By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter

The Gwanghwamun Plaza will celebrate the 100th day of its opening Monday. Around five million citizens have visited the plaza since Aug. 1.

However, expensive maintenance costs and a new skating rink raise questions about the plaza that aims to be a landmark.

In August, when it opened, 2.2 million people visited it, reflecting the high expectations from citizens. The number decreased to 1.2 million in September before bouncing back again in October after the unveiling of the King Sejong’s Statue.

“As the weather gets colder, more people are visiting King Sejong’s Story, the indoor exhibition showing the king’s life,” said an official of the Seoul Metropolitan Facilities Management Corporation, which is in charge of operating the plaza.

The city expects to draw more visitors as it will refurbish the area for winter next month, but fears of influenza A (H1N1) might prevent people from visiting.

From Dec. 12, the flower carpet there will be turned into an ice rink. Since the flowers were expected to die during the winter, the city decided to relocate the ice rink usually installed on Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall. The FIS (Federation Internationale de Ski) Snowboard World Cup will be held at the plaza, from Dec. 11 to 13.

“People will come to watch winter sports in the heart of the city where professionals will show snowboarding and ski jump stunts,” a city official said.

However, the expensive maintenance costs remain a concern.

The city spent 367 million won ($313,000), including labor costs, to maintain the plaza for two months. The progressive Democratic Labor Party (DLP) said it was abhorrent to spend such an amount to sustain it for only a couple of months.

“The Gwanghwamun Plaza should be born again as a free space for citizens where they can communicate with each other. If not, it will become another example of the city showing off its achievements,” Bang Jong-ok, the spokeswoman of the party’s Seoul branch, said.

Hwang Pyung-woo, the director of the Cultural Heritage Policy Research Institute (CHPRI), a private historical research center, criticized the plaza for being a “grand median strip.”

“The plaza should be left open as a place for communication and peace,” Hwang said. “However, it is now only a place for promotions.”

He also questioned the “12.23 Fountain” that is in the shape of a battleship, saying, “It is not appropriate to set up a structure symbolizing war in such a plaza,” Hwang said.

meeyoo@koreatimes.co.kr