Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
District offices moving to preserve hanok
Mapo-gu plans to create residential park of traditional Korean homes
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Modern Seoul is symbolized by the endless rows of skyscrapers and apartment complexes. However, there are people who are trying to preserve the beauty of “hanok,” or traditional Korean houses in the city.
Mapo-gu and some other district offices are joining the move to preserve hanok, with the former planning to create a residential park of traditional Korean homes by 2013.
“We will transfer the remaining hanok in the redevelopment area in Yonggang-dong,” a district official said. “The residential park will have traditional houses and a playground, aiming to be a new cultural spot.”
The area is the location of one of the oldest villages dating back to the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) and houses still standing have significant historical value. “The private residence of Empress Myeongseong (1851-1895), wife of King Gojong in the Joseon Kingdom, and her family’s vacation home are among the historical buildings in the area,” the official said. “Though some outhouses have been destroyed, the main parts of the houses still remain intact.”
Despite the immense historical value of hanok, the expensive cost of relocating them prevented a residents’ association from reaching an agreement.
To settle the differences over compensation in connection with the relocation, the district came up with an idea — creating a cluster of traditional houses near Jeong Gu-jung’s house, a traditional house which is designated as Seoul Folk Treasure No. 17.
As a means to make up for the moving costs totaling almost 4 billion won, the district office will allow greater building space in the redevelopment site for the residents’ association, the district official said.
“We will preserve the exterior and modernize the interior to make a community for people offering services such as traditional workshops and etiquette classes.”
Hanok villages
Bukchon in central Seoul can be seen as a successful example of restoring hanok in Seoul. “Seoulites have recognized Bukchon as a cultural asset that everyone should protect,” Han Hyo-dong, director of the Hanok Division in Seoul City, said.
“The number of tourists visiting Bukchon clearly shows historical awareness. There were 14,000 visitors in 2006. In 2010, Bukchon expects 220,000 visitors, and 40 percent of them will be foreigners.”
After the success of the Bukchon district, Seoul City is offering similar aid to Seochon, a village located to the west of Gyeongbok Palace.
Son Bun-sun, 80, a resident of Seochon, has been living in a traditional Korean houses since she moved to Seoul when she was 17.
“I’ve been living in hanok for decades and I can’t think of leaving them,” Son said.
As the real estate value of such hanok villages has soared, original residents were forced to move out and speculators flocked in. Some used the traditional houses as summer houses, while others turned them into shops or restaurants.
Han of Seoul City emphasized the importance of a traditional sense of community in maintaining hanok villages.
“The value of hanok villages will fade if the vivid lives of the people living in them no longer exist and only tourists visit the area,” he said. “To conserve hanok clusters and regenerate historical districts, we need to come up with new ways of boosting local communities.”