[Global Times Special Correspondent Wang Wei] Should the former president’s memorial hall continue to exist?
According to Yonhap News Agency’s report on the 11th, this issue has recently become the focus of controversy in South Korea. Regarding the Lee Myung-bak Memorial Hall in Pohang City, Gyeongsangbuk-do, local citizens requested to stop operations, but the local government refused to accept this request.
Data map: Li Mingbo.
Former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was born in Osaka, Japan in 1941. He moved back to South Korea with his parents in 1945 and lived in Pohang for several years.
According to reports, after Lee Myung-bak became president of South Korea in 2008, his hometown became a popular tourist destination, with more than 480,000 tourists that year.
However, it has declined year after year. Last year it fell to 26,187, and this year it may fall below 10,000.
In 2011, Pohang City invested 1.45 billion won (approximately 8.63 million yuan) to build the Lee Myung-Bo Memorial Hall, which displays various photos and texts about Lee's life.
After its completion, Pohang City also invested more than 50 million won annually to maintain the normal operation of the museum.
The Pohang Citizens Association, a local civic group in Pohang, recently issued a statement stating that since Lee Myung-bak was convicted by the Supreme Court on the 29th of last month and deprived of all the courtesies of the former president, Pohang City should “stop using municipal taxes. Support the behavior of criminals’ memorial facilities, and convert the facilities to other uses, such as welfare facilities and educational facilities.
In response to the voice of the people, the relevant person in charge of Pohang City stated that the position on the Lee Myung-bak Memorial Hall remains unchanged and will continue to operate in the future.
Many former presidents of South Korea have memorial halls.
Park Jeong Hee’s memorial facility is called "Park Jeong Hee Library", located in Mapo-gu, Seoul, and was established by the Park Jeong Hee Memorial Foundation in February 2012.
Kim Young Sam’s memorial facility is located on Geoje Island, Gyeongsangnam-do, where he was born. It is called "Kim Young Sam Records Exhibition Hall."
Kim Dae Jung’s memorial hall is located in Mokpo City, Jeollanam-do, his hometown. It was completed in 2011 and officially named as "Kim Dae Jung Nobel Peace Prize Memorial Hall" in 2013.
Roh Moo-hyun’s memorial facility is located in Bongha Village, Gimhae City, Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do, his hometown. It was established in 2010 by the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation and is called "President Roh Moo-hyun's Memorial Home."
It is reported that most of the memorial facilities of the former president of South Korea are operated by independent private consortia, such as Lee Myung-bak Memorial Hall, which is invested and operated by the local government as an exception.