[SPECIAL REPORT] Asylum-seekers create Myanmartown from scratch in Bupyeong

A photo of ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi is hung on the window of a Burmese restaurant in Bupyeong District, Incheon, May 23. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

This is the second in a series of articles to shed light on various ethnic groups living in Korea and have more of their voices heard. ― ED.

Myanmarese who fled political turmoil in homeland, settle in Incheon's manufacturing district

By Lee Hyo-jin

Bupyeong, INCHEON ― Bupyeong District in Incheon, west of Seoul, may be best known for its huge underground shopping center and vibrant nightlife. But off the main street near exit 5 of Bupyeong Station are hidden several restaurants and grocery stores with colorful signs written in Burmese.

In this small yet bustling "Myanmartown," it is common to see groups of Southeast Asian people heading to restaurants looking for a taste of home.

Among the restaurants is Mingalarpar, which means "hello" in Burmese, run by Win Lay, 50.

"Any Myanmarese person would feel at home here in Bupyeong," he said. "Burmese workers who live across the country gather here every weekend to meet their friends and enjoy authentic Burmese dishes."

One may wonder how Bupyeong became the "spiritual home" of the Myanmarese community, when only about 600 Burmese actually live there. That is not a large number considering that there are nearly 27,000 Burmese people residing in Korea.

This photo shows the Burmese restaurant Mingalarpar, run by Win Lay. Korea Times photo by Lee Hyo-jin

According to Win Lay, who has been living in the region for nearly 30 years, it all began with the opening of a Burmese restaurant in the late 1990s.

"The restaurant immediately attracted Myanmarese laborers working at factories in nearby Namdong Industrial District. As more people came, several other eateries and bars opened down this street," he said.

He added that Burmese people can also fulfill their religious needs in Bupyeong. After the establishment of a Myanmarese Buddhist temple in 2002, four more temples were built in the area.

The inside of a Myanmar Buddhist temple in Bupyeong District, Incheon, May 23. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Win Lay is a political refugee who left his home country roiled by political unrest, after he took part in the pro-democracy protests in 1988, also known as "the 8888 Uprising." The four-digit number means that the popular protests started on Aug. 8, 1988.

But he was not the only Burmese asylum seeker in Korea back then. According to the Ministry of Justice, 146 out of the 600 Burmese residents living in Bupyeong came to Korea initially as asylum seekers. Their applications were later accepted and now live there as refugees.

Yan Naing Htun, special representative of the Korean office of the National Unity Government (NUG) of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar poses in his office in Bupyeong District, Incheon, May 25. Korea Times photo by Lee Hyo-jin

Yan Naing Htun, 52, is one of them. The active participant of the 8888 uprising entered Korea in 1991, and was granted refugee status several years later.

Thirty years on, he is now at the center of pro-democracy movements held by Burmese residents in Korea against the ongoing military oppression in Myanmar.

He currently leads the Korean office of the National Unity Government (NUG) of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, a coalition of the country's democratic forces comprised of anti-coup leaders, ethnic minorities and lawmakers who were ousted by the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021.

It has been 15 months since the junta began nationwide crackdowns on anti-coup street protests, resorting to mass killings and the detention of civilians. However, with other global issues such as the war in Ukraine and presidential election dominating the headlines in Korean media, the crisis in Myanmar slowly faded from the front pages of newspapers.

"A decrease in media coverage does not mean that things have become better in Myanmar. In fact, the situation has gone worse," said Yan Naing Htun, showing this reporter video clips of the military's brutal attack on pro-democracy protesters and photos of displaced civilians after their houses were burnt down by junta troops.

"These are not being revealed to the outside world because the military cuts internet and phone lines in areas where they launch attacks, in order to prevent media coverage of their atrocities," he said.

Over the past year, Yan Naing Htun held multiple rallies in Korea, gave media interviews calling for help from the Korean government, and led fundraising campaigns to support anti-military fighters.

A poster encouraging Myanmar residents to participate in the "one-day challenge" hangs on the wall near a Burmese restaurant. Launched by the Myanmar community, participants of the campaign donate one day's worth of their monthly income to support the pro-democracy movements in their home country. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Not to his surprise, the activist soon found himself on the military junta's wanted list.

"What I'm more worried about is that the military is threatening to arrest even family members of protesters. So I'm trying not to keep in touch with my family in Myanmar to keep them safe," he said.

When asked what support Myanmar needs from Korea, he said, "The most urgent help is for the Korean government to recognize the NUG, so that we can officially cooperate in supporting the resistance fighters."

The NUG, which has offices in six other countries ― Norway, France, Japan, Czech Republic, Austria and Australia ― has yet to win recognition from any country.

Zay min, head of the Myanmar Migrant Worker Welfare Center, poses in his office in Bupyeong District, Incheon, May 23. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Zay min is another Burmese refugee who supports fellow Myanmarese residents in Bupyeong, most of whom are low-paid factory workers.

The Myanmarese workers come to Korea through the Employment Permit System (EPS), a government-run employment program that lets migrant workers from 16 countries work in sectors often shunned by Korean nationals, such as agriculture, fishing and manufacturing.

On top of harsh working conditions, these foreign workers often suffer from unfair treatment due to a language barrier, said Zay min, who heads the Myanmar Migrant Worker Welfare Center.

He used to run his own trade business with Korea, but after participating in the pro-democracy movements in the late 1980s, he could no longer work or live in his home country due to political persecution.

After entering Korea in 2000, he had worked in factories for over a decade, so he is very familiar with the struggles often experienced by foreign workers here.

With the help of the Burmese embassy, he established the support center in 2019. Any Burmese worker living in Korea can contact the center to receive consultations about labor rights or translation.
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"Delayed payments and industrial accidents requiring urgent medical treatment are the most commonly experienced difficulties of fellow Burmese workers," he said. "We also offer education programs on Korea's Labor Standards Act, so that they don't face disadvantages in the workplace."