By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Theresia Kurniawan from Indonesia
Photos = Theresia Kurniawan

A monument and a small park were built in Surabaya, the capital city of East Java Province in Indonesia, to symbolize the strong and many-year relationship between Indonesia and Korea, and also to pray for world peace. The park was built in 2010 on land that was provided by the Surabaya city government. The project itself was funded with public funds appropriated by the government of Korea and the Korean Association of Surabaya.

The park is known locally as the Taman Korea, which literally means the Korean Park. It's located in the center of Surabaya. On Sunday, the park is packed with pedestrians relaxing during the city's car-free day, as the park is equipped with rest areas, a jogging track and a beautiful garden.

The design of the park and the construction process were all done by the government of Korea. In the center of the park, there's a monument with a Korean inscription in the middle. The inscription is literally translated as “Peaceful Tower.” Another inscription in Korean, English and Bahasa Indonesia is placed on the left and right side of the monument, together with pictures of the Taegukgi national flag, and the Merah Putih, the national flag of Indonesia.



I went to Surabaya during the Easter holiday and visited this park on a Sunday morning with my friend. The park was quite crowded at that time. There were people who stopped by to jog, to rest, or just to take some photos of the monument. Even though it was a short visit, I was happy to be there, because I was missing Korea so much and this park gave me a Korean feeling, with Hangeul on the plaque and a Taegukgi at the monument. I was also surprised when I read the inscription to see that the project was initiated and funded by Korea itself.

This park might be small in size, but it has made a big contribution to the city as one of the city’s green lungs. As an Indonesian and someone who used to live in Surabaya, I'm really thankful for the beautiful park and really impressed with the intention of this project. I hope that the friendship between Indonesia and Korea will last forever and become stronger year by year. Besides that, as what was written on the monument, let us wish for peace around the world, especially peace between South and North Korea.

The park can be visited at Jalan Dr. Soetomo, Surabaya, East Java Province, Indonesia. On the map, the name of the park is “Taman Korea.”

wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.