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| The artist's drawing of a Taegeukgi that the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs wants to hoist at Gwanghwamun Plaza in central Seoul. / Courtesy of Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs |
By Jun Ji-hye
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The conflict emerged as the ministry wanted to fly the Taegeukgi measuring 12 meters by 8 meters on a 45-meter pole permanently affixed at the plaza to mark the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese occupation this year, while the local government is refusing to do this.
According to the ministry, Tuesday, the SMG told the ministry on Nov. 23 that the Taegeukgi can be flown only temporarily, saying that flying the national flag at the plaza all the time is an "old-fashioned idea."
The SMG has authority to permit the use of the plaza.
"The city told us that it is proper to fly the Taegeukgi permanently only at government sites such as the government complex," the ministry said. "It said that only a temporary installation of the flag is possible at Gwanghwamun."
The refusal to allow the ministry's plan came after the deliberation by an SMG panel about whether to allow the installation of any structures at the plaza.
The panel cited that flying the national flag at the center of the capital seems a "totalitarian idea" and could possibly damage the urban landscape, according to the ministry.
After the deliberation, the city decided to allow the ministry to fly the Taegeukgi at the plaza until Dec. 31 and at another civic square in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace until Aug. 15 next year.
A ministry official said, on condition of anonymity, that the installation of the giant Taegeukgi costs about 400 million won ($338,000). "We cannot spend that money to fly the flag only for a short period of time," the official said.
The ministry claimed that the SMG's refusal at this stage is improper, citing that the Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Sung-choon and Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon had already signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on June 2 for the project.
The ministry said the SMG refused the ministry's plan even after the Office for Government Policy Coordination advised the city to coordinate with the ministry.
"We will ask a mediation committee tasked with resolving conflicts between central and local governments to conduct arbitration," the ministry said.
The ministry noted that it will use every possible means to fly the national flag at the plaza permanently, stressing that 87.3 percent of the public agrees with the idea.
Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye
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