People on the spot

• 

  #People on the spot

  Baek Jongsu, farmerAgriculture for Producers, Consumers, and the Earth

  Baek Jongsu is a farmer in his sixth year of returning to farming. In February 2016, he decided to move to Wanju and, as a base camp, lived for two years in an apartment in Bongdong-eup. Then,in February 2018, he bought a house with a large yard in Oiyul Village, Yulgok-ri, Gosan-myeon, and since then, he has produced peppers, zucchinis, watermelons, and cabbages in 5 greenhouses near his home using eco-friendly agricultural methods. The farm is named ‘GoBaek Farm’, taking the letters of his last name Baek and Go from Go Eunyeong, his wife, who he calls his sidekick.Baek Jongsu's record of Wanju settlement tells an exemplary story of returning to farming and rural areas. At the beginning, he did not build a house or start farming. Instead, at first he worked as an office manager at a village company in Gyeongcheon for one year and as a staff member at the Wanju-gun Return to Agriculture Support Center for three years to learn knowledge and information about the region, villages, farming and people. Of course, he received a salary for his work, which was a great help economically."Now, I’m living with as few external activities as possible, and focusing on farming and parenting as much as possible. I have three daughters who are 10, 7, and 2 years old. I have goals for eco-friendly agriculture, and I have seen good results, but there are difficulties in reality. The information is asymmetric, and the agricultural support policies still have many drawbacks. My sidekick introduced me to various projects of the Wanju Cultural City Support Center, and from March this year, I organized a meeting with eco-friendly farmers nearby to start a ‘Meeting with No Representatives.’I wanted to talk about eco-friendly agriculture in Wanju, and I also wanted to think about the influx of people."Baek Jongsu described farming as a "special industry that must reveal and share all the processes and results." He said he has lots of worries about people. They know very well about cars and houses and talk about them a lot, but when it comes to the food that they eat and digest day after day, they make no effort to learn how it is produced and distributed. Further, he also added that although Wanju is implementing a successful agricultural policy with local food and they have considerable experience and achievements in eco-friendly agriculture, that it is time to prepare for a new response to the climate crisis, zero waste, and changes in the consumer market."From now on, I have a goal to proper conditions in Wanju where anyone who is interested in eco-friendly agriculture can proudly take on a challenge with pride. Just as there were not many people who expected local food to succeed like this at first, I am sure that eco-friendly agriculture will definitely see good results if we challenge it more systematically and actively than now."Baek Jongsu's ‘GoBaek Farm’ has its own farming philosophy, "Together with producers, consumers, and the earth." Instead of vinyl mulching used for pepper farming, he uses multi-use herbicide mats. And in the case of red pepper straps, he uses multi-use attraction lines instead of nylon straps. He grows zucchinis without plastic mulching. Although the cost is more expensive and the process of working is complicated, he does it because he believes it is less harmful to the earth and us too. His small efforts like these have been introduced several times in newspapers and broadcast media."Not long ago, my project was selected as a 'small research project for cultural diversity' by the Wanju Cultural City Support Center and I will submit a research plan soon. This time, I plan to interview eco-friendly farmers and conduct a consumer awareness survey. I'm going to organize the thoughts and desires of the producers and the consumers from my point of view. I don't exactly know yet what to do specifically and how my small research and practice will develop.“

  2022.12.14

• 

  #People on the spot

  Choi Migyeong, representative of HwasanaebbanggeutCultural Competency Growing Through Diverse Participation

