Hanok New Town in Seongbuk-dong

Another sign of changing times : a Seongbuk Hanok Village project has been unveiled yesterday : 410 houses and 75,000 square meter in Seongbuk-dong, at the feet of Seoul fortress walls. Delivery expected in 2014, and a second batch of 250 traditional homes could follow in 2018.

One can definitely see a trend and a cultural shift. This somehow reminds me of KAL's luxury hanok-style hotel project in Anguk-dong (see "Korean Air grounded: Seoul 7 star hotel delayed"). In this part of Seongbuk-2-dong, 92% of existing constructions have reached the required age for a reconstruction. They say that the hanok maeul would be the perfect crown around another national treasure, Simujang (만해한용운심우장), the House of "Manhae", the buddist monk and poet Han Yong-un (1879-1944).

But when you look closely, the project could mean the destruction of a few real hanoks. And to me, this sounds like a smart way of pushing development in a protected area. Of course, local tenants love the concept : all projects have been blocked for a decade, and given the recent craze for hanoks and town houses, they're sure to get a nice profit from this one. Particularly since the new hanoks are presented as "below 4 floor" buildings : I have the feeling that they won't be that traditional (old hanoks seldom had a second floor, except for a few luxury residences in Andong, or a late Joseon building in Deoksugung).

At least there's some progress : instead of the usual "villa / tombstone" dilemma, we're proposed yet another artificial hanok village. Of course, the alternative would be very expensive : removing ugly buildings and restoring the remaining old hanoks.

Times are changing in Seoul, but not that quickly.

Seoul Village 2011

Hahoe Village now a UNESCO World Heritage site

Back from Gyeongsangbuk-do, the first thing I saw this morning on the newspaper was the picture of the very place I stayed in : Hahoe Village in Andong city has just been added to the prestigious World Heritage List*, along with Yangdong Village in Gyeongju city**.

Hahoe Maeul definitely deserves the honour for its exceptional site and cultural value, both well preserved.

The comparison with Naganeupseong, another Korean "folk village" I love***, tells a lot about Korean culture :

- Naganeupseong (낙안읍성) is a folk village located in Jeollanam-do, a region blessed for agriculture but always dominated politically by Southeastern Korea. Mostly inhabited by farmers working in the fields around the village and sometimes within it, the village is protected by fortified walls and castle gates (thus the "eupseong" name), and all houses are thatch-roofed and have the brown-orangish color of clay earth. It's a lovely site and a great place to stay overnight if you want to experience the traditional country life.

- Hahoe Maeul is more a "noble" (yangban) than a "folk" village. Its protections are natural : it almost looks like the bulging half of a yin-yang symbol wrapped with Hwacheon stream, with cliffs and mountains at a close distance. Founded by Yu Seong-ryong (Ryu Seong-ryong, 1542–1607), a prestigious Prime Minister and Confucian scholar, Hahoe belongs to its clan : the Pungsan Ryu, or the Yu / 유 family from Pungsan-myeon, this part of Andong city, the heart of Korea's politically dominant region, and an area lined with estates (jongtaek / 종택) still now owned by descendants of clan founders****. Hahoe Folk Village boasts many rich tiled-roof hanoks with white-painted walls, some with two-storey buildings, and in the very elegant local architecture. There are also fields and farms, but even the thatched-roof homes are bigger and less humble than in Nagan. The atmosphere is different, but people are also very kind for such a touristic area. In Hahoe, you can experience either the "noble" or the "commoner" stay for a relatively moderate price, except for the most exclusive residences. More upscale but previously derelict sites are under renovation, and the UNESCO label could change the price tags next year... but I hope people won't change too much.

Also of significance : Hahoe is the place Queen Elisabeth II chose to visit back in 1999. She wouldn't pick the charming Naganeupseong but Andong, the symbol of Korean nobility. What the Queen could meditate is the fact that in Korea, you don't inherit nobility titles : they are awarded to people who deserved them for what they have done and the way they behaved, and I guess that's all nobility should be about.

Which leads us to Confucius, because Gyeongsangbuk-do also happens to be the center of Korean neo-Confucianism, and the region is full of "seowon" or Confucian Schools from the Joseon era.

