Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said he will look for legal and procedural issues related to the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s plan to create a monument in honor of the nations that participated in the Korean War.

Kim toured the under-construction “Garden of Gratitude” in Gwanghwamun Square on Monday and raised concerns about the project amid public claims that the monument is too patriotic and nationalist, and that it erodes public space.

“I wonder if the public would understand installing a stone sculpture depicting a ‘salute with rifles’ in the same space where King Sejong and Yi Sun-sin are enshrined,” Kim said.

The prime minister added that the project can be fully realized in another part of the city and stressed that there is no need to rush it.

According to the prime minister’s office, Kim has ordered the Ministry of Interior and Safety to check and report whether there are any legal, procedural or content-related issues with Seoul's planned monument and its use of public space.

The city government said the “Garden of Gratitude” will thank and honor the 22 countries that participated in the Korean War.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon vowed to turn the site into a symbolic "space for the South Korea-U.S. alliance," a move some civic groups have criticized as "privatizing the square."

The central government has been at odds with Mayor Oh over several projects in the capital city.

Last week, Kim visited the Jongmyo Shrine to express his concern about Seoul’s redevelopment plan for Sewoon Zone 4. On Sunday, he ordered a re-examination of the safety of the Hangang Bus.