  The bakery run by Choi Migyeong, representative of the culture headquarters Bbalaeteo and Hwasanaebbanggeut is located in an unexpected place. On the way from downtown Hwasan-myeon to Gyeongcheon Reservoir, a very small sign is hung on a small house along the road, and the sign is engraved with the pretty letters ‘Hwasanaebbanggeut.’"I've been running a cake class ever since I lived in Jeonju. It has been eight years now since I settled in Hwasan, and I started ‘Hwasanaebbanggeut’ in June of last year." It was designated as a preliminary social enterprise in September. I have to make money, and I want to continue to operate this space, which I prepared with difficulty.“Choi Migyeong's relationship with Wanju dates back 12 years. In 2010, she had a brief engagement with the village company Mother Cookie, and after that, she spent time living in both Wanju and Jeonju, before moving to Wanju when her child entered Hwasan Middle School. Though she used her child's education as an excuse, she said she may have had a greater mind for life and changes in life. She found the site of the house she is living in now by chance, but there were many twists and turns before it became hers and was made into the decent village cultural space that it is now."I think this space has confirmed its potential as a small cultural space in the area. In 2020, it was selected as an excellent example of the use of idle facilities in rural empty houses in the Jeollabuk-do Happy Rural Development Contest. Then, with this case, I went to a national competition and won the Korea Rural Community Corporation President’s Award. The interest and support of the Wanju Cultural City Support Center was a great help."Choi Migyeong also participated in the civic culture jury several times. The process was an opportunity to ively look back on the projects she had done, and she felt that Wanju was experiencing big growth."At first, as a 'made in public growth project' of the Wanju Cultural City Support Center, we conducted horticultural therapy and aromatherapy certification classes with the young heads and several residents of Hwasan-myeon as a residents’ capacity building project. My project was important, but I was also interested in community activities in the Hwasan area. I could feel the growth of Wanju-gun through my skin. In the early days of moving here, it was a boring living in Wanju, but now I think it's Wanju where you can do anything if you have the time and motivation."Choi Migyeong came to the conclusion that the Wanju Cultural City Support Center really does operate many projects and programs that help local residents' lives. At the same time, she suggested that it would be good to programs in which competent individuals can participate, although it should continue to develop community-oriented cultural capabilities as it is now."There are many people returning to farming and the rural areas in Wanju, but I hope many Wanju natives will participate in the program, too. That may require much more active publicity. This year, I had an opportunity to participate as a lecturer at Seodu Village School, so I was able to make all sorts of bread such as sweet red bean bread, soboro, roll cakes, pizza, and madeleines with the elders of the village in Bongdong. At first, I went straight home after class, but later, they asked me to stay and eat after class. When that kind of thing happens, it's more fun and rewarding."

  2022.12.14

• 

  #People on the spot

  Hwang Seokhyeon, section chief of Korea Electrical Safety CorporationWays to connect the young of Innovation city with the wider area

  Section chief Hwang Seok-hyun, who works for the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation in Wanju and Jeonju Innovation City, is from Donghae, Gangwon-do. He joined the Gangwon Northern Branch of the corporation 10 years ago and was soon transferred to the Seoul headquarters, but moved to Wanju when the corporation moved to Iseo Innovation City in 2014. It may seem difficult to find anything special in the contents so far, but the following story shows how much Hwang Seokhyeon got stuck into things."In December 2020, I was selected for the' Rediscovery of Wanju Guinness,’ in regards to record making. I was selected in the category of "Most Individual Awards and Appointments". Until then, I had received 27 individual awards and 29 letters of appointment. It is mainly related to cultural and artistic activities, and public sector policies and ideas. In Wanju, I also participate in various gatherings, including the voluntary crime prevention unit, and cultural artistic activities. In fact, I got married through the introduction of an elderly person I became acquainted with while working in the voluntary crime prevention unit. A very strong connection has been made here."It is not easy for the staff of newly located public institutions or industrial complexes in Wanju to consistently participate in various activities in the community. This is especially true in the case of single-person families who moved to Wanju from other regions. I wondered what has made Hwang Seokhyeon such a great inquisitive person.The keywords of Hwang Seokhyeon's concerns and activities are ‘region and youth.’ The Wanju Cultural Foundation's Culture and Arts Residents' Policy Research Group, and the Wanju Cultural City Support Center's ‘Meeting With No Representatives,’ which began its activities this year, deal with the same topic. They continue to talk and carry out research with other colleagues about how young local people, especially young people who have moved to the innovative city, can connect with the local community and live more happily."The phenomenon of young people working in innovative cities moving to other places when the time comes can happen not only in Wanju but also in all innovative cities across the country. I live and work in Wanju, but if I don't build a relationship with the community, I end up going home in a different region every weekend. I have no friends in the area, there are no club activities, and not many peers in this or that program, which all make it difficult to participate in any kind of program. I think it will get better gradually if we start by identifying and resolving the problems and demands of the young people who work here."The range of the relationships with the local community in which Hwang Seokhyeon is involved with is deeper and richer than expected. He worked for the space planning team of a youth space called Iseonaru, and drew support from the company, and with that connection, he also hosted the Iseonaru opening event. Even now, with six colleagues, he’s investigating the cultural satisfaction of young employees of the relocated institutions in Wanju-gun and studying various solutions for young people to settle in the region."I hope that young people will carry out more diverse cultural and artistic activities in the region. In fact, there are many programs offered in Wanju-gun. However, the elderly are more active and attracting more attention than the young. I thought we needed to pay a little more attention to the young people. If I have a chance in the future, I plan to work with other public institution employees to increase participation and budget support.“

  2022.12.14

• 

  #People on the spot

  Choi Jeonghye, citizen activistEnjoying the Pleasure of Exploring the City as a Cultural City

