The winning design for a statue of President Park Chung-hee, selected by the Park Chung-hee Statue Establishment Promotion Committee in 2011. Yonhap News. 

Guest Editorial Writer, Korea Military Academy Class of '79 October 26, 2025. Today marks the 46th anniversary of the passing of President Park Chung-hee. Even as time passes, his name lives on as a hero of South Korea's modernization. He is the architect of South Korea's reconstruction, which the world calls the 'Miracle on the Han River' – President Park Chung-hee. 

You were the leader who designed South Korea's modernization. You were an iron man who laid the foundation for self-reliant defense and a benevolent ruler who loved the people. We take infinite pride in living in the nation you rebuilt and wish to commemorate your greatness together with all our citizens who remember you. 

We commemorate the architect of a prosperous nation

We cannot forget President Park Chung-hee, the ruler who led South Korea from poverty to prosperity, and from chaos to order. In 1961, this nation was the poorest in the world. Per capita income was $82. There were no roads, no factories, and no hope. However, in 1979, the year you departed, per capita income exceeded $1,700. A twentyfold increase in 18 years. It was a miracle that astonished the world. In the name of that miracle, we commemorate President Park Chung-hee.

You achieved the legend of $100 million in exports and built the Gyeongbu Expressway. You established Pohang Iron and Steel and built shipyards in Ulsan. You created the Changwon Industrial Complex and the Gumi Electronics Complex. The foundation of South Korea's prosperity and its industrial backbone began with your hands. In 1970, with the Saemaul Undong movement, the song "Let's Live Well!" echoed, and the entire nation tightened its belts and rose up with enthusiasm. We commemorate President Park Chung-hee, who banished poverty and instilled pride in our ability to succeed.

We revere the iron man of a strong security nation

In 1968, following the armed infiltration incident that attacked the Blue House, you immediately established the Homeland Reserve Forces. "The nation must defend itself." That decision created today's reserve forces system. You formulated the Yulgok Plan and localized firearms and tanks. In 1978, on the day the 'Baekgom' missile pierced the sky, pride bloomed on your great face, and we felt reassured. That missile later became 'Hyunmoo,' and the legend of Korean defense industries was born.

We commemorate the visionary who created advanced systems

In 1964, you shed tears before the South Korean miners and nurses dispatched to Germany, saying, "You are the hope of our homeland." Those tears were sincere. Those tears moved the hearts of the people. For the sake of the people and the nation, you established resident registration cards, medical insurance, the Charter of National Education, and the Environmental Preservation Act. You loved the people, designed the nation, and created a system of governance. We commemorate President Park Chung-hee, whose resolute face is only further refined with each attack from the left.

We commemorate the pioneer of liberal democracy

In 1963, you ended military rule and were elected through a democratic election. You upheld the constitution and respected procedures. There were no traces of dictatorship anywhere. In your cabinet meetings, the lives of the people were considered first. Your days were dedicated to the people. Nobel laureates in Economics, Douglas North and Robert Lucas, stated, "South Korea's economic growth was thanks to the institutional design of its leader." We pray for the day when the spirit of Saemaul Undong and the Park Chung-hee syndrome are registered with UNESCO.

We honor an indomitable human being

In 1974, you lost First Lady Yuk Young-soo, but you did not break. Overcoming grief, you carried out state affairs for the nation with renewed strength. "I cannot stop. South Korea still has a long way to go." You thought of South Korea until the very end. "We can do it." That belief still beats in our hearts today. "Modernization is not an option but a matter of survival, and the nation must defend itself." Those words are etched across the entire land of South Korea, which has become your museum.

October 26, 1979. Forty-six years ago today, you fell to a bullet, but your patriotic spirit and dedication to this nation are still alive. The current reality of destructive political infighting and stagnant growth makes us miss you profoundly. We wish that even a fraction of your selfless devotion to the people could be learned by today's politicians. We wish that today's security leaders, who protect South Korea, would truly understand the spirit of a strong military and its blueprint for cultivation, even now. 

We earnestly hope that a miracle to save South Korea will occur again by reviving your spirit of national salvation and your devotion to the people. Our eternal president of South Korea! Please watch over this nation! May we inherit your will, overcome the current crisis, and hasten peaceful unification! 

With respect and reverence, we present this to the spirit of President Park Chung-hee. 

Park Pil-kyu, Guest Editorial Writer