Homeless memorial commemorates 435 deaths in Seoul over final yr

Not less than 435 homeless individuals have died in Seoul over the previous yr, in keeping with an area advocacy group.

Amid the same old bustle outdoors Seoul Station Sq. on Dec. 15, members of the Homeless Memorial Ceremony Joint Planning Committee started laying out two lengthy pink cloths alongside the 2 central staircases, on high of which they positioned 435 plastic roses, every representing a homeless individual reported lifeless in Seoul over the previous yr.

Hooked up to every rose was the identify and a short profile of the deceased, all however eight of whom have been registered as “muyeongo samang,” or unclaimed deaths, that means there have been both no surviving relations or nobody to assert their stays.

Referred to as a “stairway of reminiscence,” the show marked the beginning of the annual Homeless Memorial Week in Seoul, which is able to culminate in an outside interactive artwork exhibit on the similar location at 2 p.m. on Monday, adopted by a ceremony and march at 7 p.m.

Playing cards comprise details about homeless individuals who have died over the previous yr in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Anastasia Traynin

The staircase of reminiscence is ready up each weekday at 4 p.m. by means of the day of the ceremony, and contributors and passersby are inspired to participate in an in-person and on-line exercise of matching plastic cups and electrical candles with the deceased names among the many roses and leaving messages. Memorial ceremonies outdoors Seoul embody Daegu on Friday and Daejeon on Monday.

These memorials have taken place yearly since 2001, becoming a member of worldwide Homeless Individuals’ Memorial Day occasions across the Dec. 21 winter solstice, the longest and sometimes coldest night time of the yr. In Korea, the occasions incorporate the annual custom of sharing “dongjijuk,” a pink bean porridge that’s stated to thrust back evil spirits and usher in luck within the new yr.

The Dec. 15 show coincided with a press convention by representatives from a number of the greater than 50 civic teams comprising this yr’s memorial committee. Beneath the slogan “Rights Not Administration, Coexistence Not Exclusion!” they referred to the deceased homeless as “social deaths” missing official recognition, funerals and memorial providers.

The function of offering these providers has been undertaken by personal and nonprofit teams. The memorial committee cites the homeless mortality fee as 4 instances the nationwide common, coming to a complete of 6,000 yearly unclaimed deaths nationwide final yr, which is probably going an underreported rely.

Homeless rights advocates have deliberately borrowed the English phrase “homeless” to embody not solely individuals dwelling on the streets, but additionally in slum-like “jjokbang” communities, gosiwon (a low-cost dormitory-style lodging), homeless shelters, care services and varied different unstable housing situations.

Advocates take part in a memorial for homeless lives misplaced in Seoul over the previous yr, in entrance of Seoul Station, Dec. 15. Courtesy of Homeless Memorial Ceremony Joint Planning Committee

The civic group Homeless Motion operates on a membership foundation with no authorities help. Since 2010, it has run a volunteer-based night time college open to present and former housing insecure adults. Lessons vary from primary abilities reminiscent of homeless rights, studying, writing and know-how use, to electives together with English, choir, artwork and media. In addition they have a weekly road homeless outreach program.

Homeless Motion activist Ju Jang-uk defined the significance of not solely serving to but additionally organizing the homeless to advocate for his or her rights.

“The homeless neighborhood is aware of their state of affairs higher than others, to allow them to be those to make calls for,” Ju advised The Korea Instances. “One strategy to arrange is thru the Homeless Evening College, to make individuals keep, talk and work alongside us. One other manner is monitoring human rights violations on the road and low-cost housing like jjokbang and gosiwon. If we discover an issue, we work along with that individual on an answer to enhance their state of affairs. That is how we’ve met our pals in the neighborhood.”

A scholar union co-leader on the Homeless Evening College, who goes by the nickname Rimbo, stated that one of many causes of loss of life among the many poor and road homeless is the shortcoming to seek out shelter in chilly climate, as many have regularly been pushed out of the sq. in entrance of Seoul Station and the underground passageway close by.

“Many voters and passersby look down on them, simply calling them bums,” Rimbo stated. “The mayor of Seoul has lately been emphasizing the necessity to eliminate the homeless right here. It’s actually unlucky as a result of we’re all the identical individuals. I want individuals would respect the rights of the homeless as a lot as anybody else. We are able to reside in higher housing and work.”

Ju was shocked to listen to the Seoul Metropolitan Authorities straight discuss with “overseas vacationers” complaining about being bothered and harmed by homeless individuals round Seoul Station.

“Town is attempting to make the sq. alcohol-free, which isn’t a public well being technique, however a manner of kicking out homeless individuals with alcohol abuse and psychological well being issues,” he stated.

Rimbo emphasised the necessity for extra sponsored rental housing, citing the close by Dongja-dong jjokbang neighborhood for instance of small substandard items resulting in extra homeless deaths and sometimes driving individuals again into the streets.

Among the many names of the lifeless on the profile playing cards hooked up to the roses on the stairway of reminiscence, non-Korean names mirror the presence of worldwide residents inside Seoul’s homeless inhabitants. Ju stated that he meets an rising variety of individuals from different nations within the streets.

“Overseas individuals come to work in Korea, however some find yourself in dangerous situations, so in the event that they lose their job and cash, they lose their housing,” he stated.

Whereas there are additionally youth and youngsters experiencing homelessness, the regulation prohibits anybody beneath the age of 18 from being formally designated as homeless. As an alternative, this demographic is served by separate youth shelters, group houses and different housing which can be designed to be non permanent to permit for minors to return to their households of origin. In actuality, many reside on this system till reaching maturity.

Ju described Homeless Motion’s place as one which believes particular housing situations are usually not the one strategy to describe homelessness.

“We deal with how unstable or insecure an individual’s housing, or if anyone doesn’t have the funds for or a foul relationship with their household,” he stated. “We imagine that the id of age and gender is completely different from a state of being ‘homeless.’ Nonetheless, society labels ‘homeless’ as an id in itself.”

A poster for the Homeless Memorial / Courtesy of Homeless Memorial Ceremony Joint Planning Committee

Homeless Motion is amassing donations for its annual winter drive, together with a Social Funch on-line fundraiser working by means of the tip of the month and an ongoing assortment of males’s heat garments, sleeping objects and light-weight studying materials. Donations will be made straight or by mail on the Araemaeul anti-poverty middle, situated simply east of Cheongpa-dong Intersection.

“Whereas we do want garments and materials issues, what we actually want is individuals’s curiosity,” Ju stated. “All public areas are being commercialized. This isn’t solely a homeless downside, however an issue for everybody who is just not wealthy sufficient to reside in huge residences. Any considered one of us might get kicked out of public areas in the future. We hope individuals will come out and work along with us.”

For inquiries, contact 02-2634-4331 or 010-8495-0283. Go to homelessaction.or.kr for extra info.

Anastasia Traynin is a author, editor, translator and instructor primarily based in Seoul.