  Choi Jeonghye once knocked lightly at the door of the center before starting her career with the Wanju Culture Sharing Exploration Team and establishing a connection with the Cultural City Support Center. She participated in a contest to name the cultural sharing space ‘Da-Haeng’. Although she didn’t win the contest, she said she liked the establishment of the Wanju Cultural City Support Center in Samrye, where she lives, and its supporting Wanju's cultural and artistic activities."I'm from Jeonju and I've lived here in Samrye since I got married. It's already been 22 years. I studied as much as I could while taking care of my children and helping my husband with his work. I also received certificates as a nursery teacher, a social welfare worker, and a lifelong educator. When my child entered elementary school, I gathered information from various activities through parents' meetings, and what I had studied before was very helpful at that time. After that, I also obtained the necessary certificates for total crafts and wood crafting. These activities don’t make me any money, but they gave me confidence and revitalized my life."In Wanju, there are private institutions and organizations in various fields, and their activities and programs are very diverse, with many participating communities. However, it is not easy for common people to access such things without an opportunity. I was wondering why she became involved with the center."I thought I was just an ordinary woman, but the Wanju Cultural City Support Center listened to the stories and ideas I submitted with interest. Although it was not a great activity, there was a lot to learn from the activities of the Wanju Culture Sharing Exploration Team and the activities of the Citizen Culture Jury. The exploration team's activities were looking around Bibijeong near Mangyeong-gang in Samrye or Ginger Valley Green Park in Bongdong. They were always close, but with a certain goal, I could see other things. Through jury activities, I had an opportunity to understand a little more about the public and administration."Since 2018, Choi Jeonghye has taken an active role in the traditional play team of ‘Black Rubber Shoes,’ a game community of the Saemaeul Bookstore Association in Wanju-gun. It is an activity to make videos of traditional games such as Jegichagi (a shuttlecock kicking game), biseokchigi (a stone throwing game), and jukbangul nori (a cup and ball game), and share them with others, and it is said that it was fun and rewarding during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic."This is the age of media. Kids have only cell phones in their hands. ‘Black Rubber Shoes’ is a play community that strives to spread a healthy play culture that can be enjoyed not only by children but also by men and women of all ages. We’re trying to develop contents that fit the current era. Recently, we have been working at local children's centers, institutions for the disabled, day care centers for the elderly, and nursing hospitals through a cultural reading volunteer team. I'm an educational instructor at a local children's center in Hwasan."She said that it is more fun to participate in small programs or events at the Cultural City Support Center than setting any big goal or expectation. Last summer, she explored two old stores in Samrye as an activity of the Culture Sharing Exploration Team. She said that the exploration report was also submitted after completing the exploration of a baekban restaurant Hyangwusikdang and the jewelry store Hwanggeumdang near the terminal. It is difficult to know the familiar places around us unless you look closely. So far, the explorations have been carried out as part of the program, but I hope that they will continue to lead to daily exploration activities that enrich Choi Jeonghye's life by looking around, talking, and getting to know more places.

  2022.12.14

• 

  #People on the spot

  Daughter Lee Hyeseo, Mom Mun YeojeongMom Caring for the Park and Her Daughter Embracing the Ecology of Mangyeong-gang

  Hyeseo, 13 years old, is in the 6th grade of elementary school. She goes to Dongyang Elementary School, which has a total of 38 students, close to her home. She was born in Iksan and lived in Dongsang-myeon for five years, and at the age of seven, she moved here to Haewol-ri, Soyang-myeon. I honestly wondered what it would feel like to live in a place surrounded by mountains and forests. Hyeseo says she likes this natural environment, with having being familiar with mountains, plants, and animals since she was young, but she says it is a bit disappointing that there are no convenience stores, playgrounds, or parks. The white T-shirt Hyeseo is wearing was engraved with the words ‘Mangyeong-gang Youth Expedition Team.""This is a group of teenagers guarding the Mangyeong-gang. We started our activities last Saturday. We learn about the Mangyeong-gang first and then learn more about what animals are living there and how to protect them. Originally, about 60 students gathered, but last week there were only 30. During the summer vacation, I took three ecological classes at 'OO Village School'. I learned about birds first, golden frogs second, and house bats third. House bats usually live near villages or in rice paddies."I asked Hyeseo why she became interested in ecology and the environment. Of course, I wondered if such interest and activities were interesting for her."I think that if the environment gets worse, there will be fewer animals and it is not good for people. It's good to learn how to protect the environment. It's nice to be able to get together, from those in the 5th grade of elementary school to high school students, where we can hang out together and learn a lot from teachers about things we don't know a lot about.”The programs that Hyeseo is participating in are ‘OO Village School’ and ‘Manbogi (Technology to care for the ecology of Mangyeong-gang).’ She said that it is good to have a movie making class, study about ecology and the environment at the community media center in Gosan, and hang out with good people, but it is a bit regretful that more friends cannot be with her. Of course, Hyeseo was able to participate in the program of the Wanju Cultural City Support Center thanks to the introduction of her mother, Mun Yeojeong. Since 2020, Ms. Mun has also joined the ‘Talent of All Class’ of the Wanju Cultural City Support Center, and has continued to build relationships and develop various activities.Last year, she carried out a project to turn empty public land in the village into a park through ‘OO Village School.’ Along with the villagers, her whole family participated in cleaning up the garbage, making pavilions, and planting trees. Sports facilities will soon be built. The experience of changing an abandoned space of ten years into a village park in a community way could change other things in the village, too.“I think Wanju has a well-equipped environment where residents can actively challenge themselves when they try to do something. There are also many good educational programs. But more publicity is needed. There are many good programs in the Cultural City Support Center, but it's a shame that residents don't seem to know about them.”

