Gumi City in North Gyeongsang Province has recently drawn public scrutiny after announcing plans to spend 20 billion won on constructing a second history museum dedicated to former President Park Chung-hee. The proposed museum will be located near the existing Park Chung-hee History Museum and will cover three stories with an area of 800 pyeong (approximately 2,640 square meters). The city has already held preliminary discussions with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and has submitted a request for feasibility assessment to Gyeongsangbuk-do province.

The Gumi City government has allocated 40 million won for the planning and feasibility study of the new museum this year, with the final budget and specifics of the project to be confirmed after the assessment. Officials cite the need for additional exhibition space due to the volume of donated artifacts and materials stored in the museum’s collection, of which only around 10% is currently on display. The new facility aims to showcase gifts and cultural artifacts received by Park from various countries during his early diplomatic endeavors, emphasizing the need for systematic organization and preservation of such historical items.

However, local civic organizations have strongly criticized the decision, arguing that Gumi already has numerous memorial sites, including the existing history museum and other related facilities. They assert that the substantial funding for new projects could be better spent on initiatives that directly benefit the residents of Gumi. Gumi Participate Alliance condemned the city's priorities, highlighting the wasted financial resources that could have improved citizens' quality of life instead of investing in redundant commemorative institutions, calling for a halt to the construction plans for the new museum.