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FEATURE
The Damyang House
Interview with
Sean Walker Interview by Melline Galani
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
September 2020
Located in a small, traditional Korean countryside village, The Damyang House is a must-see retreat from the summer heat or the winter cold. Started as a small project of two brave and strong-willed individuals, it has now become a well-known, relaxing destination for expats around Korea. The Gwangju News conducted and presents here a short interview with the one responsible for The Damyang House, Sean Walker. — Ed.
Gwangju News (GN): Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. First, please introduce yourself and tell us about your academic background. Also, please tell us about your first encounters with Gwangju and South Korea. Sean Walker: My name is Sean Walker, and I am an American living in Jeollanam-do for nearly 20 years. Like most, I originally came here to teach, and I have an MA in TESOL. After a year and a half working at a friend’s hagwon in Suncheon, I moved to Gwangju and spent 15 years working at Chonnam National University (CNU). I have since left CNU to pursue opportunities outside of teaching. GN: Was it hard to quit your job, leaving behind the city lifestyle, to move to the countryside? Sean Walker: With yearly contracts, teaching in Korea never felt like a very stable career choice, so I always made sure I had a “Plan B.” I was able to transition out
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of teaching slowly, so it was not difficult; I already had a working business model to focus on and continue to develop as well as other investments and projects. Moving to the countryside was a much more difficult decision. My wife and I have both lived only in cities, and there was a fear that living in the countryside would be isolating. Also, the thought of giving up delivery food was terrifying. Fortunately, access to the city is quick and easy in Korea, and there has never been a shortage of friends wanting to visit us in the countryside. GN: How did you come up with the idea for The Damyang House? Sean Walker: The business model for The Damyang House happened organically over time. Initially, it was just an opportunity to invest in real estate and possibly build a summer home. After the first stages of renovating were finished, we could see that we had accomplished the
8/26/2020 4:36:05 PM
