Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Yeolchae]

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2006/09/08/200609080001.asp

[Guri Guy]

This is indeed a grave situation. Hopefullly the decision to move the graves will be overturned. Is this just another plot against foreigners?

[Imbroglio]

I hear people are just dying to get in there.

[Guri Guy]

Yes. Not good to be a gravedigger these days. I hear business is dying.

[Novernae]

[billybrobby]

The issue will probably be resurrected a few times before it is finally laid to rest. We'll have to wait and see what goes first and what last remains.

[Moldy Rutabaga]

Moving all those bodies sounds like a monumentous undertaking. But then, it's partly their fault for not keeping their visas updated!

Ken:>

[Cheonmunka]

A Brief History of Yanghwajin


A Brief History of Yanghwajin

July 28, 1890
Burial of J.W. Heron; beginning of the foreigner�s cemetery.

August 1890
Pursuant to Article 4, Paragraph 5 of the Treaty of Friendship and
Commerce between Great Britain and Corea entered into in November
1883, the then Foreign Ministry ('OE-A-MUN') of Corea purchased what
was then a privately-owned land and prepared the site as foreigner�s
burial site (a very small piece of land).

* Article 4, Paragraph 5 of the Treaty of Friendship and Commerce
between Great Britain and Corea : �The Corean authority will set
apart, free cost, at each of the places open to trade, a suitable piece
of ground as a foreign cemetery, upon which no rent, land tax,
or other charges shall be payable, and the management of
which shall be left to the Municipal Council above mentioned.�
- An Unequal Treaty-

*Treaty of Friendship and Commerce between United States and
Corea of 1882 did not include such a provision but the then U.S.
Envoy to Korea Heard requested the Corean authority for a
graveyard based on the most-favored-nation clause of the treaty.

October 1893
The foreign envoys from U.K., Russia, U.S., Germany and France
jointly requested erection of fences surrounding the Yanghwajin
foreigner�s cemetery to Corean government.
The �Cemetery Committee� prepared �Guidelines for
Foreigner�s Cemetery� (the contents of which are missing)

1897
The foreigner�s cemetery was expanded for the first time
(the costs were borne by the Corean [Daehan] Empire).

1904-1905
Further expansion of Yanghwajin foreigner�s cemetery and repair
work for the roads were requested and approved. During this
period, the U.S. Envoy to Corea, Minister Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary, Allen, chaired the cemetery committee.
(Allen was the first medical missionary who arrived in Corea in
1884 and later established the first modern hospital,
Kwanghewon. He also served as Corea Envoy Diplomat to the
U.S and later served as U.S. Minister Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary to Corea.)

Eulsa Treaty (a false treaty forced by Japan in the year of Eulsa)
deprived all diplomatic relationship from Corea, which caused
US envoy left Corea, followed by all other foreign envoys. Instead,
they established general consulates to protect their own nationalities.

1913
After the land survey conducted under the Japanese occupation,
the site was registered as Kyung Sung Ku Mi In Myo Ji Hoi
(Kyung Sung European American Cemetery Committee) in the land
registry. The address was recorded as German General Consulate,
Pyung dong, outskirts of West Gate, West Section, Kyung Sung Bu.

1942- Independence in 1945
All foreigners were forced to leave the country due to the Pacific War.
Yanghwajin was left without a legal title owner.

1945-1961
Underwood II (Won Han Kyung), who at the time had served key
positions in the U.S. military government in Korea, was registered
as representative of the Kyung Sung European American Cemetery
Committee after the independence. After the Korean War,
Underwood II and Underwood III (Won Il Han), both who came to
Korea as U.S. civilian advisors, were registered as representative
of the said Cemetery Committee.

1961
With the adoption of the Foreigner�s Land Law, foreigners were not
allowed to own land in Korea.

1978
While confirming relevant documents for issues relating to
compensation for the city plan (entrance for the second Han River
Bridge and construction of Line 2 of the Seoul subway system),
the Seoul City government found out that Underwood III was still
registered as representative of the Seoul Foreigner�s Cemetery,
violating the Foreigner�s Land Law.
Underwood III had tried to obtain ownership of the site
for several years but failed.

