About

A 'Daldongne' (Moon Village) is a slum formed along the foothills of mountains. The name is closely related to the terrain where these villages are located. Daldongne is a Korean term referring to a type of slum or shantytown, also called a 'panjachon' (board village). The formation of these villages is tied to the chaos of early modern Korea, unplanned urban development, gentrification, and the rural-to-urban migration phenomenon. In popular usage, it is synonymous with a 'poor, impoverished, and small-scale neighborhood.' In reality, they consist of old houses that look like they might collapse at any moment, winding, dirty, and cramped alleys, and unpaved, bumpy roads. With few streetlights, the area becomes dim as soon as evening falls, illuminated only by sparse yellow or orange streetlamps. Occasionally, boilers or gas services are cut off. 'Daldongne' refers to urban slums or hillside villages in Korea, signifying underdeveloped and poor areas. Usually, houses are packed tightly on narrow, steep hills, and life is depicted through the joys and sorrows of marginalized commoners due to a lack of infrastructure. These settings are frequently used in literature, film, and drama as symbols of the hardships of the urban poor and the sentiment of community. This background serves as a symbolic space showing a facet of modern Korean history and urban development. Simply put, a Daldongne means a shabby and marginalized residential area for commoners around hillside villages, a space containing the difficult but warm lives of the people there. Unless the local or central government carries out redevelopment or reconstruction, these villages do not naturally disappear. When the government announces redevelopment, tenants and original residents are likely to be kicked out onto the street with only a pittance in compensation, leading to protests asking where they should go, which often delays or cancels the plans. Daldongne are built on slopes where it is difficult for people or cars to pass. The reason they exist in such places is simply because the land is cheap. In Korea's case, during the industrialization of the 1960s and 70s, unplanned development led to flat land being used for apartments, industrial complexes, and commercial buildings, making land prices expensive and unaffordable for anyone but the wealthy. Poor commoners, unable to level the mountains, built houses by roughly preparing sites on the hillsides, leading to the formation of these neighborhoods. Generally, as one goes toward the peak, transportation accessibility weakens, and land prices naturally drop. Characteristics of Daldongne houses include being narrow and tightly packed, located on steep hills or mountainsides, made of cheap materials like wood, planks, and blocks, with flimsy walls or roofs and a lack of insulation or sanitation facilities. The houses are small, usually 1-2 stories, and the alleys or stairs are narrow and complexly intertwined. Basic infrastructure like electricity and water is often outdated. A representative feature is a commoner's residence made by utilizing space to the maximum in a poor and underdeveloped environment, often featuring 'yellow linoleum' (noran-jangpan) flooring. Daldongne refers to poor residential areas formed on mountainsides or hills on the outskirts of the city. Houses are packed together on narrow land, and most materials or facilities are outdated. Houses are often flimsily built with wooden planks, blocks, and slate roofs, making life uncomfortable due to a lack of basic infrastructure like insulation, sanitation, electricity, and water. Alleys and stairs are narrow and complexly intertwined, making movement difficult, and the environment is vulnerable to rain or snow. Because many people gathered here out of economic necessity, there is often a strong sense of community. Daldongne frequently appears as a place symbolizing the lives, sorrows, and hardships of commoners marginalized during Korea's modern urban development process. At the same time, it is a space where the warmth of neighbors and a sense of solidarity can be felt, serving as a subject for culture, literature, and art. In summary, a Daldongne can be described as a habitat for the urban poor who live relying on each other despite the underdeveloped environment. Image will be replaced if there is an issue.