The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs is pushing a plan to convert Hyochang Park, which includes the cemetery for independence merit awardees and Baekbeom Memorial Hall, into the National Hyochang Independence Park.
The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA) said on the 1st, "Taking the designation of the 150th anniversary of Baekbeom Kim Gu's birth as a UNESCO commemoration as an opportunity, we intend to nationalize Hyochang Park to restore its historical significance and refurbish it into a park that many citizens can easily visit with a cheerful mind."
President Lee Jae-myung ordered a review of converting it into a national park at a Cabinet meeting on the 1st of the previous month. At the time, Lee said, "The political situation may have some influence, but please make sure that does not lead to an inability to proceed with national park designation." The drive to make Hyochang Park a national park was attempted several times in the past but fell through, partly over concerns that nearby development could be restricted.
Hyochang Park, about 51,800 pyeong in the Hyochang-dong area of Yongsan-gu, began as a royal tomb site during the Joseon era and became a historic space where the cemetery for independence activists was created after Liberation. It now houses the graves of key independence merit awardees, including Baekbeom Kim Gu, Lee Bong-chang, and Yun Bong-gil, as well as various facilities such as Hyochang International Football Stadium and the Baekbeom Memorial Hall. At present, facilities are old and management bodies are disparate, so maintenance has not been properly carried out.
In response, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA) plans to seek public deliberation on Hyochang Park as a whole, including the stadium, and to establish a project plan that reflects diverse positions and opinions.
An official at the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA) said, "We are preparing to relaunch public deliberations, establish a basic plan, and carry out a preliminary feasibility study," adding, "If we reorganize the mixed facilities and reinforce facilities symbolizing the independence movement, we expect the area's value to rise together." The official added, "We will pursue public deliberation on Hyochang Park as a whole, including the stadium, and establish a project plan that reflects diverse positions and opinions."