Area Guide Project "Shin gondeok-dong"

 

Research at Shingondeok-dong : 2005.08.16 - 09.09
Exhibition : Project Standing by OOO
Curated by :
Jinsuk Suh / Heechae Moon / Minjung Kim (KR)
2005.09.10 - 09.16
Kwan-Hoon Gallery, Seoul, South Korea

Assistant : Kim Kyeong Jin (KR)
Project Team : (KR)
Ko Eun Bi / Kim A Youn / Kim Jee Won / Park Bo Ra
Woo Bo Kyoung / Chey Mi Mi / Jang Ja Eun

Supported by : Project Standing by OOO

We got a great impression from the word of "Globalization". It seems to overflow in rich possibilities, and it seems giving all of us satisfaction. Nobody is against comforts. However, very sweet utopian contexts might be concealing an awkward power behind.

Here's an abandoned village,”shingondeok-dong” that suffered from modern times. With students, we took the choice to witness this place and to explore it. We put all research together and made an area guide of “shingondeok-dong”. It's quite sure we will forget this scenery in these next few years, but we will remember it at least through the Area Guide Project.

 

* The result of the research was summarized to the sightseeing guide pamphlet and distributed at Tourist Information Center Insa-Dong, Seoul.
Shingongdeok-dong

Shingongdeok-dong refers to the areas of Maldungte, Shinchon, Hobakbat (Pumpkin Field), Hongyedong, Kamnamubat (Persimmon Field), and Boksanamudongsan (Peach Tree Hill) all together. As we can appreciate from the place names’ strong emphasis on hills and fields, this area was originally a place where a wide variety of fruit trees were cultivated.
It is said that people started to populate this scenic area around the time of the 1895 Ulmi Incident. At that time people who were fleeing the rampages of the Japanese Military in central Seoul came to settle as farmers and formed the neighbourhood now known as Shinchon.
In Gongdeok-dong the Mapo Prison was established, the east and west sides of Maudong-gil became work sites for prisoners, and the area around Gongdeok Market was made into a residential area for Chinese workers.
When Shingongdeok-dong was designated as an area for redevelopment in the year 2000, the dismantling of sub-standard housing began. Now, as the project for the redevelopment of the 5 districts of Shingongdeok-dong proceeds, approximately 14,300㎡ (approximately 130 homes) have become a deserted ruin.