Unsurprisingly, Byeongsan Seowon (병산서원) is included in the UNESCO list as part of the Hanoe cluster : founded after Yu Seong-ryong, the academy is located on the same side of the river, but on the other side of a small hill now covered with a forest. Likewise, the Yangdong cluster includes two seowon : Oksan Seowon (옥산서원) and Donggang Seowon (동강서원).

Sponsored by the state, the best Gyeongbuk seowon produced country's elite and during the Joseon dynasty, politics and Confucianism fed each other in the region, relegating Buddhism to the background. Yet, temple lovers have many places to visit or to stay in, like Bongjeongsa.

The mix of Confucianism with politics is symbolized by Yi Hwang (1501-1570) : a key figure in both fields and an advisor to Korean kings, he served the country in troubled times and never accepted a political position higher than the local level his mother advised him never to surpass if he wanted to keep both feet on the ground. After Yi's death, his Confucian academy became Dosan Seowon, Gyeongbuk's most famous seowon, in what is now the Dosan-myeon part of Andong city. With its dozen buildings, the complex has elegant proportions and faces a small pavillion on the top of a round hill rising from a vast valley. A perfect place to learn and to read, even if no books are to be seen on the wooden shelves of the old publishing building.

In case you never set foot outside of Seoul, Yi's face and school appear on KRW 1,000 bank notes and his pen name, Toegye, might ring a bell : Toegyero (the road parallel to Jongro, Cheonggyecheon, and Uljiro) is named after him.

On an even more trivial note : on the way to Dosan Seowon, I had a great time at the yearly gut festival of Waryong-myeon. Nothing to do with food (that's "gut" as in 굿, the shamanic ritual, not the entrails), but the local administration offered the meal to anyone attending... and I'm afraid the local broadcasters caught me among the joyful crowd of old farmers, wolfing down delicious naengmyeon, bossam, and pumpkin after watching masked comedians playing a farce in Gyeongbuk dialect.

Even if Gyeongbuk is less famous than Jeolla for food, I put on an additional kilo every day. Local delicacies, and of course, once more, Andong Jjimdalk, were to blame. I could have stayed much longer : if not Confucian wisdom, I surely would have reached Buddha's shape in no time.

I also liked breakfast at Jirye Art Village, a nice spot if you're looking for a hanok stay in a very remote area. The other day, summer flowers and butterflies made the trip even more enjoyable on the winding way to the village - even if, to paraphrase Tom Waits, I did notice that the road needed a haircut, kudzu sometimes pointing its greedy fingers towards the opposite side. The village owner, a poet, grew up in buildings that, as cultural assets, were later moved up from the valley when the Imha dam was erected. I stayed in the cute house with a view on the lake.

There are so many places to visit in Gyeongsangbuk-do, one of Korea's most popular touristic destinations. Check the region's official website (gbtour.net) for updates. I, lazy me, just jotted down some of the places mentioned here on Seoul Village map :
=> Dosan Seowon (도산서원) : 680 Togye-ri, Dosan-myeon, Andong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
=> Hahoe Folk Village (하회마을) : Hahoe-ri, Pungcheon-myeon, Andong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
=> Yangdong Village (양동마을) : Yangdong-ri, Gangdong-myeon, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk- do
=> Jirye Artists' Colony (지례예술촌 - Jirye.com) : 769 Bakgok-ri, Imdong-myeon, Andong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do.
=> Bongjongsa (봉정사, temple) : 901, Taejang-ri, Seohu-myeon, Andong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do


Seoul Village 2010


* see on UNESCO's website : "World Heritage Committee inscribes seven cultural sites on World Heritage List" and the page "Historic Villages of Korea : Hahoe and Yangdong".
** I passed by several yangban villages in Gyeongbuk (like Sanun Village in Uiseong-gun), but didn't visit that one, much closer to Pohang.
*** see "Return to Naganeupseong"
**** it's not rare to hear two people sharing the same surname compare their origins when they first meet, to know which clan they belong to, for example I'm a Uiseong Kim, how about you ? Always this habit of checking if you're part of a common circle (ie university, church...).

Binding praise for South Korea

The New York Times just delivered an important message to the world : "South Korea Admits Civilian Massacre During War" (20091127).

The message is not "South Korea committed civilian massacre during War" : that monstruous fact was already known as the National Guidance Alliance / Bodo League Massacre (보도연맹 사건).

The real message is : "South Korea is a great country and at peace with itself because it admits its past wrongdoings".

