Shipyard Town Reborn

[Anchor Lead]

A town in the port city Busan that was known for its old shipyards has been reborn into an arts village. This placed called Kangkangee Arts Village is located in Yeongdo-gu District, and the shipyard site is now becoming a tourist hot spot.

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Deep facial wrinkles reflect a lifetime's worth of hardships. This massive 13 by 35 meter mural is titled "Mother of Everyone." The portrait represents women laborers who toiled at shipyards in the 1970s and '80s under the blazing sun and in freezing temperatures.

[Soundbite] Lee Seung-wuk(Artistic Director, Kangkangee Arts Village) : "The women actually worked with hammers to repair the ships' rusty surfaces. They were known as 'Kangkangee aunties.' The mural is based on their motif."

The Daepyeong-dong area in Busan's Yeongdo-gu district is home to eight shipyards and some 200 plants manufacturing vessel parts. Called the Kangkangee village, the whole town had lost its vitality as the shipbuilding sector went downhill. But artists from home and abroad came to the rescue and completely transformed the town into a new cultural space.

[Soundbite] Kim Dong-jin(Daepyeong-dong Resident for 38 years) : "Our town is a bit dull and drab. It's fantastic for us locals to have artworks and paintings."

The once deserted town began to draw tourists. There are plans to open a museum showcasing the sounds of the town such as those coming from the dockyards, factories, restaurants and senior centers.

[Soundbite] Song Gyo-seong(Secretary-general, Kangkangee Arts Village) : "We aim to create a travel destination where visitors can learn Busan's history and its industrial side as a port city."

A historical site, once fading from memory, has been reinjected with vitality in its makeover into a tourist landmark.