“You need to watch Soje-dong’s railway station village to fully understand Daejeon.” Soje-dong is a place, embracing 100 years history of Daejeon. When Gyeongbu and Honam Line railroads began to be built in 1905, Soje-dong was formed. At that time, railway station village that were formed around Daejeon Station was three : South, North and East railway station village. However, most of them disappeared due to bombing during the Korean War. Now, only Soje-dong, East railway station village, is preserved. Until now, Soje-dong has been recognized as backward regions and neglected. The railway station village has changed as Ikseondada, which led Ikseon-dong of Seoul to urban renewal in 2014, began to conduct the regeneration project of Soje-dong in 2017. This village has become popular tourist spots as characterful cafe and restaurant has entering on the place in shabby and deserted house.
Among them, Pungnewga was enlisted as a cultural asset of modern Korean history. Bamboo forest, stretched out in Daejeon downtown, was interested young people.
Pungnewga(Tea room) Manager, Park Chang-hyun
Q1. Please introduce about Pungnewga.
A1. Pungnew of Pungnewga means “Let's loving and enjoying the arts“. When I first came here, The words ‘Pungryu’, which means loving and enjoying the arts, did spring to mind at the sight of the bamboo forest. In that sense of showing freshness, It became 'Pungnew'. We cleared away roof only and used framework as it was, because we wanted to preserve existing structure. The room furnished and decorated to match the bamboo and used the point color, orange.
Q2. What's the reason of opening the shop in Soje-dong?
A2. We were able to open a shop through urban regeneration project, Ikseondada. Ikseondada is a company, plans urban regeneration projects. They are transformed undeveloped city to the brand that tell story. In 2014, They transformed Ikseon-dong’s hanok village, nobody took any notice, through ‘Modern Hanok Village’ regeneration project(Ikseon 1.0). In 2019, They drew up and executed urban renewel project of Soje-dong railway station village(Ikseon 2.0). Recently, They are planning Ikseon 3.0 for Sindang-dong, Jung-gu.
Q3. What is 'past, now and future of Soje-dong' mean for you?
A3. Soje-dong was, in the past, forsaken place. But now, It has become a space where many people visit. In the future, I hope the best known place of Daejeon is. Soje-dong has unique look and feel unlike Seonhwa-dong, Daeheung-dong and Dunsan-dong. Please, I wish Soje-dong throw off the mask of ‘a bore city’
A day, is set in Soje-dong, has been the focus as the movie won the “Populatiry Award’ at the Yecheon International Smartphone Film Festival. The best feature of 'A day' is that it is in the planning against Soje-dong citizens.
Film director, Bae Ki-won
Q1. What kind of place is ‘Daeheung Film(DH Films)’?
A1. DH Films is independent filmmakers, and tells the story about Daejeon. DH Film has started at Daeheung-dong in 2018. A few years ago, I heard that Soje-dong would disappear due to redevelopment. So, I have decided to move to Soje-dong. I wanted to make a film in Soje-dong, has historic story, even if it is in a short space of time. So now, I am producing movie under the name of 'Project for only one year'. Because no one knows if demolition and redevelopment are going to happen.
Q2. What kind of movie is ‘A day’?
A2. Subject of ‘A day’ is hope. A2. The theme of 'day' is 'hope. Unlike traditional movie, I wrote scenario after the audition. Until a teenage girl, a twenties who got role as aunt, and 70-year-old grandmother. They are living hard lives with different worries. No thorn without a rose. I produced that movie within the meaning of "Don't given up hope".
Q3. What is 'past, now and future of Soje-dong' mean for you?
A3. In the past, I didn't even know Soje-dong. I only knew as the place where the railway station village was located, and I’ve also had no occasion to visit here. Now, Soje-dong has become a place that supposed to inform the public. Originally, Daejeon was created by the special characteristics of railways. Soje-dong has developed with gyeongbu railway development and building of railroader's village, when the Japanese colonial period. To seeing our perspective, it may be the past we want to erase, but this is the past to remember. In particular, people living in Daejeon need to know more about and preserve railway station village. In the future, I think it will be a place of memories in the future. If Soje-dong is later redeveloped and high-rise apartments are built, I'm gonna miss Soje-dong while watching the movie that I filmed before.
Wouldn't it be a citizen who has lived in Soje-dong for a long time who knows Soje-dong the best? Lee Jong-wan(83) has lived in Soje-dong for 60 years and currently operates small barber shop called Dae-chang.
Ctizien Lee Jong-wan
Q1. What was Soje-dong like in the past?
A1. Soje-dong is the place where Sojeho was located. Railway construction began under Japanese rule, and Solangsan Mountain was carved to fill the lake in 1927. The railway station village was formed where Japanese railway officials, engineers, and workers gathered through 1940 period.
Q2. What do you think has changed the most compared to the past?
A2. The population has decreased a lot. In the past, several thousands railway engineers had inhabited here. With the new county like Dunsan-dong and Eunhaeng-dong being put it, most people moved to apartments. Soje-dong was a rich town which live top officials, but now it has become poor village which live less than 100 people.
Q3. What is 'past, now and future of Soje-dong' mean for you?
A3. Soje-dong is my life itself. Japanese colonial era I couldn't go to school because I didn't have the money to pay for admission. Even though there were enough talented students, School sent out students by reason that they did not pay the admission fee. The school was paid more money from wealthy family and supplemented vacancy. Later, I learned works at the barber shop, and 60 years have passed. While I am working at this barber shop, I regretted not being able to study. So, I often said to students who come to this barbershop. "Don't set limits". Because I wished what their dream will be achieve. When the students came here as adults and said, "Thanks to those words, I was able to come this far," I couldn't express that feelings in words. Sixty years at the barber's have made me realize many things in many ways.
Soje-dong practices urban regeneration under the slogan of 'past, present, and future'. A space with historical significance allows us to find the true present meaning for us who live only today based on memories of the past and imagination of the future. What sort of looking your past, present and future like?