Bappeo Facing Forced Eviction Threat... "Who Is Responsible for the Hunger of the Homeless?"

Dongdaemun-gu Office Imposes Approximately 300 Million Won Penalty on Bappero
Homeless People Facing Eviction Fearfully Ask "Where Should We Go?"
Gu Office States "Difficult to Coordinate Opinions Between Bappero and Residents"
Pastor Choi Il-do Urges "Dongdaemun-gu Mayor Must Engage in Dialogue"

Around 11 a.m. on the 27th, approximately 400 homeless people are entering the Bapppun Sharing Movement Headquarters located in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, to have a warm meal. / Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

At around 11 a.m. on the 27th, in an empty lot located in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, about 400 homeless people and elderly living alone stood in an orderly manner despite the cold weather. They entered a building and received food on trays. The lunch menu that day consisted of steaming seaweed soup, kimchi, spinach, and braised tofu. After finishing their meals and leaving the building, volunteers handed walnut cookies to the elderly. Thanks to the walnut cookies, the pockets of the elderly bulged.

This place is the Dail Welfare Foundation's Bap-Peo Sharing Movement Headquarters, which is facing forced demolition. Some homeless people, upon hearing the demolition news, wandered around the headquarters with worried expressions. Kim Taek-yong (80), an elderly man living alone who said he walked about 20 minutes from Dapsimni, stated, "The reason elderly living alone and homeless people have not starved even in the harsh winter is thanks to the Bap-Peo Sharing Movement Headquarters. If this place disappears too, we poor people do not know where we should go."

On the 28th, the Dail Welfare Foundation announced that it had submitted a statement of opinion regarding the enforcement penalty to Dongdaemun-gu Office the day before. In the statement, the foundation pointed out that the district office, which was the subject of the unauthorized extension, shifted responsibility elsewhere. They argued that the public order extension directive issued publicly by former Dongdaemun-gu Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol and the tacit approval by district office officials also constitute administrative acts, so the district office should bear responsibility for the extension. The district office judged that the foundation had illegally extended the Bap-Peo building and imposed an enforcement penalty of about 283 million won on the 12th, requesting the submission of an opinion statement.

The district office issued building correction orders twice for the Bap-Peo building on October 4 and last month on the 15th, showing its intention for forced demolition. It is known that the enforcement penalty was chosen because the district office could not immediately demolish the Bap-Peo building, which is responsible for feeding the homeless. According to the district office’s plan, the foundation must pay the enforcement penalty by January 11 next year.

Unfair Dail Welfare Foundation... "Who Will Solve the Hunger of the Homeless?"

Around 400 homeless people lined up for meal distribution at around 11 a.m. on the 27th. The building where the meals are distributed is involved in conflicts and does not even have windows installed.
Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

The foundation claims it is unfair. They argue that the building was provided by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, but the district office is taking away the space just because the mayor changed. Since 1998, the foundation has been distributing meals to homeless people on the streets, and in 2002, the Seoul Metropolitan Government built a temporary structure allowing indoor meal distribution. In 2009, the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Urban Infrastructure Headquarters demolished the existing building on city-owned land and constructed a new building during sewer pipeline construction. Last year, former Dongdaemun-gu Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol proposed an extension and began building a new structure next to the headquarters. This building became embroiled in conflict with the inauguration of Dongdaemun-gu Mayor Lee Pil-hyung this year. The Bap-Peo building was classified as an illegal structure and targeted for demolition. The building under extension has not even had windows installed yet due to the foundation’s involvement in the conflict.

Pastor Choi Il-do, chairman of the foundation, pointed out, "While other Bap-Peo centers have closed, the Dail Welfare Foundation has consistently operated. At times, up to 1,000 homeless people gather here. If we are demolished, it is questionable who will solve their hunger."

"Even if the Homeless Are Hidden... The Dark Side of Society Does Not Disappear"

The district office lamented that it is difficult to coordinate opinions between the foundation and residents of the mixed-use residential-commercial building near the Bap-Peo building. A district office official explained, "From July 12 last year to this month, there have been about 1,300 complaints related to Bap-Peo. Since this only counts written complaints, the number including phone calls and visits is countless." The official added, "As the mixed-use building was built in Cheongnyangni, the number of residents increased, but conflicts arose as the foundation expanded the building. Coordination has been difficult."

Pastor Choi Hong, secretary-general of the foundation, emphasized, "Due to local selfishness, the Bap-Peo for the homeless is at risk of disappearing. This mayor does not mediate social conflicts and tries to hide the homeless from public view. But does hiding them make the dark side of society disappear? It does not."

The foundation plans to file criminal charges against the mayor and related officials if he does not engage in dialogue by January 10 next year. Pastor Choi Il-do said, "We have already requested meetings with the mayor four times but were rejected. We urge him to come to the table now. Many people want to protect Bap-Peo. We will gather their voices and deliver protests to the district office."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.