  2022.12.14

• 

  #People on the spot

  Jo Mijeong, Starlight protector of abandoned animalsCultural Diversity, the Key to the Happy Coexistence of Humans and Animals

  Jo Mijeong is conducting ‘Awareness Improvement Activity of Yard Dogs and Abandoned Animals -- We Are Alive, Too’, as a follow-up project for Wanju-type cultural diversity. Last year, under the theme of ‘Can Pets Living in Rural Areas Improve Their Quality of Life?’, we tried to suggest the idea that a cultural approach is needed suitable for the characteristics of rural communities, conducting a small research project on cultural diversity. And, this year, we are promoting this project in the sense of expansion and practice of last year's research."This project is largely filled with three contents. First of all, we are producing stop motion animations to improve residents’ awareness of yard dogs, street cats, and abandoned dogs. They are about 30 seconds long and will be made for social media campaigns. Activists for abandoned animals are participating in drawing pictures and collaborating with us to make the animations. We are also preparing a program to make handmade snacks for pet dogs to donate to abandoned dog shelters, and also to a flea market to sell snacks. Every program focuses on improving people's awareness of yard dogs, abandoned dogs and street cats that live with us."The digital dictionary defines that cultural diversity covers almost all cultural differences between people. It's not an easy concept. I wondered what cultural diversity means for Jo Mijeong, who is working on a Wanju-type cultural diversity practice project following a small study on cultural diversity."I don't know if I understand it properly, but I thought that cultural diversity means respecting and acknowledging that people and animals live their lives as they are. In that context, my research project is also about the quality of life of animals living in rural areas. It's not hard to find out what's wrong seeing a yard dog tied up in the yard. Yard dogs can become much happier by making short leashes longer, providing clean water whenever the dog needs it, making a good platform on the bottom of a dog cage, and widening the roof to stop the dog getting wet when it rains. If that makes their lives any better, wouldn't our cultural diversity expand further?"Jo Mijeong moved to Wanju in 2014. Since 2006, she worked as an official at the Jeonbuk Sustainable Development Council for more than 10 years, and also worked as a staff member at Wanju-gun’s Community Support Center for two years. Although the contents and methods of work were different, she said that she experienced various forms of governance to strengthen the sustainability of our society and the solidarity of the community.Even before conducting a small study on cultural diversity, Jo Mijeong had been active as a famous cat mom in Gosan. By chance, she adopted two abandoned cats and raised them, and she happened to see the street cats living near her house. While taking care of them, she got to learn about the existence of more street cats, and that made her enter the irreversible path of a cat mother."Now, I feed cats here and there and do neutering surgery at about 5 places. At first, I tried to handle it by myself. However, it's hard to manage it properly all by myself. Now that I have people with me, I'm not having a hard time anymore. Recently, I have been volunteering at an abandoned animal shelter. I wasn't always like that, but I think I changed myself little by little. Anyway, I think taking care of cats is easier in the country than in the city. I hope my research and activities can help improve the quality of life of pets living together with us, even if just a little. To do that, improving people's awareness is the most important thing."

