A victory against redevelopment project

By Park Sung-hee

It was a small but significant triumph for a powerless tenant couple who has staged a long battle against a redevelopment project.

On June 8, Ahn Jong-yuh, 53, the owner of Duriban, a small kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) restaurant near Hongik University in Seoul, and her husband Yoo Chae-rim, 51, reached an agreement with a construction company on terms over compensation and relocation.

The deal came 531 days after the couple was ordered to move out of the building as part of a redevelopment project on Christmas Eve in 2009.

Similar to cases between tenants and construction firms, the couple was on the verge of being evicted from their restaurant, while receiving only 3 million won ($2,800) in compensation.

“We started our restaurant in 2005. But as we were tenants, we were ordered to close for only 3 million won in compensation,” said Yoo. “Literally, they cut off all our electricity and removed all our things. I was left wondering if this would be the reenactment of the ‘Yongsan disaster’.”

He was referring to the Yongsan incident in 2009 where five tenants and one policeman were killed during a violent clash when the police tried to forcibly evict them from a building which was set to be demolished due to redevelopment plans.

The beginning of Duriban’s eviction process echoed the case of Yongsan. The ending is a bit different, but the process was not easy.

Duriban, dubbed as “Little Yongsan,” has emerged a symbolic place in a campaign to strengthen tenants’ rights that have been ignored in the process of redevelopment, drawing support from tens of thousands of underground musicians, artists, civic rights activists and ordinary citizens. Duriban means a round dining table in Korean.

“Having your possessions pried away from you, that experience is in itself intimidating. I tried to convince my wife to give in, but she was determined. So I quit my job at the publishing company and with the retirement money from there we initially supported ourselves,” said Yoo. “But our numerous supporters were what got us through this in the long run.”

Yoo, the former head of a publishing company and a writer, had started rallying up interest for Duriban and its story from an inner circle of fellow writers. This sparked more interest in other artists, including the great number of indie bands that usually perform in the bars and clubs around Hongdae (Hongik University).

“I think for many young artists, Duriban’s story has highlighted the irony of this area,” said Yoo. “Hongdae was formally a spot for small performers to have their chance in the spotlight. But with the area’s popularity, these artists have been suffering. As I am a writer, I believe they saw a fellow artist suffering, and felt this was more than a personal matter. This is what helped stir up their interest and support for a small restaurant.”

Thanks to outside assistance, the couple managed to get an apology from the construction company which physically threw them out, along with a settlement for Duriban.

They will open Duriban at a new building at Hongdae as part of the settlement.

“Though it’s most desirable that Duriban starts again where it has been, we’ve agreed to open up near here in Hongdae,” said Yoo.

With Duriban’s success, Yoo further hopes that it will send a message to others who may not have great means to change society.

“For people that may not have influential power, I hope this story will empower them to make a difference and hold up a fight without caving into violence,” said Yoo.

shpark@koreatimes.co.kr