Hwa-yeh Maeul,
or “Flower Village,” is a governmentdesignated greenhouse area that also serves as home to about 80 families that consist of individuals unable to work due to old age or poor health, as well as those who cannot afford proper housing. Despite its declared purpose, the village’s inconvenient location next to the Bokjeong sewage system has hampered all agricultural growth, forcing village residents to search for alternative means to earn money. Article by Yuri Han Photos by Yuri Han, Alex Kim and Stephanie Song
Location of the Maeul About a 10-minute walk from SIS and enclosed by a recently built wall, Hwa-yeh Maeul is hidden from the eyes of most SISers. The village is located across the street from Korean restaurant Myungin Mandu, next to the SK gas station and the main Bokjeong sewage treatment center. Although the area was initially designated as a government greenhouse area for farming, the community soon found the underground water was too rich in iron for any plant growth. The government, however, still prohibits any industrialization or leasing of the village’s land without its consent. Some residents do, however, enjoy the village’s convenient location next to the Bokjeong subway station and bus stop. “The subway station and the traffic close to [the village] are convenient,” said Ja-ya Hong, village resident for over 20 years. “Even though we live in this village, we do what other people do: eat, go out.”
Unanswered Petitions
A look at life in the Maeul
A banner in front of the village reads, “Include Hwayeh Maeul in the government’s new city development plan.” For 24 years, the villagers have been protesting the government’s decision to exclude Hwa-yeh Maeul in the government’s underdeveloped housing project. Most residents have lost any hope for moving out of the village, since so much time has passed. Other residents, however, are grateful that the village has not yet been demolished because they would then have move to other areas with higher maintenance bills. “The Lee Myungbak administration does not care about the poor,” said a male resident who wished to remain anonymous. “The government is giving too many tax cuts to the people and not providing enough social security benefits for the poor.”
The villagers’ lifestyles vary, but all villagers are concerned about the frequent fires that occur from gas leaks or fire that break out from fights among the villagers. A road designated for fire trucks runs through the village. A total of six fires have occurred in the village. The most recent fire broke out last September, while the last fire before that took place three to four years ago. “Fires are my biggest concern,” said Ms. Hong. “What if I was sleeping and didn’t know there was a fire? Everyone is concerned about fires.” The poor quality of water has also affected the villagers’ daily life. They filter the iron-high water by running it through rocks in order to drink it and do their laundry with it. Since it is expensive to pay for electricity, the villagers were advised to minimize their use of electricity or burn coal and charcoal for energy. Some residents take part in day jobs for which they receive 30,000 won on average. Others are too sick or old to work. Chang-hee Lee, a 92-year-old female resident, recently moved into her one-room house in Hwa-yeh Maeul after her previous home caught on fire. Suffering from old age and loss of hearing and sight, she cannot walk properly and often falls down and hurts herself. She depends on a government pension to buy medication and other basic necessities, and to pay for the electricity and water bills. Although she has lived in the village for a comparatively shorter time than the other residents have, she dislikes her life in Hwa-yeh Maeul. She spends most of her days sitting or lying in bed. “I live on medicine,” said Ms. Lee. “I can’t live without it. I put hot-cold patches all over my legs. There’s not much to say about this place. Maybe it’s because I have not adapted yet, but living here is so hard.”
SISers Speak About the Maeul
Church in the Maeul Various churches, including the Bethel Church and Emmanuel Church, have come and gone from the village. About 20 of the village’s families attend the two remaining churches—the One Village Church and the Children’s Church, the latter being a branch of the former. Pastor Kyung-hee Kim decided to dedicate her life to Christ after working in the US Army. She also believes her prayers for her son’s diabetes to be cured were answered by God. She founded the One Village Church and the Children’s Church 29 years ago. The children who attend the Children’s Church are no longer children, but adults. The church kept their name Children’s Church even though all its members grew up. “All the people here have attended this church, since they were little,” said Ms. Kim. “For example, the piano accompanist has been here since the fourth grade.”
Out of the six fires in the village, three completely burned down the churches. “This church has been rebuilt many times,” said Assistant Pastor James Jo. “The pastor has lost many of her valuables from here. The villagers are very concerned about fires.” Many community service groups have tried to work through the church before but without success. A group from an asylum offered to help bathe the elderly or sick, since many do not have proper bathrooms in their homes to do so. Many, however, refused the group’s assistance because they found it demeaning. “Many people have adapted to living in the village,” said Ms. Kim. “A lot of people think living here is really bad, but the villagers are comfortable where they are. It’ll be difficult to do community service here.”
Most SISers are unaware of the existence Hwa-yeh Maeul or the other local villages in Bokjeong-dong. Despite the various community service clubs at SIS, no clubs have responded to the plight of the elderly and sick villagers. Of the four pillars of the National Honor Society (NHS), one includes “service” to the community, but the Bokjeong community has not been one of those considered. “NHS should consider helping the Bokjeong community, if there are ways to help them,” said Jennifer Lee (11), NHS vice president. “We’ve thought of orphanages and churches, but we’ve never really considered the actual [village] because no one knows what’s going on there.” Community service clubs have found it difficult to help the local community because there is no community service system already set in place to help. “I don’t know what we could do in the local Bokjeong community,” said Chris Pak, Community Service Club (CSC) historian. “If there are areas that really need help, I would think that it would be a good idea to help them.” Many feel that community service clubs should carry out awareness projects to help the local villages. “There are so many places that need help,” said Kate Jones, English teacher. “Any help given to anywhere is good, but I do think it’d be really meaningful if the community service clubs helped and spread awareness about their own neighborhood.”