  2022.12.14

• 

  #People on the spot

  Kim Eongyeong, representative of ‘Ariari’, community of the mentally disabled

  Ariari, a community in Sanggwan-myeon, Wanju-gun, is a gathering where the mentally ill and the activists who help them meet. We are engaged in various cultural activities to improve the community's perception of the mentally ill and to raise the self-esteem of the mentally ill. Kim Eongyeong, a psychiatric nurse, leads the meeting.Q. First of all, would you introduce yourself?A. I am a member of staff at ‘Hansarang,’ a rehabilitation facility for the mentally ill. I have worked as a nurse at a psychiatric hospital for ten years, and have been working here since 2015. The hospital that I used to work at was for people with severe symptoms. However, as I saw patients repeatedly coming back to the hospital, I wondered how to help them adapt well in their community. So I moved to this rehabilitation facility. It's hard because it consumes much more physical strength and mental energy than before, but it's more rewarding.Q. How was the community ‘Ariari’ formed?A. Actually, I never had any intention to do it. In 2018, I happened to participate in the Culture Makers Academy of the Wanju Cultural City Support Center. It was a lecture to find solutions to problems in the local community through culture. There were various problems due to the prejudice of residents against the mentally ill in the facility where I worked. I just wanted to find out what I could do to make both the local community and the mentally ill communicate with each other, and to improve residents' perception of the mentally ill. Then, I came to a community through Made in Public, a community support project of the Wanju Cultural City Support Center. At first, the name was Iris, but later it was changed to Ariari. In 2019, it was officially registered as a non-profit organization.Q. Were the prejudices or misunderstandings by local residents about the mentally ill so severe?A. Residents near the facility showed us a lot of hatred. They didn’t like the mentally ill walking around their village, so they filed civil complaints to the town office and the police station, demanding that the mentally ill not walk around the village, and to make matters worse, they frequently requested that the facility should be removed from their neighborhood. That's actually more of a "hate" than prejudice. Sometimes when criminal cases involving mentally ill people were reported on TV, it got worse. So I thought it’s urgent to improve the perception of the mentally ill. I really wanted to let them know ‘The mentally ill are the same people as you are. They do not hurt anyone.’Q. How many members of ‘Ariari’ are there, and what activities have you done?A. About 30 in total, most of whom are the mentally ill and the others are three or four activists working at the facility, including me. With the support of the Wanju Cultural City Support Center for community activities, we participated in some hands-on experience programs like taking pictures, and natural dyeing. We took pictures of our daily lives and local landscapes of the neighborhood and held a photo exhibition. We were very happy and little by little, the local residents started to respond. At first, we took pictures with mobile phone cameras, but these days, our photo-taking skills have improved enough to take pictures with film cameras.We also started natural dyeing, as the members might feel bored if we repeated the same activities. In fact, it had a hidden aim to jobs. As most of the members are beneficiaries of a basic living allowance, we thought they could acquire natural dyeing skills and gain economic independence. However, natural dyeing seems to have been a physical burden to them. Actually, dyeing is very hard as they have to keep moving their hands so that the dye doesn't make stains, and they have to repeat the process of drying and wetting several times. However, on the other hand, their concentration and endurance have been improved noticeably.Q. What have you achieved through those activities?A. Above all, the members' emotional s have become rich, and their self-esteem and positiveness have increased. As I continued to join Ariari activities, I realized that "What is more important than improving the perception of others is to resolve self-stigma and increase self-esteem by the mentally disabled themselves." So the focus of the activities was also on that direction. Of course, there was some effect of improving the perception of local residents. These days, residents and members often greet each other affectionately. It's really rewarding to watch the members increase their self-esteem and express their needs more actively.People with mental illness tend to be alienated among the challenged. As they don’t have any visible physical deficiencies, they are usually not protected. However, through Ariari activities, Wanju-gun and public institutions have also become interested in the mentally ill and the cultural activities of the challenged, and there is a movement to ordinances in Wanju-gun related to them.

  2021.12.16

• 

  #People on the spot

  Jo Suji, leader of ‘Sutgarak’, a parenting community“It’s so natural that children are happy when their parents are happy”

