近期的梨泰院踩踏事件眾怒未平，世人一度淡忘的世越號慘案才重新被檢視。於首爾的地標光化門前有廣場沿著世宗路開展，一端是世宗大王的銅像英姿，一旁則行經眾多抗議陳情，其中世越號欠缺公正調查的家長團體持續沈默抗議。也正是在這個地方，韓國人以燭光晚會促成彈劾了前總統朴槿惠。而2019年一月，當時朴元淳市長任內揭幕的國際競圖，則主張要進一步改造光化門廣場成為更加以人民為中心、彰顯民主的公共空間，同時還要兼顧記憶韓國傳統尊嚴、歷史真實性曾在此為殖民者破壞殆盡的困難歷史。要如何在一個地方承載兼容如此多元競爭的敘事？週四請到西江大學的李教授，要從光化門廣場跨越幾世紀的複雜身世來探索地方和權力如何交織於重建的光化門和拆除的朝鮮總督府之間。
講者李炫炅（Hyun Kyung Lee）博士任教於韓國西江大學批判全球研究中心，她著有專書 ”Difficult Heritage’ in Nation Building: South Korea and Post-Conflict Japanese Colonial Occupation Architecture ”，本次演講即出自此書。報名成功者會收到連結以及相關章節資料，亦可於演講前閱讀準備。https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-66338-8
On January 21, 2019, the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) unveiled the winning plan from an international contest to redesign Gwanghwamun Square. The criteria for selecting the winner expressed three main objectives for the city government: 1) the restoration of historic authenticity in response to the serious damage caused by Japanese colonial authorities in the early twentieth century, 2) the creation of a citizen-centered space for art and culture, and 3) commemoration of the 2016/17 candlelight protests for genuine democracy. How can the three competing, not totally conflicting, messages be accommodated in the same place? How was the idea laid out by the former Seoul Mayor Park Won-Soon (2011–2020) received by the public and carried out thus far? On Thursday my brilliant friend/research partner Dr. Hyun Kyung Lee will be sharing her long-term research into Gwanghwamun Square, one of the most contested places in Korea over the past centuries.
All is welcome. Register at https://forms.gle/GqLnPfxM5f9tHQ5D7