HBC introduces regeneration project to foreigners
Haebangchon in Seoul seen on Nov. 13. / Korea Times Photo by Jon Dunbar
By Jon Dunbar
For decades, city planning in Seoul has centered around redevelopment ― the total destruction of buildings, street grids, even the soil under our feet. But now, the city is experimenting with a new model of regeneration, which breathes new life into old structures and keeps communities vibrant.
A test case for this new regeneration model is Haebangchon (HBC), a neighborhood with a large foreign population, wedged between a mountain and a U.S. military base. As part of this initiative,
manager Lim Jin-gyu is holding a series of English-language meetings this month to communicate with foreign residents and business owners.
People familiar with HBC may be surprised to hear the area has seen shrinking, as Lim outlined at the first meeting Monday at Onzigonzi, a community center attached to Shinheung Market in HBC. The area has seen a significant population decrease, and despite all the popular restaurants, the local economy is in a recession. As well, over 50 percent of the buildings there are older than 20 years. After 20 years, a building's value plummets as part of a government incentive for demolition and rebuilding.
Lim introduced the regeneration project, intended to make HBC prosperous, safe and comfortable, to a small but attentive gathering of foreigners and Koreans with a stake in the area.
"We need this kind of program to get friendly, to overcome culture gaps,” he said.
Lim explained how his center is pursuing eight main goals to stimulate community growth. They are empowering residents, seeking community consensus, improving and introducing public facilities, improving the market, supporting craft shops and local artisan industries, improving the main street, providing a safe environment and turning the area into a green village.
Most of the budget is allocated for public facilities and market rejuvenation, with plans to open a community center in the area soon.
Locals and visitors have already seen significant changes to the main road through HBC, with Lim saying upgrades will extend up to the five-way intersection, and next down the other side toward Huam-dong. Already underway is a plan to turn the historic 108 Stairway, built during the 1910-45 Japanese occupation, into an inclined elevator to improve accessibility for older residents, although this is not part of the regeneration project.
When Lim came to the regeneration center, he decided it needed to introduce community-building programs. He is happy to help foreigners get involved, explaining his role as bridging the gap between the city and district office and local people.
Some of the HBC regeneration programs run this year include a taste tour, music events and classes by craftspeople. He has also overseen several programs devised by residents, including a sporadic flea market in Shinheung Market,
, a bee keeping program and a program providing food to local schools and senior citizens centers. The next flea market will be held Dec. 8, and foreign vendors are welcome to join.
One restaurateur in attendance expressed interest in donating food to the community for the food program, and two foreign university students suggested ways to involve the international student community as volunteers.
HBC Urban Regeneration Center will hold two more meetings Nov. 19 and 26. Visit
for more information or
to register to attend.