  There is an African proverb that says "It takes a (whole) village to raise a child." ‘Sutgarak (Spoon),’ a parenting community in Gosan-myeon, Wanju-gun, is a community that strives to solve the hardships of raising children that most parents today are experiencing, through ‘cooperation’ and creating a happy society that is good for raising children. Currently, 15 families are participating and raising 19 children together, and Jo Suji, the mother of two children, is the leader.Q. What kind of gathering is ‘Sutgarak’?A. It was first organized in 2014, so it's been 8 years this year. As the title indicates, it’s a parenting community that raises children cooperatively. I don't know the details of its early days very well as I wasn't a member back then, but it is said that some returnees and new rural settlers to Gosan-myeon for farming took a joint parenting lecture and began to take care of their children in turns. Not only did they take care of children, but they also studied and had many discussions while thinking about what values they would raise their children with.However, as they took turns taking care of the children in the members' houses, it just wasn’t a stable and regular co-raising environment. So while looking for a suitable joint parenting location, they were able to move into a place in 2015 because there was a vacant farmhouse restaurant at the Wanju-gun Local Economic Circulation Center. The name ‘Sutgarak’ originated from one of the members saying "I feel sorry that I only put a spoon on the prepared table."Q. When did you join ‘Sutgarak’?A. I lived in Seoul and came to Wanju four years ago. I was somewhat satisfied with my Seoul life and what I was doing, but my husband, who had long dreamed of returning to farming, felt so tired of the stress of his heartless work life, that I readily agreed to follow him. But when I came down, raising children was not easy for me. In the city, you can send children to a daycare center at the age of four, but it wasn't feasible in the countryside. ‘Since we've come to a rural area to live differently from the city, it would be better to raise our kid at home.’ We strived hard, but we soon got tired and stressed until some people around us recommended ‘Sutgarak.’It hasn't been long since I became the leader. The child of the former leader, who has played a pivotal role as a representative for a long time, was old enough to enter elementary school, so I was selected as the new leader after the general meeting.Q. It looks like you have a general meeting system as a decision-making body of the community.A. There’s a general meeting once a month when all the parents have to participate. It is called ‘Damoim’ meaning all the members must attend it. Teachers who take care of our children also attend Damoim and communicate with parents with equal speech rights. They agree with the philosophy of ‘Sutgarak,’ so they can have the same level of open conversation as caregivers. And there is also an operating committee composed of teams taking charge of finance management, education, and facility management. As the joint childcare cooperative is not an official government-approved childcare institution, we don't receive any subsidies from the government. So members have to pay membership fees and even cover operating expenses through their own businesses. Apart from the general meeting or the operating committee, we hold monthly parent study meetings and conduct reading and joint learning in various fields such as education philosophy, feminism, and Enneagram, etc.Q. There must be merits and demerits of joint parenting. What are the good points, and what parts are not so good?A. Of course there are more merits. Above all, it's good to look at the child as he/she is and respect their individual circumstances, interests, and individuality. Children choose their own toys and play with them every day. Children are so happy to play while getting their clothes dirty in the spacious playground, whether it rains or snows. Sometimes they get hurt playing in the playground, but the parents really don't care. Not only children, but also parents are happy. Parents can also enjoy various hobbies in their clubs, learning foreign languages or doing sports, which seem to enrich their minds. Because my heart is relaxed, I don't get angry at children. It's a virtuous cycle in which children become happier because their parents are happy.One thing we regret is a lack of diversity in child care. I hope the diversity of forms of child care can be recognized. Children attending daycare centers are provided with 700,000 won per month, and children who are raised at home or by a joint parenting system like us are provided with only 200,000 won in total. In the case of Northern Europe, if more than five families gather and raise children jointly, it is recognized and supported as a ‘semi-childcare facility,’ and I think Korea also needs to accept those various types of caregiving.

  2021.12.16

• 

  #People on the spot

  Kwak Sangtan, CEO of ‘The Little Bear’, a loose community“It’s not fun to live alone”

  Q. Then, was it a community of professional actors and actresses?A. Oh, not really. Somewhat skillful at plays or musicals, they are not. They have their own jobs. In my case, I was an actor in a theater company in Seoul, but now I’m an office worker.Since I was young, I liked plays so much that I wanted to major in play and film, but I majored in social science owing to my parents' opposition. However, when I went to university, I left my studies behind, and I wandered around Daehak-ro performance halls almost every day. I watched more than four to five hundred plays during those days, and if I add up all the plays and musicals I've seen so far, they will probably total over a thousand.I also watched a lot of foreign performances in Las Vegas, Broadway in New York, and even at Piccadilly Circus in London. I went abroad every vacation just to see original performances.Q. Then, is the original ‘The Little Bear’ a separate organization from the community that carried out ‘Local Signature Dessert Menu Development’ as a project supported by ‘Made in Public’ in 2019?A. You could say so. Although the names are the same and some members overlap, the one, which began in 2013, was a kind of performance community, and the other that has worked since 2018 is a community d by people among my acquaintances interested in local issues. It is a loose community without any restrictions and is not a group for a specific business or profit, but a network of which members work in each area and help each other.From a sociological point of view, you could say that a loose network of people with a certain level of affection and information is more effective than a formal organization formed for a specific purpose. It is a group of people with such an expansive possibility that shares information and links resources with each other, such as western style parties and social gatherings. It is to form a network with the people we trust now without setting any names, purposes, or frameworks of the community. What is fundamental to this type of a network is not a specific purpose or benefits, but a person's character.Q. What kind of a project is the ‘Local Signature Dessert Menu Development’?A. It was a project carried out by The Little Bear community in 2019, sponsored by the ‘Made in Public’ support program of the Wanju Cultural City Support Center. Various people who bake pottery, paint, and bake bread gathered to develop signature dessert products in the region, including soup, drinks, and baked items, using local food produced in five counties of Wanju-gun: Dongsang, Gyeongcheon, Bibong, Unju, and Hwasan. They have increased the cultural and artistic values of the products by making stories of each region and producer in ceramics, illustrations, photos, and videos. There were already cafes that many people could visit in Wanju-gun, but there was nowhere no to sell dessert products made of Wanju local foods such as ginger, dried persimmons, etc. Thus, the purpose of the project was to improve the situation for the development of those areas, which could be a way to coexist with other regions.Q. What kind of project was ‘Full Moon Salon’ in 2018?A. It was also a ‘Made in Public’ support program of the Wanju Cultural City Support Center. Young people in Wanju-gun had held cultural events every month, centering around the Starlight Workshop in Iseo-myeon, Wanju-gun, and in 2018, the communities pushed for a gathering to share their concerns about directions and identities, and to seek ways to collaborate while looking back at the results of the year.Q. What type of community does ‘The Little Bear’ specifically aim for?A. What we aim for is a loose community that allows members to join and withdraw freely and respect individual autonomy as much as possible. It is a gathering that is united through hobbies and common interests, and has an appropriate amount of concern and responsibility for each other. It focuses on the network, as it is a kind of a community that links trust between people. It is important to build trust with each other while respecting different values and orientations, and to understand each other and build trust in the process rather than succeeding with specific tasks together. And we also pursue a flexible gathering where members and activities are constantly evolving.

