Residents of Mixed-Use Complex Demand Closure of 30-Year-Old Free Meal Service
"Threatening Boycott of Nearby Stores That Donate or Volunteer"
The conflict between residents of a nearby mixed-use residential complex and the welfare foundation operating the free meal service 'Bapppuh' in Cheongnyangni, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, is escalating into a major community issue.
According to Yonhap News on the 27th, on Christmas Day (December 25), a post demanding the closure of Bapppuh was uploaded to the anonymous workplace community 'Blind.' The author of the post insisted, "The Bapppuh in front of Cheongnyangni must be shut down," claiming, "It is causing suffering for our Cheongnyangni residents." The post also included a photo showing a line of homeless people and elderly individuals waiting for free meals.
Although the post was quickly deleted after sparking controversy, the conflict offline is only intensifying.
Bapppuh is a free meal service run by the Dail Welfare Foundation, which began under the Dapsimni overpass in 1988. For over 30 years, it has provided food to the homeless and vulnerable populations. However, with the redevelopment of the previously underdeveloped Cheongnyangni Station area, new high-rise mixed-use complexes have recently been built, drastically changing the local landscape and leading to a surge in complaints about the meal service.
Some residents of the mixed-use complex have complained of distress, claiming that homeless individuals cause disturbances or hygiene issues within the complex during meal times.
Resident Kwon (age 50) told Yonhap News, "People who receive lunch boxes from Bapppuh drink alcohol and urinate on the apartment benches. There is a daycare center on the first floor, so children are startled, and residents are reporting these incidents to the police and security office." Another resident (age 30) showed a photo of broken liquor bottles inside the complex and said, "Although I feel sorry for their situation, they shouldn't come into the complex. Among residents, there is talk of installing a fence."
The conflict is escalating into collective action. Some residents are even calling for a boycott of nearby stores that donate food supplies to Bapppuh or participate in volunteer work.
Bapppuh’s management is working on measures such as focusing meal distribution on weekdays and collecting trash, but they state that with only about 200 volunteers, it is difficult to control unexpected behavior or personal drinking among the homeless.
On the 24th, one day before Christmas, volunteers distributed food and daily necessities to participants at the street Christmas service held at the Bapppun Sharing Movement Headquarters in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps
Establishing a relationship with the jurisdictional Dongdaemun-gu office is another challenge. The foundation has won two rounds of administrative lawsuits against the district office over unlicensed building extensions, but Bapppuh’s management claims that, as a result, the district office is no longer helping maintain order as it did in the past. The police also state that, aside from issuing fines for public urination, there is little they can do.
Experts advise that both sides need to make concessions and find common ground. One expert noted, "Some meal recipients' inappropriate behavior is certainly grounds for complaints," but also pointed out, "The mixed-use complex, which moved in later, does not have the authority to demand the departure of a facility that was established first in the area." Another expert suggested that, in the long term, the welfare model of 'street meal distribution' itself needs to be improved.
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