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Bucheon_Finding the Identity of a Young City (1)

the industrial heritage and memorial monuments

As a province adjacent to Seoul, the country's capital city, Gyeonggi-do has inherited a vast amount of Korea's modern cultural heritage as the country has undergone a turbulent modern history, ranging from the latter part of the Joseon Dynasty to the Japanese Occupation Period followed by the national liberation and division, the Korean War, and the impressive industrialization and democratization processes. “Modern Cultural Heritage of Gyeonggi” will feature an introduction to the modern culture of Gyeonggi-do together with a discussion about the history, identity and values of the Province in terms of cultural heritage.


Writer | Ye-seon Choi


What role do modern architectural properties play in the identity of a city? This was the question that came to mind regarding the young city of Bucheon. The history of the current Bucheon is a little longer than 40 years. Before it was raised to si (city) status in 1973, the region of Sosa in Bucheon was closely related to Bupyeong in Incheon, the central region of the Gyeongin Railway; dating back further, Jak-dong in Bucheon had the tombs of buma (a son-in-law of a king) and ongju (a daughter of a royal concubine). In Yeowol-dong, there were villages formed by the Catholics who gathered there to escape persecution and made pottery to sell. Gogang-dong is a historic site from the Bronze Age, with quite many relics excavated.


Writing its history layer by layer by uncovering its historic relics, you can discover that Bucheon is one of the areas where people have long been living, telling their different stories according to their living areas. Regrettably, however, it is difficult to find the modern architectural heritage that has formed the frame of today’s Bucheon. Even before forming the foundation of the city, before being understood in context, a certain era of the city has been removed because it is old and has lost its usefulness.




Bucheon is a city located between Seoul and Incheon, with a land area of 56㎢ and a population of 850,000. The city's population density competes for first place with that of Seoul. That there is a high incoming population indicates that it has advantages in advancing its culture. Last June, Bucheon submitted an application to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, displaying self-confidence in its cultural properties. The city has confidence in its experiences, as it has had one of the most lively library systems, has held civil and cultural events including the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival and the International Comics Festival, and has been providing educational programs for a long time.


providing educational programs for a long time. The newly adopted cultures, as they were accumulated with the passing of time, have become the city’s identity. In order to solidify its cultural identity, however, the cultures have to be connected to a place that embodies the city’s sense of acceptance. This is the reason that the architectural properties, especially the modern ones that are close to our lives, are critical. In this column, we will look into the memorials including the industrial properties and alleys among the modern architectural relics in Bucheon, and a waterway.




Dodang Industrial Complex,

the Past and Present of the Industrial City of Bucheon


Bucheon is a city of background industries for Seoul. In Bucheon, the light industries developed during the 1950s and into the 1970s, vitalizing its economy. Although many factories were gradually moved to Namdong Industrial Complex in Incheon and Siheung since the 1990s following the policy to limit the population living in the capital area, there are industries of precision machinery, semiconductor, chemistry, cosmetics, food and beverage, and electronics still in smooth operation including Hanil Electronics, Fairchild Semiconductor, Kolmar Korea, and DB Hitek.




The industrial heritage has been closely linked to the city’s economy, forming the experience and memories of the citizens. Delivering unusual sensations with the unique spatial aesthetics, the idle industrial buildings are often used as commercial or cultural places. The industrial complexes in Bucheon are an architectural heritage that is alive and still in service. Without carelessly assessing their values and usefulness, we would like to look into their current state as the places that embody the memories of the city.


The company that played a significant role in the early industry of Bucheon is Yuhan. First established in Jongno 2-ga in 1924, the company founded the factories in Sosa with its public offering, and the head office was also moved to Sosa, leaving heavy footprints in the economy of Bucheon. The factories moved to Gunpo in the 1970s, leaving Yuhan University and Technical High School behind. In the 1960s, the factories in Sosa and the residences were donated to Pearl Buck, the writer and human rights activist, and transformed into Huimang Orphanage. After the Pearl Buck Foundation evacuated the place, a residential complex settled in. A few factory buildings that had been left intact were listed as registered cultural properties in 2001, but soon were removed from the list in 2003 following the request of the owner who wanted to remove the limitation of property rights. The areas are now filled with multiplex housings and the Sosa factories leave almost no trace, but the Pearl Buck Memorial Hall remains nearby, built in 2006, conveying the history of the place.




Songnae-dong and Chunui-Dodang Complex, where you can find Hanil Electronics, is a noteworthy area. Hanil Electronics is a company with 50 years of history in Bucheon since its foundation in 1969. With the factories and residences in harmony, the area is witnessing the expansion of the factories and the redevelopment of housing. The buildings are partly demolished for the renovation of old factories and expansion of necessary manufacturing facilities, but the main facilities remain as they are. We need to observe how it might maintain the harmony with its changed appearance after the construction and with the existing factory buildings.



Dodang Complex is located at the foot of Chunuisan Mountain, surrounded by a hillside, forming unique scenery. The region is also characterized by the industrial facilities of various eras. Right on the way from Chunui Station, there are factories and warehouses that were built quite a while ago, either empty or in service, and there are plants that were built between the 1970s and 1990s under the extension and renovation leading up to Dodang Park. The Bucheon Hardware Stores on the roadside show the distinct characteristics of the area. It has an exotic shape, like a ship, with its top looking like a fortress from the middle-ages. In Dodang-dong and Nae-dong, where you can find both residential and industrial complexes, many apartment complexes are newly built on the site of relocated or shut-down industrial facilities, but there still remain the warehouses and factories that bear witness to an era.



- Series continued -


세부정보

  • Modern Cultural Heritage in Gyeonggi-do

    Article and Pictures/ Ye-seon Choi (Cultural heritage columnist)

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