Korean War civilian victims' memorial park to break ground 10 years after site selection

A national memorial for civilian victims of the Korean War, Golryeonggol Peace Park, is set to begin construction this November or December, a decade after the site was selected. The facility, planned for a 100,000-square-meter area in Daejeon's Dong-gu, will include a memorial hall, exhibition space, and green areas, with a projected completion date of August 2028. The total project cost is estimated at 60.5 billion won.

The chosen site, Sannae Golryeonggol, is a mass grave where an estimated 3,000 to 7,000 civilians, including prisoners and those accused of leftist sympathies, were executed by South Korean military and police forces shortly after the Korean War began. The burial trenches are said to stretch for 1 kilometer, earning it the grim moniker 'the world's longest grave'.

Despite the site's selection in 2016 through a public competition, construction has been significantly delayed. The original completion target of 2020 was missed due to sluggish progress in excavation, land acquisition, and design. Rising costs have further complicated matters, increasing the budget by nearly 20 billion won and necessitating a review by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The project faced an additional two-year delay awaiting final approval for design and budget changes.

The delay has deeply affected the families of the victims. Jeon Mi-gyeong, head of the Daejeon Sannae Golryeonggol Victims' Families Association, expressed the community's anguish at a recent memorial service. "We were comforted by the news that construction would begin last year, but unfortunately, the park's creation is delayed despite our earnest waiting," she stated. "As elderly family members pass away one by one, every single day is precious and urgent for us." She appealed to the government for the swift commencement of the park's construction.

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We were comforted by the news that construction would begin last year, but unfortunately, the park's creation is delayed despite our earnest waiting. As elderly family members pass away one by one, every single day is precious and urgent for us.