At last !*

Well... South Korea is almost there, but not there yet.

First, the journalist doesn't go all the way, and basically stops at the realization that the announcement from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (news conference last Tuesday, see also communique below**) "marked the first time a state investigative agency confirmed the nature and scale of what is known as "the National Guidance League Incident" _ one of the most horrific and controversial episodes of the 1950-53 war."

Second, and as we've seen before*, "a state investigative agency" is not exactly "South Korea", and for South Korea to really accept its status as a great country, the Korean Government has yet to fulfill its duties and prolong the fantastic job of the TRCK. What strikes the reader when he goes through this communique (and most previous communiques from the Commission) is of course the litany of horrors, but also the mantra at the end of each case :

The Commission recommended the government to issue an official apology, provide support for memorial services, revise official documents including the family registry, and strengthen peace and human rights-related education.
Hereby, the Commission recommended the government to officially apologize to the victims, support memorial services, revise the family registry and other historical records, and provide peace and human rights education.
Hereby, the Commission recommended the government to officially apologize to the victims, support memorial services, revise the family registry and other historical records, and provide peace and human rights education.
Hereby, the Commission recommended the government to officially apologize to the victims, support memorial services, revise the family registry and other historical records, and provide peace and human rights education
Hereby, the Commission recommended the government to officially apologize to the victims, support memorial services, revise the family registry and other historical records, and provide peace and human rights education.
...
Of course, a South Korean president officially apologized for the state's illegal actions against civilian victims (the late Roh Moo-hyun on January 24, 2008), but each and every case has to be recognized and correctly dealt with. That's a long but indispensable process.

Third, this article exposes one side of one coin. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission re-establishes Truth for victims of pro-North as well as pro-South forces, Truth for victims of Japanese rule as well as Korean authoritarian regimes***... Furthermore, beyond Truth, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is promoting Reconciliation, in spite of limited support from the Government. I recently welcomed the news of a joint memorial for victims of all sides held in Naju, but others took place in Ulsan (precisely for Bodo League victims), Andong, Pyeongtaek...

Korea will be fully liberated when the reconciliation process is completed.

Tears will be shed, including tears from people who committed atrocities****... but yes, Reconciliation feels really good when everybody is there : in Andong, the Ministry of Defense did issue an official apology to the civilians who were killed there by the military and local police.

Forget about the 2010 G20 Summit in Seoul. This is President Lee Myung-bak's unique opportunity to shine at the global level : an Obamaesque "Change has come to Korea" would resonate for generations to come.


Seoul Village 2009

* see previous focuses on transitional justice in Korea (and recent changes in Japan) :
- "Joint Memorial in the Land of the Mourning Calm"
- "Truth and Reconciliation : which model for Korea ?"
- "A Common History"
- "President Lee, keep digging"

----

** TRCK's communique (Monday, November 23, 2009)

National Guidance Alliance (Bodo League)-related Massacres in the Gunwi, Gyeongju, and Daegu Regions - Verified on Sept. 8, 2009

The Commission ascertained that at least 99 local residents in Gunwi, Gyeongju, and Daegu were massacred between July and August 1950 by the military and local police and CIC after being blacklisted or accused of being members of the National Guidance Alliance.

In July 1950, dispatched CIC forces and local policemen arrested and temporarily detained members of the National Guidance Alliance at local police stations or detainment centers. The detainees were categorized into three different groups before being transported to Naenam-myeon, Ubo-myeon, and Gunwi-gun and massacred.

The Commission recommended the government to issue an official apology, provide support for memorial services, revise official documents including the family registry, and strengthen peace and human rights-related education.

National Guidance Alliance-related Massacres in the Goryeong, Seongju, and Chilgok Regions in Jeonnam Province - Verified on Sept. 8, 2009

The Commission found that a number of civilians were killed by the local police, military, CIC, and military police after being accused of cooperating with leftists or being a member of the National Guidance Alliance (NGA). The killings took place between July and August 1950 in the Goryeong, Seongju, and Chilgok-gun regions in Gyeongbuk Province .

NGA members were either arrested by local police or summoned to nearby police stations and detained. As North Korean troops advanced southward, the army and military police took custody of the detainees before killing them.

Hereby, the Commission recommended the government to officially apologize to the victims, support memorial services, revise the family registry and other historical records, and provide peace and human rights education.

