Special Planning Report "Thank the Patriots Who Sacrificed for the Nation After Exercising Civic Participation Rights"
[News S=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] 'Voting' is an important element of citizens' right to political participation. The 3rd is the nationwide simultaneous local elections day when citizens exercise this right to elect representatives for their communities. Casting a precious vote is both a duty and a right of citizens living in a democratic nation. There is something as important as voting in protecting the nation. It is remembering the predecessors who willingly sacrificed themselves for national defense and patriotic commemoration. We introduce 15 memorial facilities in Suwon, so please visit a nearby facility near your polling station to renew your commemoration and gratitude. Even if it is not election day, it is recommended to visit on Memorial Day on the 6th or any day in June when patriotic commemoration should be specially remembered.
◇'Patriotic Commemoration' Honoring All Dedication to Protecting the Nation
The most representative memorial facilities in Suwon are the 'Memorial Tower' and the 'Veterans' Monument of Merit.'
These are important places that high-ranking officials visit on days requiring national tribute ceremonies such as New Year's Day and Memorial Day.
The Memorial Tower is located at the southern end of Ingye Art Park, where Suwon's First Outdoor Concert Hall is situated.
The tower, created in 2005 with the theme 'Light Toward the Future,' features ten pillars shaped like 'incense' extending in all directions.
As a symbol expressing the patriotic spirit and national essence of those who died for the nation, its majestic 18-meter height naturally inspires reverence.
Located on the boundary between Ingye-dong in Paldal-gu and Gwonseon-dong in Gwonseon-gu, it is convenient for those voting nearby to stop by for commemoration.
Right next to it near the fountain plaza stands the Veterans' Monument of Merit.
This is a memorial to honor the achievements of those who participated in the Korean War, Vietnam War, and other conflicts, as well as recipients of medals of valor.
It was installed in 2009 to remember the patriotic spirit of ancestors who served on the battlefield with the determination to protect their homeland and liberal democracy.
It is said to express the image of hands holding incense.
◇'Patriots' Spirits' Remembering Sacrifices for Independence
On the middle slope of Paldalsan, from which a clear view of the entire city can be enjoyed from Suwon's center, there are monuments and memorials where the sacrifices of ancestors can be deeply remembered.
The 'March 1st Independence Memorial Tower' and the 'Republic of Korea Independence Monument' have stood in the same place for over half a century.
The March 1st Independence Memorial Tower commemorates the fierce independence movement and resistance that erupted in Suwon.
In Suwon, intense independence movements continued starting with torch demonstrations on March 16, 1919 at the Seojangdae and Yeonmudae.
To commemorate this, on March 1, 1969, marking the 50th anniversary of the March 1st Movement, the memorial tower was erected through voluntary participation of Suwon City, various organizations, schools, philanthropists, and students.
The Republic of Korea Independence Monument standing nearby holds an important story to remember.
When protesters killed Japanese policeman Noguchi who was suppressing the independence demonstrations, the Japanese colonial government erected a monument in his honor.
After liberation, on August 15, 1948, Suwon citizens and students destroyed it and erected this memorial instead.
The engraved text reading 'Suwon townspeople and students' shows the history and passage of time.
Originally located on Jungpo Mountain behind Samil Middle School, the memorial tower and monument were relocated to their current location on October 15, 1969, Suwon Citizens' Day.
'Spirit of National Defense' Student Soldiers' Courage Inherited by Successors
There are two stone monuments that help remember the noble hearts and spirits of students who sought to protect the nation amid the crisis of war.
Long-established schools in Suwon are working to ensure that the spirit of sacrifice for patriotism is inherited.
The 'Student Soldiers Korean War Participation Monument' at Suwon High School located in Maegyo-dong, Paldal-gu, embodies the noble sacrifices of students who protected their homeland and hometown.
The eight pillars represent eight students who participated as volunteer student soldiers while attending school.
