Mullae Park | |
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Location | Mullae-dong, Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, South Korea |
Coordinates | 37°30′58″N 126°53′38″E / 37.51611°N 126.89389°E |
Established | 1986 |
Mullae Park ( Korean: 문래공원; Hanja: 文來公園) is a park in Mullae-dong, Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, South Korea. The park was established in 1986 and is widely used for leisure and exercise by nearby residents. [1]
Before it was a park, it hosted several military facilities. Now, a large number of civilian amenities fill the area, including walkways, exercise equipment, playgrounds, and air purifiers. [2]
The park was once host to the South Korean Army's 6th District Headquarters: the birthplace of the May 16 Coup of 1961. It was during this coup that Park Chung Hee seized power. [2] [3] All that remains of the former bases is an underground bunker, the entrance to which is now behind a locked and unmarked door, near a children's playground. [4]
To commemorate this part of history, a bust depicting Park during his military years has been in the park since 1985. [3] In 2000, after the Center for Historical Truth and Justice unveiled research on Park's blood oath of loyalty to Japan, the bust had a Japanese Rising Sun Flag tied to it, was knocked over, and dragged to the campus of Hongik University. [4] The bust's nose was damaged in the process. The statue was reinstalled, and the nose was repaired by a memorial foundation to Park in 2006. [4] In December 2016, during protests for the impeachment of Park's daughter President Park Geun-hye, Choe Hwang (최황) wrote "remove" ("철거하라") in red spray paint on the statue. [5] [4] Choe wrote angrily on Facebook about Park Chung Hee's role as a pro-Japanese collaborator (" chinilpa") and military dictator. For this, he was fined one million won. [4] [5]
The bust is now protected behind an iron fence. A nearby sign, prepared by the memorial foundation to Park, warns people of consequences for vandalism towards either the bust or the bunker. [4]