Oh Sehoon Says Land Ministry’s Order to Halt “Garden of Gratitude” Construction Is a Serious Abuse of Authority
Direct Clash Between Land Ministry and Seoul City
"Seoul Has No Choice but to Exercise Its Right to Resist"
Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon strongly protested the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s order to halt construction of the “Garden of Gratitude,” denouncing it as “a serious abuse of governmental authority.”
At a New Year’s press conference held at Seoul City Hall on the morning of Feb. 10, 2026, Mayor Oh said, “They had already decided on the conclusion that they would find a procedural defect and suspend the project, and then announced various regulations in line with their own interpretation,” criticizing the ministry’s move.
Earlier, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport determined that the Garden of Gratitude project had been pursued in violation of the National Land Planning and Utilization Act and the Road Act, and, in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act, sent the Seoul Metropolitan Government a prior notice of an order to stop construction.
The Garden of Gratitude is a symbolic space that the Seoul Metropolitan Government is pushing to create at Gwanghwamun Square to express gratitude to the nations that participated in the Korean War. Above ground, the city plans to install 22 symbolic sculptures, each about 7 meters high, and underground, it plans to remodel an existing vehicle entrance (ramp) to create exhibition spaces such as a media wall. It is a kind of alternative that emerged after the city withdrew its June 2024 plan to install a 100-meter-high flagpole for the national flag.
Regarding this, Mayor Oh said that the Garden of Gratitude could make the identity and freedom of the Republic of Korea stand out more symbolically. He explained, “It may be uncomfortable for tourists from some countries such as China, but it will serve as an opportunity to convey the historical truth of their participation in the Korean War,” adding, “For American tourists, it can give the impression that the Republic of Korea is a mature nation that does not forget the grace of those who sacrificed for freedom.”
Mayor Oh said, “Watching the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announce something like this, I felt almost sorry for the public officials,” and added, “From both a legal-technical perspective and the plain wording of the law, it is a very unreasonable decision. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has gone through all the procedures in the city council elected by the citizens and has also secured the budget.”
He went on to stress that, if there are issues, they should be supplemented, and that it is an excessive abuse of authority for the ministry to step in and say it will suspend the construction. Mayor Oh said, “All procedural authority to finalize and notify the implementation plan lies with the Mayor of Seoul,” and strongly added, “If such excessive abuse of authority is exercised over a self-governing body chosen by the citizens, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has no other choice but to exercise its right to resist.”
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In conclusion, he said, “With regard to legal action, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has completed all reviews and preparations,” emphasizing, “We will not be outmatched in terms of logic.”
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