hankyoreh

Several thousands citizens visit Gwanghwamun Plaza on August 2, the day after its opening.

Approximately 180 thousand people visited the new plaza on its opening day. However, many criticize it for not being accessible as a public square since only around 1,751 square meters out of its approximately 19,000 square meters can be used as a gathering place. The new plaza is reported to be 557 meters long and 34 meters wide.

An official of Seoul Metropolitan Government says, “We will use the plaza as an exhibition area and not for assemblies.” The government has installed a fountain and flower carpets around the already existing statue of Admiral Yi Soon-sin to prevent assemblies and demonstrations from taking place in the newly opened square.

The Seoul branch of the Democratic Labor Party is criticized the Seoul government and is urging them to open up the public square’s use as a place to exercise their freedom of assembly. The area had been under construction for over a year.

Photo by Lee Jeong-ah/The Hankyoreh