Priest Opens Ramen Eatery in North Korea
Park Accents 20 Years of Aid Work in Pyongyang With New Business
By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
A new ramen restaurant is opening its doors in Pyongyang next month _ and though little is known about the consumer life of North Koreans, we know that they will be able to eat a bowl of noodles for just 33 won.
``The price was set low so that ordinary citizens can eat without financial burden,'' Park Chang-deuk, a priest at St. Andrew Kim Church in New Jersey, said in a recent Korea Times interview. He is the brains and hands behind the new business plan to officially begin in May.
Park has been working closely through the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark to do missionary and humanitarian work in North Korea for nearly two decades.
The 70-year-old has traveled to the hermit kingdom some 30 times, and through each trip, Park thought of ways to improve the living standards of the impoverished citizens.
``They're our same people and the everyday men and women I see from a distance are just so pure and innocent,'' he said, stressing that his personal encounter with North Koreans is strictly limited. ``The few chances I get to meet people more closely is during mass.''
Park holds a mass each time he visits Pyongyang because he says the funding he gets come from Catholics who are not only giving for humanitarian purposes, but also for missions.
The first mass Father Park led was in 1989 at the Changchung Church in Pyongyang.
``About 100 people attend mass these days,'' he said. ``We have good relations with the North Korean government because of the not-for-profit aid we provide, so it helps our religious gatherings to run smoothly.''
After two trips to the communist state this year, Park fine-tuned plans for the ramen house to open in the capital city and four more spread out in the suburban area.
``We agreed that they [North Korea] will provide the location and employees, and I provide the goods,'' he said.
Park explained that the cost for six bowls of ramen is roughly around $1, but the ``business'' will only charge 1/10 of the price.
``The eatery is not meant for profit, of course, so the point is to charge as little as possible, but not totally free of charge,'' he said.
The ramen to be used will mostly come from China, says Park, as bringing it in from the neighboring country is cheaper than anywhere else.
The retired priest said his idea of opening a ramen place came one day when he saw a scene in front of a catfish soup restaurant.
``It's Pyongyang, and there was a huge line in front of this diner,'' he recalled. ``I thought something was odd.''
It turned out to be that the restaurant was government funded _ the catfish was raised in a government facility _ so the price was cheap, allowing people to enjoy food at a low price.
``Seeing the welcoming and happy reaction of people, I knew that's what I wanted to do,'' he said.
Prior to his new initiative, Park ran a noodle factory for fives years near the capital since 1996. The effort was supported by Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan and well-operated until it was passed on to the Seoul parish.
After that, the New Jersey-based priest lent his support to enhancing farming methods.
``The harvest is very poor in the North because of poor seeds and soil conditions,'' Park said.
So he decided to bring an improved breed of corn and bean seeds to farmers in order for them to see a better harvest.
The life-long Catholic began his life abroad when he went to Rome to study in 1966. He visited New Jersey to study English, but decided that he would make it his permanent residence.
``It's been about 37 years since I left Korea, but I come back very often since I stop in Seoul every time I go to Pyongyang,'' he said.
While there are some skeptical voices popping up here and there, Park asks that ``people just think of the ordinary faces in North Korea _ not the leadership.''
``The people I've met keep promises so well,'' he said, sharing that many North Koreans smoke and drink heavily, but a few of them had promised him that they would refrain from doing both. ``They kept their promise and when I looked into their eyes, I knew that it was the truth.''
Park says he's excited for how the ramen restaurant will unfold and hinted on his hopes for his next plan to bring looms into the country to create jobs.
``It's in the planning stage now, but if they can have about 200 looms, it will provide them with work that will help them eat and live,'' he said.
But for now, Park says his main focus is on successfully launching the five eateries a few weeks later.
``There's one thing different about this ramen place,'' he said. ``Instead of one bag of ramen, we're going to cook two full bags. One bag isn't enough to make you full is it?''