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| Two dogs snuggle each other inside Boksuni's Shelter in Incheon. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar |
By Jon Dunbar
Urban renewal often leads to an increase in animal abandonment, but an ongoing development project in Incheon, west of Seoul, could lead to an animal welfare crisis.
Demolition is proceeding in the Jeondogwan (Missionary) Redevelopment Zone, located next to Dowon Station on Seoul Metro Line 1. The aging neighborhood, built all over a small hill, is said to be the city's last remaining "moon village," a refugee settlement established decades ago. Most of the remaining houses do not have gas pipes, and heating is still provided in the winter by charcoal briquettes. At the top of the hill sits a majestic, lime-green church building constructed in 1956-57 by Park Tae-son, founder of the Olive Tree new religious movement. That same building, after sitting abandoned since 2005, has since become a safe space for hundreds of dogs, but with eviction looming, the remaining dogs have nowhere left to go.
"Boksuni's Shelter" was established in the building in 2016 by Yeon Tae-seong, a long-term local resident. It's a private dog shelter, operated based on donations and volunteer workers. Many of the dogs are rescued from kill shelters in the city, while some have been saved from dog meat farms and still others are abandoned pets. Currently about 90 dogs remain, nearly all of which are large breeds, unpopular in Korea and unlikely to be adopted. Most live in cages located within the building and on its grounds, with a few dogs allowed to wander around freely on the property. Some have been sent overseas for adoption, but it's a costly procedure, requiring at least 700,000 won per dog, according to one volunteer present on April 10.
This volunteer, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed to have rescued 17 dogs in total, six of which have being staying in the shelter and four of which are still there. According to the volunteer, about 70 to 80 volunteers visit the animal shelter each week, representing about 10 different groups and communities, including six nonprofit organizations, three civic groups engaged in rescuing dogs and about eight individuals who rescue dogs and house them there.
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| Boksuni's Shelter is set up inside an old derelict building in Incheon. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar |
In an interview with the Hankook Ilbo last month, Yeon expressed the impossibility of relocation due to the operation being largely based on volunteer support.
Yeon has been taken to court by the redevelopment committee, which claimed his animal shelter is now occupying the building without permission.
With nowhere to go and facing the possibility of mounting legal costs, Yeon and the volunteers are desperate for a solution.
"I think this is something the public should take charge of, but it's a pity that a good-hearted person has to pay a fine," said Min Woon-gi, the head of Incheon Culture Brewery, a community center and arts platform in nearby Baedari area.
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