Yongsan Park Project Criticized for Ignoring Colonial History

Historians are expressing frustration over the perceived neglect of crucial colonial-era ruins within the Yongsan Park development, arguing that the project is prioritizing other aspects over historical preservation. The site of the former Imperial Japanese Army headquarters, including its first and second headquarters buildings and bunkers, is being overlooked despite the area's opening as the Yongsan Children's Garden temporary park. Experts like Professor Jo Geon of Dongguk University's History Education department emphasize that these sites are central to understanding Japan's wartime mobilization policies, which sent over 200,000 Korean youths to their deaths.

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The Korean Army Headquarters was a key institution for the forced mobilization policy that drove over 200,000 Korean youths to their deaths during the war period of Japanese rule. Who among the current visitors knows that the site is under the Yongsan Children's Garden public parking lot?

"Who among the current visitors knows that the site of the Korean Army Headquarters is under the Yongsan Children's Garden public parking lot?" Jo questioned, lamenting that the space is being neglected, hindering the recovery of memories of past suffering. He stressed the importance of investigating and interpreting these historical grounds, drawing parallels to Pierre Nora's concept of 'lieux de mémoire' (places of memory). Jo argued that without understanding the historical context of these spaces, visitors will be left with nothing, failing to grasp the immense suffering and war damage that occurred there.

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We must investigate the Yongsan building sites and convey their meaning in various ways.

The criticism is not new within academic circles. For the past five to six years, experts have increasingly voiced concerns as surveys and investigations into key Japanese colonial relics within Yongsan Park, such as the Korean Army Headquarters and the Governor-General's residence, have been repeatedly postponed or abandoned without explanation. At a recent forum, urban planning expert Kim Hong-ryeol pointed out that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which oversees the project, has failed to consistently implement a vision for historical and place-based significance. Frequent changes to design plans based on shifting political interests have eroded trust and the project's momentum.

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If you only look at the buildings, the spaces, or even just the spaces where there are no buildings, nothing remains in your mind. We must include places of memory within Yongsan Park that can convey the feeling that such immense war damage was caused in this space and that such tragedies actually occurred.

Kim also noted that a sincere approach to the land's history is crucial for successful negotiations with the U.S. military regarding the return of occupied land. He criticized the ongoing real estate disputes among politicians, suggesting that the U.S. military benefits from the focus on these issues, allowing them to avoid addressing core concerns. The development plan for Yongsan Park, initiated in 1987, has undergone numerous revisions and studies over two decades, with only a portion of the former U.S. military base now open as the Yongsan Children's Garden. The historical restoration aspect of the park project appears to be stalled, with plans for excavation and restoration of the Korean Army Headquarters and Governor-General's residence sites, including proposals to use the second headquarters building as a visitor center, never materializing.

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The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which oversees the project, has failed to consistently implement a vision for historical and place-based significance. Frequent changes to design plans based on shifting political interests have eroded trust and the project's momentum.