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Something I liked about living in Seoul is the convenience and accessibility of neighborhoods or dong. Despite the size and pace of urban life in this cosmopolis, Seoul's neighborhoods and those of other Korean cities provide a wealth of consumer services, schools, parks and access to Korea's people in community settings. I'd like to share with you why I think this typical and normal feature of Korean life is itself a technology for advancement.
Neighborhoods occupy the main districts (gu) of Korean cities. Neighborhoods have an administrative office and council representation. Districts have the same executive and legislative apparatus. District and neighborhood councils provide important bases for local governance.
While I have read and heard criticisms of local councils, and while their power and reach do not compare with that of the main wide city council of Seoul, they aren't insignificant. Local councils provide a basis for citizen participation and self-governance that many other global cities do not have. For example, there's nothing like this constitution in Chicago. Local services and administration of the public good suffer from lack of attention and lack of alternatives for formal participation by citizens.
When I lived in Seoul, I stayed in Songpa-gu and Pungnap-idong. Situated close to Subway Line 8, I easily could access any point in the city starting with my home base of Gangdong-gu Office Station. I liked it that a newspaper stand offered several English dailies, including The Korea Times, every weekday. I befriended the ajumeoni who worked that stand and learned a lot by interviewing her for my study on Korean working women.
As I walked down the neighborhood's main street, Toseong-ro, I learned to slow down and take in the shops and varied services. I became familiar with several shopkeepers, the woman who ran the barbershop I visited, and several of the apartment guards. I gradually became confident enough to speak to many senior citizens who sold vegetables or other products from the sidewalks. They had the best apples and pears I have ever tasted! Many places lined the road for taking a snack or eating a meal. I loved the shop where a man toasted grains of various types each morning. I also marveled at the group of grandmas and grandpas who cleared grasses along the Tojeong Fortress walls.
Apartment guards are important, and one would ask me, "Kibuni?" that roughly means "How do you feel?" I remember presenting mine with a gift set of Korean liquors and glasses. At the time, I failed to realize the precious meaning of this stranger-turned-uncle. How many others would not even care to think, let alone ask, about my welfare? These gentlemen provide security and help the apartments of Seoul run smoothly.
On the other hand, I learned the hard way that local members of the residents' council came by to inspect my apartment and take the electrical meter readings. I awoke to hear the call of the launderer. He'd take my shirts at the door and in a few days bring them back clean for a modest price.
I found everything I needed to buy or use within several hundred yards of my apartment building. I admired the recycling efforts, though it took me a while to figure out where to take my recyclables and the sseuregi bongtu (garbage bags). I could walk a half-mile or so to Olympic Park and jog, or take a sauna at a nearby hotel.
I stayed in Pungnap-idong for only six months, but it made a distinct impression on me. I rarely if ever felt treated "like a foreigner." I cannot recall a single uncharitable moment. With my broken and poor Korean, I must have been an intrusion or inconvenience to help, but the residents and businesses treated me well.
That year, the country held local and presidential elections (they saw Roh Moo-hyun elected). I remember many local candidates traveling through the district, and various housewives and residents joining them in canvassing for voter support.
A few years ago, I returned to my neighborhood and was happy to see some of the places and faces I remembered from those days. What changes had occurred! Some of my favorite haunts were no more, which made me sad. But no neighborhood remains forever untouched. Today my Korean neighborhood looks better than ever. It remains a vibrant and thriving place for tens of thousands of residents and visitors.
If you're visiting Korean cities, an "expat" or even a Korean citizen, take stock in what may be right around you. They are all right there, just a few blocks from the main streets and bustling traffic of the 21st century. I think Korean neighborhoods are streaks ahead of those in many places. Go find out yourself!
Bernard Rowan is assistant provost for curriculum and assessment, professor of political science and faculty athletics representative at Chicago State University, where he has served for 21 years. Write him at browan10@yahoo.com.
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