Giant flagpole, 'inextinguishable flame' slated for Gwanghwamun veterans memorial

Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul will host a new national symbol: a 100 meter (328 feet) high national flagpole. A brazier holding an “inextinguishable flame” symbolizing "eternal patriotism" will also be displayed in the area.

The 100-meter-high national flagpole to be constructed at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul by 2026 in a rendered image provided by the city government on Tuesday. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul will host a new national symbol: a 100 meter (328 feet) high national flagpole. A brazier holding an “inextinguishable flame” symbolizing "eternal patriotism" will also be displayed in the area.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on Tuesday announced the plan for the project during a meeting with seven war veterans, which was held to commemorate the 74th anniversary of the 1950-53 Korean War. The Seoul mayor said the city decided to create a space to commemorate the sacrifices of war veterans and pledged to make it an area where the public will feel pride.

The flagpole will be topped with the Taegeukgi. It will feature a 15-meter-high media facade on the lower part and beams that will make it look like a radiating pillar. The Taegeukgi represents the history of Korea, including the March 1 Independence Movement in 1919, which called for independence from Imperial Japan during its colonial rule.

The national flagpole and a brazier called "inextinguishable flame" to be constructed at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul by 2026 in a rendered image provided by the city government on Tuesday. The lower part of the flagpole features a 15-meter-high media facade. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

In front of the sculpture will be a large brazier with fire, called the inextinguishable flame, to commemorate the country's patriotic heroes. The city will spend approximately 11 billion won ($79 million) to build these two installations.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the project aims to establish a space with historic and cultural value, similar to the Washington Monument in Washington and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Sejongno Park, near the space, will also be remodeled for the first time in about 30 years. The park will be connected to the square and feature public facilities, such as a rest area, information center and food courts.

Construction for the monuments and the park will begin in May next year after finalizing the designs through a public competition scheduled from August to November. The sculptures will be completed by February 2026, and the park by November 2026.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, right, speaks during a meeting with Korean War veterans at the City Hall in downtown Seoul on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

In 2015, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs also proposed flying a giant national flag at Gwanghwamun Square to mark the 70th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule. However, the plan was scrapped after the city government under the late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon opposed the idea, as it "did not align with public sentiment."

The Cultural Action, an artists’ collective, also criticized installing a national flagpole at Gwanghwamun Square, regarding it as “old fashioned” after an ordinance allowing the construction was passed at the Seoul Metropolitan Council last month.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]