"Sir! What Are You Doing?" Despite Crackdowns, Elderly Still Flock to Tapgol Park [Reportage]

Ban on Games and Alcohol in Tapgol Park
Two Months On, What Has Changed?
Seniors Voice Discontent: "Pushing Out Those With Nowhere Else to Go"
"Without Addressing Meals, Seniors Will Keep Gathering at Tapgol Park"

At 8 a.m. on the 15th, elderly men with white hair slowly made their way toward the pavilion at the center of Tapgol Park. About 20 elderly men sat in a circle around the pavilion, as if they were soldiers keeping watch. Although they sat close enough for their shoulders to touch, they barely spoke to one another. "Ahem!" Only one or two of them cleared their throats in the silence. Those who could not find a seat in the pavilion sat on nearby benches, staring into space or dozing off.

Tapgol Park, located in Jongno-gu, Seoul, is the first modern park established by Koreans. Because it was difficult to find a park of this size in downtown Seoul, it served as a popular meeting spot for young people until the 1980s. Of course, that is no longer the case. It has long since transformed into a space for the elderly. At the end of July, Jongno District Office installed a sign that read, "Tapgol Park is a national heritage site imbued with the spirit of the March 1st Independence Movement. All activities that disrupt the atmosphere of the park, such as playing baduk or janggi, smoking, drinking, singing and dancing, and commercial activities, are strictly prohibited." About two months after this sign was put up, I visited Tapgol Park.

On the 15th, Yoon Kyungho (75, male), whom I met at Tapgol Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul, was dressed stylishly in a brown suit and polished shoes. Mr. Yoon referred to himself as a "Seoul nomad." Photo by Gong Byungseon

Worn hiking clothes are a common sight among the elderly who gather at Tapgol Park. Among them, one man stood out with his neatly styled hair, a crisp brown suit, and polished black shoes. Yoon Kyungho (75, male) introduced himself as a "Seoul nomad." According to him, unlike "provincial nomads," a Seoul nomad must always be neatly dressed wherever he goes. "I was born and raised in Seoul, and I even graduated from Gyeongbok Middle School and Gyeongbok High School. Because I've been coming here for so long, even the park managers know me. I suppose it's because I dress in a way that makes me stand out from the usual crowd here."

Mr. Yoon not only dresses the part, but also behaves in a way that befits a "Seoul nomad." He has set his own rules to distinguish himself from other elderly people in Tapgol Park. One of them is to never drink alcohol in the park. Having spent so much time here, he has often witnessed elderly men getting drunk and getting into fights. He is proud to say that he has never once been involved in a fight in this park.

On the 15th, elderly people gathered sitting at the pavilion in Tapgol Park, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Foreign tourists are passing by next to them. Photo by Byeongseon Gong

Recently, Tapgol Park has been attempting to transform itself, in Mr. Yoon's words, to become more like a "Seoul nomad." Since the end of July, the Jongno District Office has focused on maintaining order within the park. In addition to banning drinking and smoking, they have also prohibited recreational activities such as playing baduk and janggi. At a press conference on the 17th of last month, Jongno District Mayor Jeong Moonheon stated, "There have been concerns that the area around Tapgol Park is a crime-prone area. We will strive to improve the park so that it can be loved as a space open to all citizens."

However, Mr. Yoon expressed dissatisfaction, saying that the measures taken by the district office are excessive. He himself used to play janggi in Tapgol Park for fun. "Of course, drinking and causing trouble is wrong. But driving out people who play janggi or baduk and cracking down on elderly people just trying to enjoy themselves is too much. I wasn't even that good at janggi, but I played whenever I was bored. They're pushing out elderly people who have nowhere else to go."

Two months have passed since the Jongno District Office implemented these measures, but Tapgol Park is still filled with elderly people. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, as of last month, the total number of free subway boardings and alightings at Jongno 3-ga Station, located in front of Tapgol Park, was 468,648 and 456,667, respectively. In June, the numbers were 459,525 and 445,710, indicating that the number of elderly visitors has not decreased even after the district office's actions.

Although janggi boards have disappeared from Tapgol Park, drinking, singing and dancing, and smoking have not. On the afternoon of the 14th, some elderly men brought makgeolli and soju and gathered by the park wall. Others started drinking beer at a street stall set up right in front of the park entrance. As alcohol flowed, scenes of loud shouting and even violence followed. Police cars continuously patrolled the area around Tapgol Park to crack down on dangerous behavior. One elderly man was caught by a park manager in a yellow vest while urinating on a tree inside the park. The manager shouted, "Sir! What are you doing?" The man pretended not to hear and tried to run away, but was eventually caught. The elderly people in the park laughed, saying, "He got caught red-handed."

On the 15th, elderly people gathered sitting by the wall of Tapgol Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul, waiting for meal distribution at Wongaksa Free Meal Center. Photo by Byungseon Gong

The people here unanimously said that the measures taken by the Jongno District Office would have little effect. Elderly people who cannot even afford to buy rice have no choice but to gather at Tapgol Park. This is not only the case for elderly residents of Seoul. Jeong Insu (76, male), who lives in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, took the first subway train on Line 1 at 5:11 a.m. to come to Tapgol Park that morning. The reason he came so early was for food.

"As soon as I arrived in the morning, I took a number ticket." He pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. It was a ticket from Wongaksa Free Meal Center with the number "75" written on it.

A staff member from the Seoul Senior Welfare Center, who provides health and safety guidance to the elderly here, also said that it is impossible to completely drive out elderly people who cause trouble in Tapgol Park. "For elderly people who struggle to get enough to eat, there is no place like Tapgol Park, which has many free meal centers," the staff member said. "Unless the free meal centers are relocated elsewhere, elderly people will continue to come here and incidents will continue to occur."