The Yongsan itch and the Sajik balm

One up, one down. Seoul speeds up for the redevelopment of Yongsan 4, and puts the brakes on Sajik 2.

We've known for a while* that the future Yongsan Park would be surrounded by high rise structures. After burning their fingers on the doomed Yongsan IBD project, authorities decided to offer their all-you-can-build gifts to speculators in smaller packages, wrapped in green. Here, at the Hangangdae-ro - Seobinggo-ro interesection (Hangangno-dong), a tentative 'Yongsan Parkway' serves as an environmental alibi for more 30-40+ towers:

In Jongno-gu, a far less popular - and far less tragical** - "drama" has also been running for years: the redevelopment of what I call Sajik Heights, the hilly neighborhood nested between Sajik-ro / Sajik Tunnel, Space Bon, and Gyeonghuigung. I've walked its alleyways countless times, and even wrote a short story about Kim Ki-chan meeting my fictional Kim Mudangnim there (the great photographer also used to live in Sajik-dong).

A pigeon, a hanok, a hilly alleyway, Inwangsan - Sajik Heights in 2009

For a decade, Sajik Heights has been preparing for the transformation, and Lotte Castle eventually won the right to build the New Town.

As far as 'urban continuity' goes, it looked consistent with the Gyeonghuigung Xii (Gyonam New Town) rising from the other side of the tunnel / hill / (now almost totally obliterated) fortress wall... 

But Seoul city seized a debate over modifications to stop the process***. Among the landmarks to be protected (let's hope in a less destructive way than nearby Dilkusha****), the 1906 house where Josephine Eaton Peel Campbell lived. I visited that place at the top of the hill, around the time it was used as an office by local residents. It seems to have never been used for the purpose the Campbell estate sold it, which was to promote the education of young girls, in the tradition of Campbell herself, the founder of Baehwa (girls' schools and women's university in Pirun-dong).

Residents are now wondering what's best for them, particularly after witnessing what happened in the vicinity: Gyonam? newtonized. Seochon? bukchonized. So what for Sajikistan?

Whatever happens in the future, something of the old neighborhood shall survive. Or evolve. 

Anyway, it would be nice to see something decent next to a potential UNESCO Heritage site (Yeol still working hard on the Sajik-dan revival*****).

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* see for instance "Yongsan park - fake forests and real estates" (Feb. 2011)
** if a person died in Yongsan, no casualties for the only tragedy I witnessed when I lived in Sajik-dong, a hanok fire back in 2009.
*** "사직2구역 재개발 추진 7년…110년 된 캠벨 사택 어쩌나" (JoongAng Ilbo 20160413)
**** less forsaken than 5 year ago (see "Sajik Heights and micro-hanokization"), the building seems to have undergone serious change in the name of 'preservation' 
***** rites have been performed for a long while, and the restoration helped as well (see "Sajik-dan enshrined, Naeja-dong revived ?")

Cross Road Blues: a street of rain, fire, flying words, and flying rats

This 500 m long stretch of asphalt is by no means Itaewon's most glamorous place: before merging into Bogwang-ro*, it connects main street (Itaewon-ro) with mean streets (red light district).

As part of the complete overhaul of Korea's address system**, it has recently been renamed Usadan-ro (우사단로) to honor Usadan, a shrine to the rain spirits in Bogwang-dong. That's certainly more upscale than the previous name, Sobangseo-gil (소방서 길), which refered to the local Fire Station... and definitely classier than "Hooker Hill", as the area is often referred to (no, not because of the Hookah bars).

20 years ago, the place swarmed with G.I.s at night, either on watch to make sure Higgs Bosons didn't fly between more or less passably inebriated individuals, or off duty but nonetheless testing this Sarge Hadron Collider from the inside. On the hottest summer nights, at the top of the hill, you would often see dozens of young Westerners holding quarts of (officially) orange juice, and chatting in the middle of the street, except for the early birds who claimed the few seats at Kettle House. Back then, even after the courtesy call paid by (to?) the local cops, the only place that served drinks during the curfew must have been one hell of a cash cow (a cow that would replace milk with soju, that is).

