Park Jong-cheol Memorial Hall Planned

A Memorial Hall to commemorate Park Jong-cheol will be built at the site of the former national security headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul where Park Jong-cheol died of water torture in 1987. Park’s death was a decisive stimulant for the 1987 nation-wide rallies for democratization, which led to universal suffrage for presidential election in Korea.

“We are discussing with the police on establishing a Park Jong-cheol memorial hall in the building including room #509 where Park died of torture,” said a member of the Park Jong-cheol Memorial Foundation on Wednesday.

Park’s diary, which he wrote when he worked at a factory as a part of the popular movement, as well as photos and other data, will be exhibited in the hall.

The security headquarters was built in 1976 for espionage investigations, but was used for torturing those who participated in democratization movements. This was made to the public with the death of Park on January 14, 1987.

The police are using the building as the Police Agency Human Rights Protection Center since July 2005, plan to change it into the Police Human Rights Memorial Hall, and are going over various schemes in the Commission for the Establishment of Police Human Rights Memorial Hall that was formed last September.

According to the foundation, an agreement will be reached with the police by next month, and the Memorial Hall will be opened on June 10, the 20th anniversary of the June 10 Democratic Uprising. On the same day, the sixth Park Jong-cheol Human Rights Award ceremony will be held.

dnsp@donga.com