1  이선호 동문의 글 관리자 98 2004-10-06
아래는 kexim2@unitel.co.kr 메일주소를 쓰시는분이 보내신 글을 옮긴것입니다.

------------------------ 아 래 --------------------------

2004.10.04. 자 Korea Times 에 실린 이선호 동문의 글
【Summary】

신간 손광식 저 "청계천 이야기" 독후감:

(가) Bandi & Luni's Bookstore에 특별전시된 "내 고향 청계천 사
람들"
(2004.8.30 도서출판 창해 발간)은 일제말부터 개발년대 초기까지의 사대문안에서 자
란 서울서민들의
애환을 적라라하게 담고 있음.
(나) 동년배로서 같은시대를 서울시내에서 자란 필자로서 청계천개발, 유물 및
환경복원 등
과 맞물려 흥
미진진하게 몇 시간안에 282쪽인 52장의 자서전을 읽었음.
(다) 이 자서전은 청계천주민들의 희노애락을 담은 네가지 특징을 가지고 있음
(1) 많은 호기심을 가지고 시대상을 용기있게 관찰하며 행동에 옮겼던 저자의 순수한
열정,
(2) 과거의 온갖 기록들을 잘 보관하여 온 저자의 열정과 젊은시절의 적극적인 포부,
(3) 자기자신을 미화하거나 과장홍보하는 여타 자서전과는 다른 솔직하고 순수한 면,
(4) 각 장 끝머리에 실체적인 (tangible) 과거의 사건들을 변화된 현재와 역사적인
조명를 사실적으로 시킨 점.
(라) 이책은 386세대 또는 보다 젊은 세대들이 읽고 오늘의 대한민국은 이러한 과거의
희노애락을 딛고 꾿꾿이 살아 온 선배들의 덕분이라는 결과론과, 역사는 변화는 하
되 반복되는 것이
라는 사실론을 자각하게 됨이 바람직하게 느껴짐.
Hankooki.com > The Korea Times > Opinion >Thoughts of Times

Chonggye-chon Stories


By Lee Sun-ho
At the main entrance of Bandi & Luni’s Bookstore inside the COEX Arcade
in Seoul, one can easily find a special display of a book entitled ``My hometown
Chonggye-chon and its people’’ with a large poster advertising the
popular new edition. I enjoyed reading the 282-page autobiography of Sohn
Kwang-shik published by Changhee Publishing Co. with keen interest. Sohn
describes a diverse spectrum of joy, anger, sorrow and pathos of common Seoulites’
livelihoods spread out around Chonggye-chon (referring to the clear stream dividing
Chongno-gu and Chung-gu of central Seoul) during his youth, the turbulent span in the
mid-20th century in the wake of Japanese colonial rule, Korea’s liberation, the
inter-Korean conflict, poverty and underdevelopment, student uprisings, military
coup d’
etat and Korea’s initial growth and development.
The author is one of my contemporaries, just two years older than me, and like
myself is
also a true born and bred Seoulite, a minority among the Korean population now, raised
inside the so-called four gates of the city wall of the Choson dynasty. Excitedly, I
read
through the entire 52 chapters of panoramic tales within just several hours. Sohn’s
illustration reminded me of many facets of common Seoulites’ livelihoods in my bygone
days. In line with the restoration project of Chonggye-chon, which involves removing
the
elevated express passes as well as the rebirth of relics from the Choson period buried
underneath concrete covers, and consequent environmental rehabilitation along the
3,670-meter-long stream, the author’s hometown address in central Seoul (148-4,
Changsa-dong, Chongno-gu) will be remembered as the practical root of both anger and
pleasure for old Seoulites, including the author himself.
While reviewing the autobiography, I saw four major characteristics behind his
considerate but courageous adventures and endeavors of his earlier days, mingled with
ordinary inhabitants around the Chonggye-chon area for approximately a quarter of a
century.
The first characteristic is the author’s enthusiasm to act on his curiosity to
bravely
explore and discover things on a trial and error basis. Some of Seoul’s unique
dialects,
which I only vaguely remember, were very informative to freshen my memory. He was
extremely impressed by reading many long novels including ``Lim Kkok-jong’’
written by
Hong Myung-hee, and it seems that he learned many aspects of human affairs from
them. I
also reminisced about my childhood prior to the Korean War while reading Sohn’s book.
His unexpected encounters with big-shot hoodlums like Kim Doo-han, Lee Jung-jae and
Lim
Hwa-soo and the steps he mistakenly took and fell from one of the bridges over
Chonggye-chon might have been typical occurrences to people dwelling around the
area. The
bitter experience of having his newly bought watch stolen is something that I also
experienced when I was in middle school. U.S. Air Force raids of Seoul by B-29s in the
summer of 1945, and five years later again by P-51s in the
summer of 1950, war devastation, and refugees are still fresh memories for any
Seoulite
of my generation.
The second is Sohn’s earnest will and efforts to preserve his old records,
including his
notes and diaries from childhood and black and white pictures taken in his student
days
in the midst of the turmoil of various unavoidable incidents, which eventually helped
immensely in editing his book. His earlier dreams to become a composer, an actor, a
painter, a caricaturist, a photographer, and overall, a man of literature, are
noteworthy
to any reader. It seems that the author acted on the famous phrase, ``Boys, be
ambitious.
’’
The third characteristic is his candid and straightforward manner. The author neither
exaggerated the thoughts and actions of his young days, nor tried to euphemize his
earlier behavior. Unlike other biographies I have read to date, his illustration is
chiefly based on his firsthand experiences and objective observation of the
disappeared
sentiments of the Chonggye-chon people from that time. He outspokenly mentioned the
course of his life with his deceased elder sister under the guidance of his
stepmother,
and shedding tears not upon his father’s demise, but rather after the funeral, upon
seeing how his father had saved a pair of shiny shoes at his Changsa-dong residence,
his
eternal hometown. The love stories and life tragedies, I believe, would amuse any
readers, irrespective of age or circumstance.
The fourth is Sohn’s own conclusion from comparing past sites and sounds of
Chonggye-chon and its people with the dramatically altered present locations at the
end
of each chapter. Any reader should keep in mind that this is based on true local
history
so as to avoid any possible distortion in understanding the lives of ordinary people.
Gone are the beautiful, true stories and information of the tangible realms of
animating livelihoods of common people around the Chonggye-chon area to pass on to
future
descendants in the immediate years to come. In this respect, Sohn’s autobiography is
very rare and unique.
These diverse tales reflecting the lives of ordinary citizens around the Chonggye-chon
area in Seoul will remain as a behind-the-scenes look of city life during the mid-20th
century. It is my desire and wish that the vigorous 386 or even younger generation
readers of the book would have an opportunity to ponder upon these sentimental tales
reflecting the background of their ordinary senior locals, amid poverty and
underdevelopment, which built the backbone of present glory or blessings. The book
depicts a vivid description of hardship, which elder generations had to put up with in
order to eventually lead to the present-day growth and development, whether they
agree or
not. The wheel of history has been moving forward for adequate changes, and it repeats
the similar process over and over again although in different ways, no matter how much
time goes by.
** The writer is an outside director of Kukdong Oil and Chemicals in Yangsan, South
Kyongsang Province.
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