Year Of The Dog (free ebook)

Initially published in French 10 years ago ('L'Année du Chien' - 'Breves', 2007), 'Year Of The Dog' remains so far my only non-fiction Seoul 'dragedie', and the only one written from a foreigner's point of view. Yet it's not my first story featuring a dog - that would be 'Le regard d'un ami' (1979), where the narrator himself is canine. 

Which, as you'll see, doesn't make me humane.

I met this dog in Sanggye-dong, Nowo-gu, along Danghyeoncheon, long before Seoul upgraded it into a park. That streamlet also appears in my essay "Inhuman, all too human Seoul" (picture of an old timer who used to grow vegetables there).

Like for 'Guisin-dong', you can download this story for free (NEW - now also free on Google Play Books).

I hope you enjoy it, but welcome any comments (e.g. on dragedies website, on Google Play Books, on Amazon...).

Stephane - November 2017

 

Seoul Village 2017
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SeMA Nowon: better than Gauguin

Never say never again: one year ago, the Seoul Museum of Art announced that it would distance itself from big shows with big international names (see "SeMA to block blockbusters"), but 2012 ended with the Tim Burton extravaganza (talk about big fish), and yesterday*, The  Korea JoongAng Daily detailed SeMA's plans for the year to come, starring a major Paul Gauguin exhibition to be held June-September 2013 in Seosomun branch (talk about a summer blockbuster).

It's great, particularly for a large public who never had the occasion to see really significant works from an artist I love, but I was much more interested in updates regarding the future SeMA North Branch in Nowon-gu.

I always wondered what would come out of this site, still hidden by tall fences last time I passed by, last month. That's a very good location, between Junggye and Hagye stations, surrounded by massive apartment blocks and just in front of a key commercial hotspot: Outlet 2001 +, HomePlus (formerly HomEver, formerly Carrefour Junggye), the second one after Nowon Station, on the other side of Danghyeoncheon. Perfect to reach for new visitors, and to boost Northeast Seoul's cultural life. 

SeMA North Branch (SeMA Nowon? SeMA Junggye?) will be inaugurated in July 2013, and officials quoted in the article mentioned "crafts, design, and architecture" and "public art" as the main "verticals" for the new venue. We also received the confirmation that the Main Branch (SeMA Seosomun) would propose more international magnets. It is very important to couple each event with a more local one: I sincerely hope many visitors to the Tim Burton show stopped by the wonderful exhition of Seoul pictures on the ground floor (see "A thousand villages, a thousand memories - Seoul Photo Festival 2012"). Bonus: that expo was free. But of course, that's not the reason why I visited the Seoul photo festival expo three times, sharing twice very emotional moments with fellow visitors I'd never met before, but who had personal stories with certain pictures or photographers.

The potential repositioning of SeMA Nam Seoul (South Branch, near Sadang) is not very clear, but I guess the editorial line will remain focused on more intimate exhibitions.

What about SeMA Gyeonghuigung, that big space in the most prestigious of all locations, but an empty shell most of the time?

My dream would be a SeMA KIM Ki-chan, a living museum devoted to photography, built around the collection of Seoul's - and probably Korea's - all time greatest photographer, the man who captured the soul of the city, of its people, of its alleyways. Furthermore, Kim Ki-chan grew up just hectometers away from the site, in Sajik-dong.

That would be great: permanent collections of great Korean photographers, temporary exhibitions, and as tribute to the people of Seoul KIM Ki-chan revealed for generations to see in their daily lives, a large space devoted to photos taken by anonym citizens.

At a time when human relations grow virtual, at a time when the whole city is captured thousands of time a day by its citizens and visitors for the whole world to see on social networks, Seoul has a duty to get real and to make something of all its fantastic cultural assets.

Seoul Village 2013
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* "Gauguin exhibition set for Seoul museum" (KJD 2013/01/23)

Yeouido blooming and Danghyeoncheon's Philosopher's Walk

One day ahead of Yeouido's cherry blossom festival*, I strolled the central park to see how the island was changing. And to observe flocks of humans migrating towards the city's greener spots.
It's still a little bit too early for what I call the "cherry tunnel", when it's literally snowing flowers along Yeouiso-ro. And more than a little bit too early to enjoy the future Yeouido section of the "Hangang Renaissance" : if you can already make out a few features, riverbanks remain a gigantic construction site.

Still, both places were swarming with people.

And under this young April sun, Yeouido Park was blooming with them. I remember how depressing the area could be, when all you could see was a 23-hectare rectangle covered with concrete (Park Chung-hee's 5.16 Square had to be kept bare, as an emergency airport). Hard to believe, but only 10 years after its creation, Yeouido Park looks as if it's been here from the start. And it's much younger than say the Parc Andre Citroen in Paris.

Though not as overwhelmingly as in the 15 times bigger (and much more natural) Central Park in NYC, you're entertained by winding paths, gentle hills and pleasant ponds, and even a "mountain" streamlet. Not to mention thousands of human walking peacefully or picnicking on the grass.

Central to this central park, the "Cultural Plaza" seems the only concession reminiscent of the 5.16 Square. But yesterday, this large concrete space devoted to all kinds of sports evoqued a mix of Tiananmen Square and Jama' al Fna. A safe haven for bicycle riders, whose reserved lanes (over 2km) were colonized by ubiquitous passers-by. Most riders are kids here : for those who prefer riding for long stretches, there's always a direct connection to the Hangang Park and its endless bike lanes.

