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| An alley is lifeless after local residents moved out of their homes, in the Naeson-dong neighborhood of Uiwang City, Gyeonggi Province, to make way for an urban redevelopment project in this February 2020 photo. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Decades-old homes have been abandoned. Without the sounds of people and the warmth created by neighbors who've known one another for decades interacting with each other, the buildings now lie derelict, exposed to the elements. Alleys, once bustling with pedestrians walking by and children playing, have lost their vitality, now that the residents have all moved out to make way for large-scale urban redevelopment.
The last eviction order for the area came about a year ago. The small urban district of Naeson-dong, on the edge of the landlocked city of Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, is now bleak and gloomy. The old neighborhood will soon undergo a major facelift, with construction of a massive apartment complex that can house up to 3,000 households. Once the new residents move into the newly completed high-rises, the district will be brought to life again, though this time with a different kind of vitality.
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| Three elderly women sit together. The former residents were seen together a week before moving out. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
Higher-income earners will replace old-timers in the brand-new apartments, as most of the previous residents have been scattered, left to search for housing in other, cheaper areas. The new residents have a different understanding of the meaning of "home." For the previous residents, home is home, but for the money-savvy new residents, home is an asset that can be sold for gain. The former residents were part of this community for decades because for them, home was a place where they can rest. But the newcomers are mostly nomads who don't know how long they will live there. It all depends on real estate prices.
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| A worker is seen through the ruins of a demolished building in Naeson-dong. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
As the newcomers move in, a new urban landscape will be created. Trendy shops, stylish restaurants, hair salons and cafes will be opened to cater to the sophisticated tastes of the new residents. Yet, there are many things that have been lost forever in this process of destruction and rebuilding.
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| This bird's eye view from a drone shows the residential neighborhood where old homes are being demolished to make way for construction of high-rise apartments that will house 2,500 households. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
The culture of an extended family living together in one house is one of them. Since the residential area was constructed there back in 1984, the district once had housing in which three generations lived together. Born and raised there, the second and third generations of children have fond childhood memories.
They had buddies whom they met every day and formed friendships with. Elderly women mingled and chatted regularly. Sometimes they gossiped with each other. The internet was slow but rumors spread fast. The good old days are gone to make way for construction of the new urban redevelopment project.
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| A note is left posted on the front door of a closed restaurant. "Thank you for visiting," the former owner writes to customers. "Stay happy and healthy." Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
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