1979
When Mr. Chun Taek Bu (a.k.a. �O-Ri�) visited Yanghwajin
to foil the Seoul City government�s plan to relocate the cemetery
due to the construction of subway line #2, he described Yanghwajin
as follows:
�The Yanghwajin cemetery in the year of 1979 was an abandoned land
like a dump yard and looked as if the place was haunted and children
avoided the place. It was a desolate ground where nobody took care of.
Making the matter worse, the Seoul City government tried to relocate
the cemetery to other places
because it interfered with the construction of the subway�
(quoted from �Biographies of Missionaries in Yanghwajin,� page 5)

* Up to this date, representative of the foreigner�s cemetery was merely
a name in the document and no management activity had been
carried out.

June 17, 1985
�Kyung Sung European American Cemetery Committee� transferred
the ownership of the cemetery to �The Council for
the 100th Anniversary of the Korean Church� (Chairman:
Rev. Han Kyung Chik), (hereafter, the �Council�).
After 95 years of the unequal treaty, the land was retrieved finally.

* The Council cleaned up the land of the crime-ridden area covered
with piles of rubbish and tangled weeds. The clean up activities include
taking away 150 truckloads of garbage to Nanji dump yard, reinstalling
fallen tombstones matching them to their rightful tombs.
* Ever since the site was used as a cemetery, it has been formed as a
cemetery park for the first time.

June 28, 1985
The Council broke ground to build �Mission Memorial� using donations
(the amount: KRW 700 million, including KRW 200 million for restoration
of the cemetery park, donated by 6 Christian businessmen), which would be
utilized as a mission cultural center to commemorate the 100th anniversary
of Christian mission in Korea, and to administer the cemetery.
*Union Church who did not have appropriate place for congregation
at that time was allowed to use the building, when completed, and was let to
manage the cemetery.
*Building floor layout - basement floor: mission reference library and fellowship
hall, 1st floor: offices for The Council and Union Church, 2nd & 3rd floor: chapel

October 10, 1986
Upon completing the construction of the Mission Memorial and
restoration of the cemetery park, the Council changed the name of
the cemetery from �Kyung Sung European American Cemetery� to
�Seoul Foreigner�s Cemetery Park.�
*Rev. Han Kyung Chik allowed Union Church to temporarily use the office
of the Council on the 1st floor and the library in the basement of
the Mission Memorial, at the earnest request of Union Church, even though
there were strong objections from the then Directors of the Council.

May 2001 � May 2005
Mapo Gu (Mayor: Park Hong Seop), with the support of the
Seoul City government, implemented a plan to establish the
Yanghwajin Memorial Park and constructed underground public
parking lot and underground pathway in 2003.
The construction work for the �Seoul Foreign Missionary Cemetery Park�
was completed in May 2005.

September 2003
The Council (Chairman: Rev. Kang Won Yong) determined to establish
a Church in Yanghwajin cemetery in order to effectively manage
and preserve the cemetery and the Mission Memorial, and to inherit
the spirit of 100 years of mission in Korea
and cultivate the vision for the next bicentennial.

April 2005 � July 2005
In April, the Council selected members for the �Committee for the
establishment of the 100th Anniversary Church,� and the inauguration service
was held on July 10.
The Council entrusted all the rights and responsibilities
for the management of Yanghwajin cemetery and
Mission Memorial to 100th Anniversary Church.

[I_Am_Wrong]

puns make me want to kill.

[Dan The Chainsawman]

MacArthur must be rolling in his grave.

[periwinkle]

Well, you know what happens when you disturb Native American burial grounds... Maybe the same thing will happen to those who disturb the cemetary

[poet13]

they have to be thrown out. it's not like they are going to pay attention to an eviction notice...

[mindmetoo]

That's dead wrong!