Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Seoul City opens Korean War monument at Gwanghwamun Square ahead of local elections
Visitors look over sculptures representing the 22 countries that fought in the Korean War after the completion ceremony for the Garden of Gratitude at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps
By Jung Min-ho
Garden of Gratitude described as patriotic landmark, but critics call it waste of taxpayers' money
In a dimly lit underground hall beneath Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Monday, portraits of veterans of the 1950-53 Korean War flickered to life on vertical screens as a group of reporters gathered to capture the multimedia spectacle. Cascading waterfall imagery projected the names of the veterans across curved walls before dissolving into animated plants that bloomed into fields of flowers.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government officially opens the Garden of Gratitude, Tuesday, unveiling a stone monument honoring 22 nations that fought in the Korean War at the downtown square — positioned between the U.S. Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters — just three weeks ahead of the June 3 local elections.
Aboveground, 23 gray granite pillars — representing the 22 ally countries and South Korea — curve upward in a formation designed to evoke honor guards presenting arms. Each structure stands 6.25 meters tall — a height chosen to reference June 25, the date the war began, Kim Chang-kyu, head of the city office’s balanced development bureau, explained during a preview of the site, a day ahead of the inauguration.
Seven of the pillars currently feature stones donated by participating nations, including fragments of the Berlin Wall from Germany and materials from India, Greece, Luxembourg, Belgium, Norway and the Netherlands. Stone from five more countries, including the United States, is expected to be installed by the end of the year, with others still in discussion.
A visitor takes photos of a light show at the Garden of Gratitude installation during a trial run at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
The pillars will light up nightly from 8 to 11 p.m., and 7 to 10 p.m. in winter, with 10-minute light shows running every 30 minutes. On national holidays and special occasions, the city government plans to adjust colors and timing, hoping to turn the square into one of the city’s signature nightscape attractions.
Belowground, the Freedom Hall media exhibition is designed to show how Korea, once a war-ravaged recipient of international aid, has become an aid donor. Artificial intelligence-enhanced pictures from the war turn old stills into moving footage, making veterans appear to shift and breathe on screen.
Another zone, the Memorial Wall, uses 23 triangular LED panels to represent Korea and the 22 ally nations. In one sequence, Bloom Together, national flowers burst into bloom and their petals fall to form “waves of gratitude,” conveying, as officials put it, the idea that “today’s Korea has bloomed through the sacrifices of its veterans.”
Interactive kiosks nearby allow visitors to digitally try on military uniforms from different allied nations or leave messages of thanks.
Reporters walk past vertical screens set up inside the Freedom Hall during a media tour in central Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Jung Min-ho
City officials say the Garden of Gratitude is intended to give the square, which draws around 27 million visitors a year, a new civic dimension where people can reflect on the values of freedom and peace in their daily lives.
Kim defended the military motif against critics who have called it inappropriate for a civilian public space.
“This design is not problematic. It expresses gratitude for sacrifice and dedication,” he told journalists during Monday’s tour. “Unlike the War Memorial in Yongsan, which people must intentionally visit, Gwanghwamun is part of daily life for citizens and foreign tourists. They can encounter and feel this gratitude in their everyday space.”
Political controversy
The timing of the structure’s completion has been one of the most contentious issues in the Seoul mayoral race.
Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the conservative People Power Party hails it as “a space that elevates the dignity and symbolism of Gwanghwamun Square,” while his rival Chong Won-o of the Democratic Party of Korea denounces it as “a self‑promotional legacy project.” Many see it as Oh’s attempt to cement a conservative imprint in the heart of Seoul and galvanize voters around a highly visible symbol of patriotism.
The monument was originally slated for completion in 2027 before being fast-tracked to open ahead of the elections — a timeline that received criticism. The project itself went through a significant rebranding in years. In 2024, the city first floated a plan to erect a 100-meter flagpole bearing a giant Korean national flag in Gwanghwamun Square, but scrapped the plan after it was widely condemned as too nationalistic.
Whether the landmark will endure in its current form may depend on the election results. At a press conference last week, Chong’s campaign officials condemned the project as a “waste of taxpayers’ money,” calling for it to be halted and subjected to a full audit.