King Sejong statue to go up in Uzbek capital

A statue of King Sejong, the inventor of the Korean alphabet, Hanguel, will go up in Uzbekistan's capital as part of a cultural exchange between two local districts.

The office of Seocho Ward in southern Seoul said Thursday it signed a memorandum of understanding with the office of Mirabad district in central Tashkent on promoting ties between the two regions.

In celebration of the agreement, the two districts will each construct a statue of a historical figure from the other country.

The statue of King Sejong, who reigned from 1418-1450 during the Joseon Dynasty and is one of the most beloved figures in Korean history, will be erected in Mirabad near the South Korean Embassy in Uzbekistan and other Korean businesses and institutions.

Seocho will erect a statue of the 15th century Uzbek poet-politician Alisher Navoiy, who is known for spreading the beauty of the Uzbek language through his literary works.

The Seocho Ward office said Uzbek Ambassador to South Korea Vitaly Fen, an ethnic Korean, played a key role in establishing the MOU.

The two districts also agreed to push for exchange visits by city delegations and cultural performance groups, among other programs. (Yonhap)