A popular success, Yeouido Park filled a green gap and claims 30,000 visitors on week days, twice as many on weekends. Yeouido itself is a rather expensive business hub** but on weekends, it belongs to the people of surrounding areas, particularily from the rest of Yeongdeungpo-gu and from Guro-gu. Young couples, elderlies, whole families, packs of friends... everybody’s joining with a big smile on his or her face.

And when I write "everybody", I mean it. Just sit and enjoy : ethnologically, you'll find a unique sample of Seoulites of all ages, shapes, sizes, nationalities, younameits... Dogwise, the fashion show happens to be much less diverse : overwhelmingly, miniature canine barbies and kens (blue costume for him, red dress for her)... and rarely, a beautiful big fella donning his natural wardrobe.

If you're into cherry trees, Yeouido remains a good spot, but Seoul is full of them. Sometimes in more remote places. I call Danghyeoncheon's Philosopher's Walk the short diagonal called Jangmi-gil connecting Dong-1-ro and Danghyeon-2-gil between the first and the second bridge over the small tributary of Jungangcheon. The path itself is more urban less charming than Kyoto's, but I like the perspective on the streamlet and the mountain, and to observe elderlies tending their small illegal gardens on the banks. Former farmers I guess : they grow veggies, even big patches of maize, pepper they will later dry up on the nearby streets... more my idea of Seoul Village. I haven't strolled by that Walk this year but I guess all the gardens have already been removed for the renovation. Now these poor people will be totally rootless.


Seoul Village 2009

* Yeouido Spring Flower Festival April 6-18, 2009 - for those who enjoy watching many people staring at a few trees surrounded by kitschissime floral decorations
** even if adjacent IFC construction site looks quiet : a pharaonic real estate project led by AIG doesn't sound as promising an idea as it did three years ago.

Nowon-gu

Nowon-gu (노원구; 蘆原區) is Seoul's Northeastest and most populated district.
Population : 619,509 inhabitants (2006)
Area : 35.44 km² (max 6 km W-E, max 9 km N-S)
City Hall and official website : http://english.nowon.seoul.kr/.

Photo : "Nowon noway" (2004 - Copyright Stephane MOT)

Geography :

Nowon's main frontiers are :

• to the West, the Jungnangcheon. Part of the district (Wolgye-dong) lies on the other side of this confluent of the Han river which also separates Nowon from Dobong-gu.


• to the East, Buramsan and Suraksan mountains (and beyond, the city of Namyangju)


• to the North, the city of Uijongbu


• to the South, the district of Jungnang-gu (plus Seongbuk-gu for Wolgye-dong)

Nowon consists of 24 dong and 5 major areas (see map) :

• Sanggye - North (10 dong)


• Junggye - Center East (5 dong)


• Hagye - Center South (2 dong)


• Wolgye - South West (4 dong)


• Gongneung - South East (3 dong)

History :

Originally a quiet and flat valley of fields dotted with a few villages of farmers (some names do subsit - ie Madeul Station), Nowon was untill 1988 the Eastern part of Dobong-gu.

The new "gu" was meant to become a bed town for the booming population, mainly newly formed households who couldn't afford more central areas. Like in Jamsil, this massive development included from the start tens of blocs of 5 to 15 storey appartment buildings. But here, most appartments were small and remote from the new city centers.

Yet, thanks to its strong internal / demographical dynamics, Nowon managed to grow from a cheap bed town into a major hub at the North of the capital, with a soul of its own and Nowon Station at its heart :

• transports : the crossroads of subway lines 4 and 7 will also welcome a major city air terminal bound to serve the North of Seoul and the neighboring cities. The old train terminal will be relocated in Namyangju and the Dobong driving center in a more remote area of the district).


• commerce : all businesses and national / international franchises, including a Lotte Department Store born a medium range Midopa Department Store in 1992 and now the most luxurious store in North East Seoul. The city air terminal will also host a major commercial center.


• services : the city hall, major corporations' local branches, plus all the district's motels are near the station.


• culture : the baby boomers turned teenagers boost the Dept Store's movie theaters, and the local cultural center regularily proposes foreign shows. A new stadium is under construction.


• environment : Sanggye's central area is getting greener. Closer thant the old mountain's regional parks : the Jungnangcheon's riverside park, the future central park, restoration of a smaller stream...

The most select area of the gu, Junggye, remains the hottest spot for schools and housing (plus many important stores, including a Lotte Mart and a Carrefour turned Homever in 2006). A new subway line will connect Eunhaeng Sageori / 은행사거리 (Crossroads of the Banks), a major center. Between Nowon and Eunhaeng Sageori, the small stream joining Suraksan and Bulamsan mountains to Jungnangcheon, Danghyeoncheon (당현천), will be restored and could become an important cultural axis.

Sanggye New Town will totally reshape Danggogae Station area... destroying some of the few slums remaining after the completion of Seoul's circular highway 100. The remote Junggye maeul is also disappearing. I had the time to take a few pictures of both before realtors took the rest...

Nowon was meant as a popular district, as in popular for the people. Traditionnaly spared by the real estate bubble, Nowon is now getting popular for investors as well, and many Gangnam-gu speculators have recently contributed to a dramatic rise in housing prices. Many blocks are being redevelopped and all the ingredients of a pleasant place are already there.

Stephane MOT 2006