JEJU WEEKLY
Last Update : 2014.8.8 13:51
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Changes sweeping Jeju¡¯s villagesMovements in and out are altering the character of villages island-wide
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¡ã The picturesque harbor is in the shadow of Baksugijeong cliff. Photo by Eric Hevesy

[For more photography by Eric Hevesy, visit his Facebook page here.]

In many ways it’s a village set apart. Shielded by oreum and nestled on the coast, Daepyeong-ri is reached by a winding road flirting with a precipitous drop. Small farmhouses cluster and waves crash at the coast while Baksugijeong cliff rises fortress-like to the west.

It is said that Daepyeong-ri, in Andeok-myeon, southwest Jeju, was one of few villages to escape the horrors of the Jeju Massacre, or 4.3 (sa-sam); it is easy to see why. Gunsan towers over it to the north while Wollabong is to its west. To the east the valley walls of the Daedong River rise and frame an idyllic setting.

Arriving, we park up and go for a stroll. The ubiquitous blue and orange-colored farmhouse roofs add a vibrancy that is characteristically Jeju. Murals have been added mirroring the blues, browns and greens of the sky and fields. The village slowly reveals its surprising oddities.

“There it is,” says my wife, pointing to a pizza restaurant. “I heard we will have to wait an hour to get a seat.”

Restored village residences melt into kitsch guesthouse-cum-coffee-shops in communal alleys. The pastel colors and whitewashed walls foster warmth even in low temperatures. At the coast, rhythmic waves crash over volcanic formations.

   
¡ã The village is marked by a mixture of the old and new. Photo by Eric Hevesy

The coffee shops - perhaps the densest cluster of caffeine purveyors on the island - command views of both the cliffs and the harbor. The owners, mostly from Seoul, came seeking the Good Life, a spell we are all under, perhaps.

Suddenly, as we turn a corner, the soft valley sides reveal open wounds. Brown soil drips, exposed.

“What’s that? Are they building some kind of resort?” We both stare up at the hillside, ravaged, glinting, scarred. We face southward and something darker steals the sea view. “And that, is it a hotel?”

We follow the river toward the sea, to a strutting lawn, perfectly manicured and landscaped. “I’ve never seen a garden like that in Korea,” I say. “It’s amazing,” my wife adds. Panning round, we then see a sweating farmer digging in his fields, in front of a decaying home. The contrast, between generations and cultures, could hardly have been starker.

We ponder this as the day draws in and retire to our guesthouse. It’s a basic affair with little effort to attract the Naver blogosphere, but heartfelt touches abound. As we share a brew in a hut heaving with paintings, sculptures and ornaments, the owner, a Seoulite herself, opens up.

 

   
¡ã The sunsets from the vantage point of a luxury development overlooking the village. Photo by Eric Hevesy

“There is zero contact between settlers and locals,” she says. “The only communication is when there is conflict.” It was disheartening to have our assumptions confirmed.

“I have lived in other villages before, but here is worse. That luxury development you saw, it is being built by a celebrity and there are rumors it will only be rented to other celebrities. The division has got much worse since I arrived.”

It is an issue being played out across Jeju, as affluent mainlanders, for so long just here for the weekend, finally settle in droves on Korea’s subtropical island. The dilemma faced, in bringing the city to the idyll, is a universal one.

“A few years ago people only thought of Jeju as backward, but now all my friends from Hongdae are calling me up asking how they can come down here. I’m thinking of leaving in a year or so. It has changed too much,” she adds. “As many as half of the villagers are now from outside.”

The influx has driven a wedge between the community, she says. As the village-born young flee for Jeju City or Seoul, they are replaced by young couples escaping those same places. Land prices have skyrocketed, as have rents.

“When we arrived the locals were so innocent, but now they are concerned with getting the best price for their land. Some of them are only thinking about how much money they can make,” she said, without apportioning blame.

As we sit in discussion, we all know we are part of the changes around us. And while these tales of Jeju’s fading,  regenerating villages are poignant, for many they are the price of progress.

 

   
¡ã Villagers are increasingly concerned about the outlook for their village. Photo by Eric Hevesy

The voice of Daepyeong-ri
The Jeju Weekly's Kim Seonyoung spoke with village official Kim Changnam, who stated that mainland property developers and absentee landlords are changing the village atmosphere. Property developers have pressured local authorities to build roads to plots of land to allow for residential developments. The resulting compulsory land purchasing and development have pushed land prices up, pricing out local families. Settlers also face challenges, says Kim, finding communication with locals difficult in the first few years. Villagers often suspect they are “coming to make money” and he states more effort is needed on all sides to ensure integration into village life and mutual understanding. Villagers are only now realizing that the character of their village is likely to change forever due to the increased development. All sides are looking at how to improve the situation for the future, says Kim.
Darren SouthcottÀÇ ´Ù¸¥±â»ç º¸±â  
¨Ï Jeju Weekly 2009 (http://www.jejuweekly.com)
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