[The Editors' Verdict] Let Us Be a Warm Presence for Someone This Winter

A Symbol of Warmth in the Industrial Era
Generation Z Unfamiliar with Yeontan
Times Have Changed Rapidly, but Memories Remain

"What is Yeontan?" "Is Yeontan the fuel for Korean barbecue restaurants?"

A university lecturer in his 40s in Seoul once shared an anecdote about introducing the winter-representative poem "I Ask You" by the "Yeontan Poet" Ando Hyun during class. He said that he usually helps college students understand through lessons using poetry-based content, but that day he was taken aback by the students’ unfamiliarity with Yeontan.

In "I Ask You," Ando Hyun writes, "Do not kick the Yeontan ashes carelessly / Have you ever been a warm person to anyone even once?" Written in 1994, this poem made Ando Hyun’s name widely known and became a beloved "nationally recited poem." Though it consists of only three lines and 30 characters in the first stanza, it powerfully encourages reflection on life through the metaphor of Yeontan, which burns itself to warm others. However, many college students born in the 2000s, often called "Generation Z," likely do not understand the poem’s meaning. Due to social changes, they have never seen Yeontan in their lifetime and thus cannot grasp the process of burning red-hot Yeontan turning into ash.

Yeontan was the national fuel of Korean society during the industrialization era. Former President Park Chung-hee adopted the "main coal, auxiliary oil" (주탄종유) policy in the 1960s economic development process, using coal as the primary fuel and imported oil as a supplement. Coal, the main raw material for making Yeontan, was the only energy resource producible domestically.

Yeontan burns slowly and for a long time, making it well-suited to Korea’s ondol heating system. During the arduous modernization process, it symbolized warmth as it heated the floor where families gathered in cold winters. Thus, the biggest concerns for households preparing for winter were kimchi-making and Yeontan. Compared to firewood, Yeontan was more convenient and economical, and as it became the national fuel, it contributed positively to turning barren mountains green. However, it was also called the "black death" due to fatal Yeontan gas poisoning that claimed hundreds of lives annually.

According to the Bapsang Community Yeontan Bank, this year there are 74,000 households nationwide still using Yeontan. The number has sharply declined from a peak of about 270,000 households in 2006. In Seoul, around 1,800 households rely on Yeontan heating to get through winter. In September, Seoul’s last Yeontan factory, Samcheonri Yeontan Factory in Imun-dong, closed its doors and became history.

Despite its many benefits and sorrows, Yeontan has disappeared in less than 20 years. The times have rapidly changed, and Yeontan is now a museum relic. Coal is a representative fossil fuel that emits high concentrations of carbon. As the climate crisis worsens, the world is hastening the transition to a decarbonized society. Last summer’s heatwave, which will be recorded as a social disaster, warns us of the reality of the climate crisis we face. A new energy transition is inevitable for future generations.

The era is a living organism. Im Hong-taek, author of "The 2000s Are Coming," said that "generation" and "era" influence each other. A new generation reflects the era’s characteristics while simultaneously shaping a new era. And through the process of coexisting with existing generations, change occurs again. Although the era of Yeontan is ending, generations who cherish its memories still coexist.

One Yeontan briquette weighs 3.65 kg, reminiscent of the human body temperature of 36.5 degrees Celsius. This winter, let us be a warm "Yeontan briquette" to someone. Let us appreciate Yeontan, which gave warmth in difficult times, and keep its memories. And let us also remember that some households still use Yeontan for winter heating due to economic reasons.

Jo Young-chul, Opinion Team Leader