  2021.12.16

• 

  #People on the spot

  Young activists at ‘Limbo Bookstore’“We don’t want to be bees eating sugar instead of honey.”

  Limbo Bookstore in Gosan-myeon, Wanju-gun is a youth space commissioned by Wanju-gun. In rural areas, where the foundation for cultural enjoyment is weaker than in cities, it serves effectively as a culture center not only for young people but also for residents of various ages. The people who run Limbo Bookstore are three young activists: Kang Soyeon (Seole), Hong Mijin (Tongtong), and Yun Ji-eun.Q. Would the three of you introduce yourselves briefly?A. Yun Jieun - I came here, to Wanju in 2017, so it's my fifth year. Like other young people about my age in Seoul, I came here after preparing for a job, taking tests for jobs, building up specs and living like that. I didn't have any intention to settle down here. I came here a few times to visit my friend, who became a farmer after returning to his hometown, and Wanju looked so fun and a good place to live, so I decided to settle down here.A. Hong Mijin - I came here in May, 2017. About the same time as Jieun. At first, I wasn’t interested in activities like farming, rural life, or youth culture. Seeing as I had worked for a publication company for a long time in Seoul, I decided to open a bookstore in the local area. ‘Tongtong’ is my alternate character name, a kind of a nickname. As the meaning of it suggests, I want to live very differently from others.A. Kang Soyeon - Among the three of us, I came here first in 2013. So these two call me an ‘archaeornis’, a kind of bird-like dinosaur, meaning I’m a beginner or something. I majored in design and worked for a cultural institute in Seoul. One day while traveling my friend asked me to visit his close friend living in Wanju. I just intended to visit him, but I got fascinated with this town and decided to live here. However, I am the most recent to join the Limbo Bookstore. My alternate character name is ‘Seole’ meaning ‘fluttering,’ as I want to live with a ‘fluttering’ feeling.Q. What does Limbo Bookstore do and how did it come about?A. The Youth Policy Team of Social Economy Department of Wanju-gun Office launched ‘Planet Wanju’ as a core space for young people in Wanju. We are entrusted with the facility and are operating it now. This is the second store of Planet Wanju, a youth space. The first store is in Samrye and is operated as a guest house for young people, and the third will open soon as a youth start-up space in Iseo.Q. What does ‘youth base space’ mean in detail?A. It means exactly what it says it is. It's a place where local young people meet and hang out with each other. It's like a base or a hiding place where they come and stay without doing anything. Young people in the countryside have to be happy to live there, and to be happy, they have to be able to meet, communicate, and hang out with each other.In the city, you can meet people and drink coffee at a cafe, but there are not many places like that in the countryside, so young people need a space to gather and interact with each other. Especially in Wanju, there are many young people who came to live here like us, but as they are not native to the area, there is no place for them to go.Q. Then what do they do here in Limbo Bookstore?A. They participate in the various cultural programs we run. There are many programs ready for them. For example, we prepared ‘Autumn Humanities Readings,’ a ‘Made in Public’ program of the Wanju Cultural City Support Center. We also ran ‘It’s Open When Three of You Get Together.’ We often plan and operate our own programs reflecting young people's interests and needs in this way. We also rent this space out for gatherings. But there are more people who just come and do what they want. Some people buy food and eat, and some just sit on the sofa and watch TV. It's a space where anyone can do anything. And it's not just for young people. Anyone living in Gosan or Wanju, regardless of age, from elementary school students to senior citizens, can use it. We don't like to set the standards of youth by age.Q. Please tell us your thoughts on Limbo Bookstore and your future plans.A. Kang Soyeon - I loved it when I first came to Limbo. It's a space where you can meet people comfortably and make relationships. This is a place where people are valued and warmly welcomed. I hope that this place will continue to establish itself as a base for connecting local people and expanding strong networks.A. Hong Mijin - I want to make a self-reliance model with which youth cultural activities can continue with no support of local governments or public institutions. Just as honeybees in beehives can't find flowers on their own after tasting the sugar water given by humans. Now, although we are running it with public support, we will try not to lose our dream of living like a wild honeybee someday.A. Yun Jieun - From some point on, I became called a ‘young cultural activist.’ At first, I didn't think much of it, but the more I do, the more I feel a deeper meaning and sense of calling of what I'm doing now. I'm always wary of myself becoming lost in inertia. In the future, I want to continue to meet many people in Wanju, build relationships, and exchange good influences.

