Residents of DMZ Haemaru Village Present Plaque of Appreciation and Rice to Dongseo University

Residents of the ‘DMZ Haemaru Village’ expressed their gratitude for 12 years of volunteer work by Dongseo University by presenting a plaque of appreciation and 20 bags of rice, each weighing 20 kg, a local specialty of the village.

Dongseo University distributed the rice through the Hakjang-dong Red Cross to elderly living alone and basic livelihood security recipients, sharing the meaning of mutual growth between Haemaru Village and Dongseo University.

Residents of DMZ Haemaru Village and officials from Dongseo University are taking a group commemorative photo.

Researchers from the Public Design Research Institute of Dongseo University’s College of Design and design students have been promoting the ‘Design Art Village Project’ in Haemaru Village, Dongpari-ri, Paju City, Gyeonggi Province, for 13 years since 2010.

At that time in 2010, the concept of ‘village making’ was virtually nonexistent, making Dongseo University’s volunteer activities special and highly satisfying.

Dongseo University’s volunteer work gradually became a notable annual event in the village. Every year from February, the university and the village consulted to set the theme for summer volunteer activities, prepared accordingly, and carried out seven days of volunteer work on site, which transformed the village’s image.

Haemaru Village is a settlement for first-generation displaced persons, currently home to about 170 residents across 60 households.