[Ko Gyu-hong's Trees and People] Facing the Vitality of '800 Years of Time'

<12>'Jincheon Seokhyeon-ri Zelkova Tree' and
'Hadong Chukjiri Munamsong' Mysteries

Goh Kyuhong, Namu Columnist.

All living things in the world do not give up their lives on their own. Even in the most extreme situations, or knowing that years full of hardships will come, they never give up and find a way to live. It is the instinct of life.

Trees cannot move to a different place to live. Therefore, traces of their desperate struggle for life often remain clearly over a long lifespan. The strong vitality achieved by taking root and struggling to survive for a long time even in obviously unfavorable terrain is deeply moving to see.

A Zelkova Tree Rooted at the Entrance of Jigok Village
Standing for about 100 years before the village
Taking root on rocks and clutching stone fragments
Standing as if prophesying the village’s peace

A zelkova tree standing on a low hill at the entrance of 'Jigok Village' in Seokhyeon-ri, Jincheon, Chungbuk.

One such Zelkova tree stands on a low hill at the entrance of Jigok Village, Seokhyeon-ri, Jincheon-gun, Chungbuk Province. From afar, it looks like an ordinary Zelkova tree, no different from the village guardian trees or pavilion trees commonly found at village entrances, standing tall on a small hill guarding the village.

However, when you approach closely, a profound resonance arises from the special appearance of the ‘Jincheon Seokhyeon-ri Zelkova Tree.’ This is why trees are subjects that must be observed more closely and for longer periods. The kaleidoscope created by the exposed roots intertwined on the edge of the hill makes viewers hold their breath and gaze for a long time. It is a mysterious figure that is hard for anyone to look away from.

The place where the tree stands is Jigok Village, also called ‘Jisaeul.’ The village was first formed about 700 years ago. It began when Kim Sa-hyeok (金斯革, ?~1385) of the Gangneung Kim clan, at the age of sixty-three, came here looking for a temporary place to stay as the Deputy Minister of the Secretariat (知門下府事尙書). Kim Sa-hyeok was a figure who repelled the Red Turbans at the end of the Goryeo dynasty and made great achievements in wars against Japanese pirates invading the Chungcheong and Jeolla regions.

The founding ancestor, Kim Sa-hyeok, especially predicted the future and led the village’s livelihood. It is said in village legends that none of his prophecies were ever wrong. Therefore, not only the people of this village but also those from neighboring villages called it ‘Jisaeul,’ meaning ‘the village where a person who knows all the affairs of the world lives,’ using the characters for knowledge (知) and affairs (事). Over time, the name changed to ‘Jigok,’ the current village name.

The Jincheon Seokhyeon-ri Zelkova Tree at the entrance of Jigok Village has stood here for about 800 years, roughly 100 years before the village was first established. It was designated as a protected tree by the Korea Forest Service with the registration number ‘Jincheon 42’ in February 2000. At that time, the tree’s age was already measured to be over 800 years. It can be inferred that the tree already played a central role on the village entrance hill when the first human settlement was cultivated 700 years ago.

The traces of the 'Jincheon Seokhyeon-ri Zelkova Tree,' which has taken root on a large rock and lived by splitting the rock, become more mysterious the more you look at them.

However, the Jincheon Seokhyeon-ri Zelkova Tree is smaller in height and trunk size compared to other Zelkova trees of similar age growing elsewhere. There is a reason for this, which can be quickly understood upon close inspection. It lies in the root area where the tree has established its life base. The place where the tree took root is full of large rocks and stones that appear to have split from those rocks. The soil that can fully provide nutrients to the tree exists only in the crevices formed by the rocks and stones.

The place where the tree first took root is ironically on a large rock. To survive, the tree had to grow its body and helplessly split the rock. But if the rock splits, the foundation for the roots supporting the gradually growing tree trunk becomes empty air. A tree that loses its base would collapse in an instant. The tree knew this. The tree, which had to survive at all costs, extended its roots over the rock and firmly embraced even the finely split rock fragments.