Still nowadays, there's something bourbonstreetish, even on a Sunday afternoon:



I also uploaded a short video of those "Flying Rats Taxiing" on Seoul Village's YouTube playlist. The video's so shaky you may think I'd down a couple of kettles before shooting it, but the truth is that first I'm not a pro, and second a car almost took a slice from my behind while I was filming with my phone.

Actually, I arrived in advance for this month's Wordsmiths gathering (FLOW opening only at five), so I walked a bit uphill. I also passed by where What The Book used to be, wondering how neighborhoods could change if you just let different words fly around.

Given time, the new name Usadan-ro shall be adopted, and help change the image of the whole neighborhood. Even if, just to be on the safe side, local authorities made sure the Northern half of the street couldn't be contaminated: for the moment, the curvy road to the Grand Hyatt, with all its luxury residences, is simply called "Itaewon-ro-27-gil".

Anyway, this place can't be totally evil: a crossroads leading to a church, a former shrine, and the Mosque?

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* the leg of the "T" in the Hamilton Hotel intersection, Bogwang-ro goes South almost all the way down to the river - it then meets Seobinggo-ro
** see "The Great Korean Revolution : addresses with house numbers and street names" followed by "New address system in Korea : 2 more years"

Emperors in Istanbul - National Museum of Korea

Here's an event I certainly won't miss: an exhibition on past empires of Turkey at the National Museum of Korea, featuring works from prestigious institutions (from Istanbul and Ankara: Topkapi, the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art...)*.

The NMK previously delivered 3 impressive focuses on Egypt, Persia, and the Inca, bringing to Korean audiences treasures never seen before in the region. This time again, an ambitious editorial line, reaching beyond the usual suspects (the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires), towards the Greco-Roman civilization and Phrygia, but also into the Hittite Empire.

I'm glad the SeMA put a brake on blockbuster exhibitions (see "SeMA to block blockbusters"), but I think the NMK is doing a good job at drawing large audiences to its hulk of a museum, and you see many parents and kids pleased to discover more than they expected / came for, growing hunger for more discoveries.

* Civilizations of Turkey, Emperors in Istanbul
20120501-0902
National Museum of Korea
Seobinggo-ro 137 (Yongsan-dong 6-ga 168-6), Seoul 140-026
Website: istanbul2012.co.kr
Tel: 1666-4392

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UPDATE 20120513
National Museum of Korea No 19 has just been published - see focus p.21
http://www.museum.go.kr/files/upload/ebook/6/vol19.pdf

National Museum of Korea indeed

The first time I visited Korea's National Museum, it was in late 1991, halfway during its stay in the former Japanese General Government Building that used to hide Gwanghwamun.

Back then, Yongsan Army Base was still a mostly empty space, and the Dragon Hill the highest and ugliest building around. The Yongsan Family Park was yet to be opened (1992), the stalinicoid War Memorial extension to be erected (1994), and the new museum to be inaugurated (2005).

What struck me as I first discovered this massive monolith in 2005 was the size and the dullness of the architecture. But the collections were offered a much better display, with a priority on pedagogy and chronology. Not very creative : a little bit like at the Incheon Airport, you know at a glance which gate will lead you to your destination.

Pedagogy is one thing, propaganda another. And I don't like the political tone this museum seems to be taking these days.

The ROK is celebrating its 60th anniversary and an exhibition on the national flag makes sense. And I was not surprised to notice a dramatic change in the place devoted to the Goguryo era, but what to think of the comments on Dokdo in the new and improved map section ?

The other day, at the Tokyo National Museum, I felt the same unease (ie chronologies that could have been written by Shinichi Fujimura), but not at the same scale.

I hope that what used to be National Musea won't turn into Nationalist Fora ad nausea.

Anyway, the place is always worth the visit :

National Museum of Korea (국립중앙박물관)

135 Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, ROK

Tel +82.2.2077.9000 - website : museum.go.kr

"Taegukgi" exhibition : from 20080814 to 20081119