo: "No Need to Follow Incorrect Spelling" Rebuttal

Unveiling Ceremony of Park Chung-hee Square Signboard. Photo by Yonhap News

Daegu Metropolitan City and Gumi City in Gyeongbuk Province clashed over the English romanization of former President Park Chung Hee's name.

On the 14th, Daegu City held an unveiling ceremony for a signboard naming the square in front of Dongdaegu Station as "Park Jeong Hee Square." The unveiled signboard featured a portrait of the former president and his handwritten calligraphy. The English phrase "PARK JEONG HEE SQUARE" was also included.

However, this English romanization sparked an unexpected controversy. Some pointed out that the former president's English name during his lifetime was not spelled "Jeong" but "Chung." On the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's website, the records of past presidents list his English name as "Park chung-hee."

In response, Gumi City stated, "Former President Park has always used 'Park Chung Hee' on his passport and guestbooks," and argued, "We should respect his wishes and correct the English romanization accordingly."

On the other hand, Daegu City's position differed. They explained, "The spelling follows the correct English romanization according to the Korean Romanization System established in 2000." According to the National Institute of the Korean Language's romanization rules, '정' should be written as 'Jeong.'

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo also questioned on his SNS (social networking service) on the 16th, "'Chung' is used to romanize '청' or '충,' so is there really a need to follow an incorrect spelling?"

However, Gumi City remained firm in their stance. On the 18th, they announced plans to conduct a full survey of the English romanization on road signs dedicated to former President Park in the region and to replace some signs spelled as "Bakjeonghui-ro" with "Parkchunghee-ro."

Daegu City stated, "We plan to hold a meeting of the Former President Park Memorial Project Committee to discuss this issue again."

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