Court dismisses request to remove statue of ex-President Park Chung-hee in Daegu

A regional court in Daegu dismissed a request to remove a statue of former President Park Chung-hee from outside a train station, according to a report on Thursday. The court ruled against the Korea National Railway, a state-owned rail infrastructure management company, which had filed the case against the Daegu metropolitan government.

The railway corporation alleged that the municipal government had installed the statue without proper consultation on state-owned property. However, the city government maintained that it holds the legal authority to manage the plaza. The statue was installed under the administration of former conservative Mayor Hong Joon-pyo as a tribute to Park, who served as the country's leader for 18 years following a 1961 military coup until his assassination in 1979.

The presence of the statue has sparked division among activists and the local community, with conservatives hailing Park for his role in the nation's rapid industrialization.