The alumni association erected it on June 25, 1998, to commemorate the spirits of deceased fellow students, console their families, and widely convey patriotism to future generations.
Within the campus of Suwon Agricultural Life Sciences High School in Yeongwha-dong, Jangan-gu, there is also a 'Korean War Student Soldiers Participation Commemorative Statue' honoring the sacrifices of student soldiers from this school.
The figure of a student soldier holding a lion expresses determination and bravery despite danger.
Fifty years after the war broke out, in 2000, junior students erected it to honor the patriotic spirit of their senior predecessors who participated in the war.
◇'Patriotic Struggle' Remembering Resistance at Suwon's Independence Movement Sites
There are also several places to remember Suwon's fierce independence movement.
In particular, Hwaseong Fortress and some surrounding facilities that contain aspirations for national independence are perfect places to enjoy a leisurely walk while renewing feelings of gratitude.
The Bongsudan building of Hwaseong Haengung served as a site of the March 1st Movement, used as a 'Jayehoe (medical facility)' during Japanese colonial rule.
On March 29, 1919, thirty gisaeng going for examinations sparked fierce independence demonstrations by shouting 'Mansei' led by Kim Hyang-hwa.
'Yeonmudae,' where green grass creates a peaceful atmosphere, must be remembered as the site of fierce independence demonstrations on March 16, 1919, designated as a facility related to the independence movement.
Additionally, Samil Middle School is now the 'Suwon Samil School Student Movement Site' where students' determination for independence manifested through incidents such as the National Salvation Citizens' Organization incident and student strike.
To honor those who dedicated themselves to national independence and the nation, a 'Statue of Shimsan Kim Chang-suk' stands on the Sungkyunkwan University campus in Gwonseon-gu.
Kim Chang-suk was a central figure in independence movements, provisional government, and subsequent nationalist activities, served as the first president of Sungkyunkwan University, and received the Order of Merit for the Republic of Korea.
At Olympic Park in Gwonseon-gu across from Suwon City Hall, the 'Statue of Pildong Lim Myeon-su' watches over the peaceful daily lives of citizens.
The statue of Lim Myeon-su, an independence activist from Suwon, was erected in 2015, the 70th anniversary of liberation, through donations from citizens.
◇'Patriotic Heritage' Memorial Facilities Praying for the Rest of Victims
There are four places or facilities commemorating both independence activists and domestic and foreign defenders who fought to protect their homeland and families in war.
The 'French Forces Participation Monument' established in Pajang-dong, Jangan-gu, the gateway to Suwon, consoles the spirits of French soldiers who participated in the Korean War.
Four thousand French troops participated with 288 deaths, and their first encampment was in Suwon.
Battle records and photographs containing the horrors of war demonstrate the efforts of French soldiers who flew to a distant land to protect freedom.
Though security and safety reasons prevent general citizens from approaching closely, there is also a monument embodying the will to protect the nation.
The 'Gyeonggi Police Martyrs' Tower' in Yeonmu-dong, Jangan-gu, was created in 2013 to commemorate the spirits of Gyeonggi police officers who died for the nation and people during the war after liberation.
Names and photographs recording the noble patriotism and love for hometown of fallen police officers are engraved on it.
Additionally, the 'Chunguii Tower,' created to honor the patriotism and love for hometown of 33 war casualties and 67 fallen officers from Suwon who defended their hometown against North Korean invasion, is located within an air force base.
Along with this, the 'Changhun Platform' in Yeongwha-dong, Jangan-gu, is currently covered due to construction but remains a memorial facility honoring those who died in the Korean War and Vietnam War, as well as all national merit awardees.
A Suwon City official stated, "We hope citizens will visit memorial facilities honoring the achievements of independence movements and national defense activities to spend time expressing gratitude for the dedication of those who died for the nation," and added, "Suwon City will do its best to ensure that proper respect is given to this noble dedication built on patriotism."