Pocheon City Holds 'Introducing Our Village in Jungri, Hantangang' Event

From the 18th, 2024 Planned Exhibitions and Academic Conferences Held at Hantangang World Geopark Center

Pocheon City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Baek Young-hyun) announced on the 13th that it will hold the 2024 planned exhibition and academic conference at the Hantangang Global Geopark Center starting from the 18th.

Hantan River Global Geopark Special Exhibition Poster. Provided by Pocheon City

The event is expected to be attended by Pocheon Mayor Baek Young-hyun, the chairman and members of the Pocheon City Council, provincial council members, the head of the Korea Water Resources Corporation Yeoncheon-Pocheon Branch, related officials, and citizens.

Under the title "Introducing Our Village, Jung-ri, Hantangang," this exhibition tells the story of Sinheung-dong (Sinheunggol) in Jung-ri, Gwanu-myeon, and Gyodong Village, which had to be relocated due to the construction of the Hantangang Flood Control Dam. It is held as a continuation of the Hantangang research series published last September, titled “The Story of the Relocated Village in Jung-ri, Hantangang.”

Based on interviews with former residents, life history materials, photos, and documents, the exhibition covers the unique local stories from the 1960s to the 2000s, including the difficult times after the Korean War, the efforts of young people to rebuild the village, community activities and village events, and stories after relocation. Visitors can explore the close-knit community of residents who endured hardships, traditional lifestyles and group activities according to seasonal customs, and various aspects that shaped life in the past.

The 2024 Hantangang Global Geopark Academic Conference titled “Changes in Local Communities, Documentation, and Revitalization Measures” will be held in conjunction with the planned exhibition. The conference will focus mainly on research and utilization of relocated villages, introduction of rural projects, and rural area revitalization measures. The event is hosted by the Pocheon City Tourism Division and organized by Gongmyeongjae Hakdang (Dean Choi Soon-ja).

The first keynote presentation, “Case Study of the Relocated Village in Jung-ri, Hantangang,” will be given by Dr. Choi Soon-ja of Gongmyeongjae Hakdang, who conducted the direct research. The second presentation, “How to Utilize Village Records?” will be delivered by Song Gi-yeok, CEO of Geul-eul Noh-neun Jip.

The third keynote, “Gyodong Jangdokdae Village Rural Revitalization Project,” will be presented by Lee Soo-in, CEO of Gyodong Jangdokdae Village, the nation’s first farmstay village. The fourth presentation, “Regional Revitalization through Healing Agriculture,” will be given by Kim Kyung-mi, Deputy Director of the Rural Development Administration.

The comprehensive discussion will be chaired by Yeom Kyung-hwa, Section Chief of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History. Kim Young-gyu, Director of the Cheorwon History and Culture Research Institute, will moderate the discussion on relocated village research and utilization measures, while Ahn Young-mi, Section Chief of the Yeoncheon County Agricultural Technology Center, will lead the discussion on rural project introductions and regional revitalization measures. Both discussants will share not only discussions related to the presentations but also rich real-life experiences they have directly encountered.

The keynote presentations and comprehensive discussions will cover various real-life cases from the field, and it is expected that practical and abundant examples and rural area revitalization measures will emerge.

Gye Young-jin, a curator at Pocheon City in charge of this exhibition, said, “This exhibition was prepared from the perspective that my memory becomes our collective memory and our history. I hope this exhibition will help discover and promote the diverse cultures of the region.”

The opening ceremony of the planned exhibition will be held at 10 a.m. on the 18th at the Hantangang Global Geopark Center, and the exhibition will run until August 31 of next year.