The years of splitting and embracing have been 800 years. Looking back, the tree had to invest more energy in ‘surviving’ than in ‘growing.’ This is why the tree’s body is smaller compared to other Zelkova trees of about 800 years old. However, it is by no means an absurdly small tree. It is only somewhat smaller compared to other Zelkova trees that have lived for such a long time.

The Jincheon Seokhyeon-ri Zelkova Tree has grown into a large tree reaching up to 16 meters in height and a trunk circumference of 6 meters measured at chest height. Surely, it has endured a life full of hardships. Yet, it still stands tall and dignified, guarding the village entrance. Like the founding ancestor who once did so, this Zelkova tree stands with a dignified and peaceful posture as if prophesying the future peace from the place where the old people have left. It is truly mysterious.

Another Tree Rooted on Rock: ‘Munam Pine’
A Revered Object in Daechuk Village, Chukji-ri, Hadong
A Heavenly Pavilion Where Old Scholars Gathered for Poetry Meetings
A Place Where Writing Flows Naturally

The beautiful appearance of 'Hadong Chukjiri Munamsong' standing in a place overlooking the wide Hadong fields.

In fact, it is not very unusual for a tree to take root and grow on rocks without a speck of soil. There are quite a few trees that live with great difficulty on rocks, just like the Jincheon Seokhyeon-ri Zelkova Tree. Among them, the ‘Hadong Chukji-ri Munam Pine,’ designated and protected as Natural Monument No. 491, is an outstanding example.

This pine tree stands at the foot of a hill behind Daechuk Village, Chukji-ri, Agyang-myeon, Hadong-gun, Gyeongnam Province. It is a representative tree that has grown beautifully by splitting rocks. The villagers say that the single pine tree standing on a large rock is stronger than the rock itself. The large flat rock where the tree stands is called ‘Munam (文岩)’ or ‘Munbawi (literally ‘literary rock’),’ and the pine tree standing tall on the rock is called ‘Munamsong (文岩松)’ after the rock’s name. Both the tree and the rock are objects of reverence for the people of Daechuk Village.

The place where the tree stands offers a scenic view overlooking the Agyang plains. It is said that in the past, scholars gathered here for poetry meetings. The fresh shade cast by the mysterious tree that pierced through the rock was a pavilion made by heaven. The name ‘Munam’ was given to the rock because it was a place that naturally inspired good writing.

Some say this pine tree is 300 years old, while others say it is over 600 years old. It is impossible to determine the exact age of the tree. Water is essential for a tree to sustain life. Like the Jincheon Seokhyeon-ri Zelkova Tree, the rock surface where no water seeps in is the worst condition for a tree to continue life. The age of a tree growing under such nutrient-poor conditions cannot be estimated by comparing its size to trees rooted in fertile soil.

The flat rock cracked helplessly while the 'Hadong Chukjiri Munamsong' was growing.

The tree grew so slowly that it is difficult for people to estimate its age by sight. Every spring, it releases pollen, and every autumn, it bears pine cones, growing its body on the cold and solid rock. Having overcome hardships, the tree has lived for 600 years and grown into a sturdy pine tree 12 meters tall with a trunk circumference of 3 meters.

To survive, the tree dug into the rock but had to grow little by little so as not to shatter the rock. While other pines grew a full arm’s length, this tree had to be content with growing only about a handspan. It had to split the rock but also had to hold the rock firmly to prevent further splitting, sustaining its life through dialectical struggle.

The places where the Hadong Chukji-ri Munam Pine and the Jincheon Seokhyeon-ri Zelkova Tree have lived are extreme environments for trees. Yet, the trees had to live. Looking back, living is the same for trees and animals alike. They always wander endlessly in search of peace, but peace does not come easily. The beauty of life and the extent of peace are determined by how one endures inner pain.

It is astonishing how the dialectical vitality endures, splitting the rock despite the flesh-tearing pain inside, while holding the rock tightly from outside to prevent further splitting.

Tree Columnist