Seoul mayor defends planned Korean War memorial, accuses central gov't of interfering

Home > National > Social Affairs

Seoul mayor defends planned Korean War memorial, accuses central gov't of interfering

Published: 10 Feb. 2026, 17:23 Updated: 10 Feb. 2026, 18:35

CHO JUNG-WOO
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon speaks during a New Year's press conference held at the City Hall in central Seoul on Feb. 10. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said Tuesday that a planned 1950-53 Korean War memorial at Gwanghwamun Square would convey a “healthy and desirable” message to the international community, pushing back against what he alleged was the central government’s move to halt the project.

“On one level, the Garden of Gratitude expresses our appreciation to the countries that fought in the war,” Oh said at a New Year’s press conference at the City Hall in central Seoul. “But what it ultimately symbolizes is freedom and democracy.”

Oh, during the press conference, outlined his policy priorities for the year ahead and reflected on his political future as the June mayoral election approaches.

The Garden of Gratitude is a city-led project envisioned as a memorial honoring the allied nations that participated in the Korean War. The plan calls for 22 stone pillars, each about seven meters tall, within the square, representing the 22 countries that took part in the war. Beneath the space, the city intends to renovate the underground space into an exhibition hall featuring immersive media displays showcasing the landscapes of those nations.

“There is no monument that more powerfully highlights Korea’s identity as a free nation than one symbolizing the fact that around 40,000 young people from around the world shed their blood to defend freedom and democracy here,” Oh said.

Oh emphasized Gwanghwamun Square’s symbolic accessibility.

A render of the Garden of Gratitude in Gwanghwamun Square, which is set to be built by 2027 [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

“It is a place people naturally come into contact with,” he said, adding that the central government’s decision to intervene was “regretful” and an “excessive abuse of power.”

“The authority to finalize and announce implementation plans rests with the mayor of Seoul,” he said.

On Monday, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport formally notified the Seoul Metropolitan Government that the project had allegedly skipped required administrative procedures and asked the city to submit a written explanation by Feb. 23 before finalizing a suspension.

Oh accused the government of deciding in advance to stop construction and then tailoring its methods to that goal, adding that ideology had entered what should be an administrative process.

“If the central government exercises this kind of excessive authority over a local government chosen by citizens, Seoul will have no choice but to assert its right to resist,” he said.

During his opening remarks, Oh said strengthening Seoul’s global competitiveness would be his top priority this year. He reiterated his longstanding goal of elevating the capital into the world’s top five global cities.

Seoul ranked sixth in last year’s Global Power City Index, released by the Mori Memorial Foundation’s Institute for Urban Strategies in Japan, maintaining its previous position. Oh noted that the gap with fifth-ranked Singapore had narrowed.

“With just a little more effort, I am confident this can be the year we reach our original goal of fifth place,” he said.

He pointed to other global rankings as evidence of progress. In Kearney’s Global Cities Outlook, Seoul rose to second place last year from fifth the year before. Quacquarelli Symonds also named Seoul the world’s best city for students in its 2026 rankings, ahead of Tokyo and London.

A media art titled “Seoul Light DDP Winter” appears on the exterior wall of Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul on Dec. 18, 2025. [YONHAP]

Asked about whether he would seek another term, Oh said it was too early for an official announcement, noting that he remains the sitting mayor.

“There is no particular reason to rush, especially before the party has even announced its primary schedule,” he said, while reiterating his determination to “protect Seoul.”

Oh’s current four-year term ends in June.

He also addressed criticism of several high-profile initiatives, including the Hangang Bus project and the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in central Seoul.

“I sincerely apologize once again for the concern caused by minor accidents and malfunctions early on,” Oh said of the Hangang Bus. “But every new project experiences some degree of trial and error at the beginning.” He added that at least a year was needed for the service to stabilize.

The mayor said the city would make adjustments based on public feedback and confirmed that the river ferry system would resume full operations on March 1 as planned.

A Hangang Bus ferry remains stuck near the Jamsil dock on Nov. 16, 2025, after striking the riverbed a day earlier. [YONHAP]

The Hangang Bus, launched in September last year, is currently operating at only two of its seven piers, Yeouido and Magok, following a series of accidents and a joint government inspection.

Oh described the city’s work as falling into two categories: policies driven by immediate public demand and projects rooted in long-term vision. The Hangang Bus and the DDP, he said, belong to the latter.

“The DDP has become a must-visit destination for tourists to Seoul,” he said, underscoring the role of landmark architecture in city branding.

The DDP has recently become a political flashpoint after Jeon Hyun-heui, a mayoral hopeful from the ruling Democratic Party, argued that the complex should be dismantled, claiming it had hollowed out the surrounding neighborhood.

“I believe I have designed [policies] aimed at cultivating civic pride befitting a global city,” he said. “This election should be about whether that policy direction, one that has shaped the confidence of Seoul’s citizens, can continue.”

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [[email protected]]