hankyoreh

Attention is focused on the small South Gyeongsang Province county of Hapcheon after it changed a municipal park’s name into the nickname of former dictator Chun Doo-hwan.

Former President Chun is notorious for his totalitarian rule in the 1980s, as well as for corruption during his tenure. He seized power in 1980 through a military coup, just after his brutal suppression of democracy activists in Gwangju.

Despite mounting controversy, Hapcheon County went ahead with the name change on January 29. Ilhae Park reflects Chun’s nickname. When asked by media on February 8 to respond to the name change controversy, residents hesitated to comment, due to the debate surrounding the move.

But the name change’s supporters appeared confused after Park Geun-hye, the former head of the major opposition Grand National Party (GNP), said on February 7 that "the name of Ilhae is not appropriate." Park is the daughter of former dictator Park Chung-hee, who took power in 1961 also via a military coup. Hapcheon County is seen as one of the strongest supporters of the GNP - the county chief is a GNP member and the GNP holds the majority in the county council. Park is a possible candidate for December’s presidential race.

"In Hapcheon, former president Park Chung-hee’s influence is still strong," said an official from a conservative civic group based in the county. Park Geun-hye’s words were "a shock," said the official, "because the former GNP head Park, who inherited her political agenda from her father, chose to criticize the name ‘Ilhae.’ "

Reactions within the local government were also divided. A Hapcheon County official said that the head of the local government, who was the man behind the name change, was himself probably somewhat unsatisfied with her remark on the name change, as he is said to respect Park Chung-hee the most. But another county official said, "While Park Geun-hye expressed a negative stance over the name of Ilhae Park, she said that it is not right for the leadership of the party to intervene into the work of local governments." The official added that Park’s remark will not mean that the county will withdraw the park’s new name, saying that Park, as a presidential hopeful, was probably forced to comment on the issue.

But the current atmosphere in the county suggests that, despite the controversy, the name change will most likely not be repealed.

Mun Eul-ju, a Hapcheon County legislator and GNP member who on January 18 released a statement in support of renaming the park after Chun Doo-hwan, said that the name would stay. "If the GNP questions me regarding my support for the park’s name, I will likely quit the party." "I don’t like Chun Doo-hwan that much, but changing the park’s name after him can draw more tourists. My support for the name change is for the county’s benefit."

But another county official said that "if the county chief withdraws the name, he will need an excuse. Park’s remark could be a good excuse." All of the county officals asked to remain anonymous for this story.

Kim Yeong-guk, head of the Hapcheon branch of the conservative Society For Better Tomorrow, said, "It’s not right that outsiders criticized the name change. However, given the controversy in the process of changing the name, it’s time to resolve the issue," pointing out that the poll to determine the name change was not conducted using an accurate sample of residents.

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