  2021.12.16

• 

  #People on the spot

  Representative Kim Jiyoung, ‘Moms’ Vacation’“Moms need their own time and space for themselves”

  Kim Ji-young is a mother of three children. For a long time since getting married, she had been focusing only on the roles of a wife and a mother, and suddenly she thought, "Just as children have vacations, we mothers should have vacations, too." So she d a cultural community called ‘Moms’ Vacation’. Mothers gather together to read books and write, sharing common interests and comforting each other.Q. What was the main reason to make ‘Moms’ Vacation’?A. Three years ago, I happened to learn about the Culture Maker Academy held at Wanju Cultural City Support Center. I wondered, 'What is that?' and 'What does it mean to solve local problems with culture?' When I went to the first meeting, most of them were young people, and I felt shy because I was the only one who was a "ma'am." However, the head of the center gave a special lecture and said, "Cultural planners should themselves know what they like." That's when I realized I didn't know what I had liked until then!The courses of ‘Culture Maker Academy’ were difficult, but it was fun. That's why I never skipped a class. Sometimes I was scolded by my mother for continuing to leave the house without taking care of the children. However, I was so excited and happy to meet people who asked questions about me for the first time, not about my hubby and children. In fact, I have a bold personality. I don't accept anything as it is, and I tend to face and solve all struggles by myself. Right at that moment, I heard that there was a community support program at the Cultural City Support Center, so I formed a meeting without hesitation.Q. What is the meaning of the title ‘Moms’ Vacation’?A. It doesn’t mean anything other than what it is. I just thought ‘Like children, moms would be happy if they had a vacation. Time for their own selves. Time for taking a rest and recharging their batteries.If there were any others who thought like me, I desperately wanted to meet and talk with them. At first, four of us met and started to read books. The number of members increased. Now we have 20; 10 from Wanju, and 10 from other regions. At our book club, we never read books such as parenting or self-development books, as for no reason, you only feel uncomfortable thinking "Am I not a good mother?", or "Am I a lazy person?"Q. What other activities do you do other than reading books?A. We operated a ‘Sister Counseling Center’ as well. It was a meeting where we exchanged common issues and comforted each other while revealing our concerns. Everyone said it was their first time to talk about themselves like this. Many of them cried while talking. Two years ago, we had writing meetings and published a collection of prose titled Your One and Only Story in the World by tying up the essays of each member. It was also helped by the Cultural City Support Center.One of the book club members opened a stationery store, and inside the store, we made a book stand like a kind of "shop within a shop." The name was ‘Moms’ Bookstore.‘ Each of the book club friends got a book shelf, and each person picked out the books they wanted to introduce, displayed them, and sold them.Q. I heard that you set up a shared studio for moms not too long ago.A. Yes, I really did it unexpectedly. Mothers don't have their own desks anywhere. So you have to sit at the kitchen table, write, go to a cafe, and read books. So I wanted to a space where mothers could sit comfortably, and read and write books.By the way, in March this year, the insurance company called me to inform me that my savings insurance had matured. It was 10 million won, so I thought about what I could do with this money. Since the children grew up, I thought about replacing the furniture in the children's room, but I was in two minds because I also wanted to use it for myself. There was a vacant rental apartment in a building overlooking the Mangyeong-gang, my dream location. In addition, I heard that the deposit loan would be at a low interest rate, so I thought about it for a while and signed the contract.I decorated it as a space for mothers to work together. I bought several individual desks, made my own small room, and even got some books including comic books and picture books. The name was a studio, but I wanted to a place where I could look at the Mangyeong-gang River blankly, pile up comic books and roll around and read them, and do whatever I want to do. The space was named ‘Dinggadingga.’ I wished we could relax there as comfortably as possible, as if we were on a vacation in a comfortable atmosphere, without any burdens.

  2021.12.16