National Guidance Alliance-related Massacres in Miryang, Gyeongnam Province - Verified on Sept. 8, 2009

The Commission ascertained that members of the National Guidance Alliance in the Miryang region were massacred by the local police and the Gyeongnam CIC between July and August 1950.

The victimized NGA members and those in preventive detention were forcefully confined to various warehouses before being executed in August 1950.

Hereby, the Commission recommended the government to officially apologize to the victims, support memorial services, revise the family registry and other historical records, and provide peace and human rights education.

National Guidance Alliance-related Massacres in Yangsan, Gyeongnam Province - Verified on Sept. 8, 2009

The Commission found that regional members of the NGA and those in preventive detention were killed by the local police and CIC forces between July and August 1950.

The victims were either forcefully arrested by the police or summoned to the police station where they were detained or transferred to nearby detainment centers before being executed in August 1950.

Hereby, the Commission recommended the government to officially apologize to the victims, support memorial services, revise the family registry and other historical records, and provide peace and human rights education.

National Guidance Alliance-related Massacres in Yeongdeok, Gyeongbuk Province - Verified on Sept. 8, 2009

The Commission ascertained that in July 1950, approximately 270 regional NGA members and those held in preventive detention were illegally victimized by the military and police forces in Yeongdeok, Gyeongbuk Province.

Shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War, the 23rd Regiment of the 3rd Army and Yeongdeok Police were concerned that NGA members may collaborate with the North Korean People’s Army and sabotage operations behind the frontlines. In order to prevent this, the police and army executed the NGA members.

Hereby, the Commission recommended the government to officially apologize to the victims, support memorial services, revise the family registry and other historical records, and provide peace and human rights education.

National Guidance Alliance-related Massacres in Busan and Sacheon - Verified on Sept. 8, 2009

The Commission found that the regional NGA members and those in preventive detention were killed by the Busan CIC and the military and local police between July and September 1950.

The NGA members in the Busan and Sacheon regions were forcefully arrested or summoned to local police stations where they were detained before being executed.

Hereby, the Commission recommended the government to officially apologize to the victims, support memorial services, revise the family registry and other historical records, and provide peace and human rights education.

www.jinsil.go.kr/english

*** note that abuses from Korean authoritarian regimes were not all ignored by their partners... and in at least one occasion a US representative sanctioned a massacre, as related here by Charles J. HANLEY (AP) :



**** like this "bujangnim" (Mr Chief), recalling the horror of a massacre :

Bongchu Jjimdak (Seoul)

Jongno-gu, Dongsung-dong 1-96, SEOUL, ROK
Bongchu Jjimdak, Dongsung-dong Branch / 봉추 찜닭 (restaurant)
Tel : +82.02.3676.6981‎

We're dealing here with a chain restaurant running many branches nationwide, including several in Jongno-gu and one on each side of Daehangno. This one, on the Western slope, must not be confused with the Daehangno branch (in Myeongnyun-dong 4-ga, 80-1). Not the East side kind of guy, I prefer to enjoy the charms of Ihwa-dong heights before their ineluctable renovation.

I once tried another Bongchu Jjimdak near Hongik University, but that one didn't taste as good. And the place was not as nice to sit and enjoy (zenish rustic chic in Dongsung - totally artificial but relaxing). I'll probably give a shot at the restaurant they have right behind Bosingak because of its exceptional view on the pavilion... and because I need to have a good joint at a walking distance.

I mean, a good Bongchu Jjimdak does taste good. Hot and spicy, granted, but yummily hot and spicy. This variety of Andong JJimdak (안동찜닭, or Andong Steamed Chicken, after the Andong city located in Gyeongsanbuk-do) is the only dish they serve, but if you have a problem with hot pepper, that's OK : you'll find legions of nice eateries in the area.

The rich and contrasted flavors come from a mix of subtle spices in the seasoning, strong dried pepper, and a not too pregnantly sweet soy sauce. Varied veggies and Chinese noodles provide comfort and harmony in a big dish simmering before your eyes. Dosage must be key : my Hongdae experience was dull because I couldn't feel the spices, and the dish tasted almost like a dakdoritang. It looked like one as well - probably a question of soy. In Dongsung-dong, the Jjimdak was drier and darker, and the spices and pepper gave it a very subtle, unique, yet somehow sichuanesque twist.

I'm drooling just thinking about it.


SM 2008