A model of a turtle battle ship Geobukseon, which has been on display at LA City Hall for 42 years, will be relocated.
The model was a gift from Busan, Korea, a sister city of Los Angeles, presented in 1982.
On July 2, the Los Angeles City Council approved a resolution to transfer the gift from sister city, which had been displayed on the 3rd floor of City Hall, to the Convention Center.
The resolution was passed with 15 votes in favor, including Councilmember John Lee, and one absence (Marqueece Harris-Dawson).
This relocation aims to make space for exhibits related to the 2028 Summer Olympics, which will be held in Los Angeles.
Ji-Eun Kim, an aide to LA Mayor Karen Bass, stated, “Not only the turtle ship model but also other gifts from sister cities will be re-exhibited at the Convention Center. Due to limited space at City Hall, we planned the move so that visitors to the Convention Center can continue to see the turtle ship model and other items.”
However, some members of the Korean community are protesting the move.
Scott Seo, former chair of the Wilshire Center-Koreatown Neighborhood Council, expressed, “If these were items related to the Black community or other ethnic groups, would politicians handle it the same way? They should have at least consulted the Korean community before making the move. This action disregards Korea and even our sister city, Busan.”
BY YEOL JANG, YOUNGNAM KIM [jang.yeol@koreadaily.com]
