Sudoguksan _ Shantytown Museum
By Shim Hyun-chul
Staff Reporter
Sudoguksan Museum of Housing and Living (SMHL), located in Dong-gu, Incheon, does not house precious displays but is reminiscent of the not-too-distant past, which is considered priceless.
It shows the lives of the public during hard times.
The name ``Sudoguksan” originated from a water reservoir during the Japanese colonial period, initially it was called Songrimsan, meaning pine forest.
When urbanization was progressing in the 1960s and ‘70s it was a hillside slum, where refugees of North Korea and country folk seeking jobs in Seoul formed a village of about 3,000 households.
As part of renovating the abode, the site was reconstructed into apartment complexes for the residents. Those who felt a loss for their disappearing shelters suggested building a museum to commemorate its legacy.
The museum opened on Oct. 25, 2005, and revives the lives of the ‘60s and ‘70s, with models of public waterworks, a barbershop and kitchens.
Additionally hundreds of articles from everyday living, such as doorplates and traditional iron, were donated to the museum.
The museum provides programs where the contemporary life of Koreans can be experienced.
For more information, visit at www.icdonggu.go.kr/museum.
