The Gwengyiburi town of Inchon is consisted of old and shabby dosshouses built since the Korean war until now. Living conditions are coarse. The residents are using 4 public bathrooms together, and are exposed to many disasters like fires. (Image : Yonhap)
Inchon, July 14 (Korea Bizwire) – Plans for the ‘Dosshouse Experience Center’ that was scheduled to be built at the Gwaengiburi town in Incheon have been scrapped after controversy.
The city council of Incheon’s Dong-gu held a standing committee meeting on July 13, and voted down a bill entitled ‘Setting and maintaining of the Incheon Dong-gu Dosshouse Experience Center’.
The five members of the standing committee voted down the bill because of the lack of communication with residents to gather their opinions.
Officials from the council say that “The evaluation continued for a longer time than usual. The ordinance was practically voted down unanimously.”
The Dosshouse Experience Center was set to give a chance to those, especially children, who visit Dong-gu in Incheon to experience what life was like in the past.
However, when the residents found out that the selected area was the Gwaengiburi town, the oldest town of dosshouses in Incheon, the residents were furious, saying, “The local government is materializing poverty, and making the town and residents an attraction”.
Even the public showed criticism on the internet after the news was released.
Lim Jong-yeon, a teacher at a study room in Mansuk-dong named ‘The small school next to the railroad tracks’, says, “The council voted down the bill because of criticism from the residents and the public. This is not over. The local government must apologize for the decisions taken without listening to the opinions of residents.”
The Gwaengiburi town in Incheon is the background of the novel “The Children of Gwaengiburi town” written by Kim Joong-mi. Old and shabby dosshouses have been built there since the Korean War. The population of the town is 616, with 359 households. Among them, approximately 300 people in 230 households live in dosshouses. Living conditions are tough. The residents share four public bathrooms together, and are exposed to many disasters like fires.
By Francine Jung (francine.jung@kobizmedia.co.kr)
