Cheonggyecheon history and culture entry
seoul cheonggyecheon
Buddle Bridge-Jeon Tae-il Bridge
Buddle Bridge-Jeon Tae-il Bridge in cheonggyecheon in Buddle Bridge - Jeon Tae-il Bridge Buddle Brige was newly built in 2005. ‘Buddle’ means willow in Kor
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Description
Buddle Bridge - Jeon Tae-il Bridge Buddle Brige was newly built in 2005. ‘Buddle’ means willow in Korean, and it was derived from the willow tree growing near the Cheonggyecheon Stream. Its name changed to Jeon Tae-il Bridge on November 13th, 2010, the 40th anniversary of Jeon Tae-il(1948-1970)’s suicide by fire. Jeon Tae-il was a laborer at the Pyeonghwa Market who notified the poor lives of Korean workers to the world through death. Jeon Tae-il Jeon Tae-il, who was 17 years old in 1965, experienced the poor working condition and unfair treatment while working as a worker in a clothing factory of the Pyeonghwa Market. He worked for more than 14 hours a day in a factory that was crammed with dusts, but received a wage that was below the minimum cost of living. Tailors like Jeon Tae-il had a fixed monthly salary of 3,000 won to 3,500 won, but young girls who were elementary assistants received 70 won per day. At that time, the price of a cup of coffee was 30 won; this tells the severity of labor exploitation. Jeon Tae-il, who was unable to ignore the reality of laborers being fired unduly without compensation when they got sick due to the poor working condition, started a labor movement. He presented a petition to the Ministry of Labor and informed the survey results about the actual condition at the workplace to the government and media, asking for improvement, but there was no one who listened to the voice of a laborer. On November 13th, 1970, when a labor organization was forcefully dispersed by the police, Jeon Tae-il shouted, "Obey the Labor Standards Act, we are not machines." And burned himself to death. As this incident became widespread, the media featured articles that dealt with labor issues, and the civil society, including religious circles and university students, took a profound interest in the labor movement. His death was the trigger that brought social problems about the workers who were victimized during the government's industrialization process into focus. Also, the Cheonggye Welfare Department of National Labor Union was formed in the Pyeonghwa Market, which improved the working conditions of the laborers. There is a statue of Jeon Tae-il in the middle of the bridge. It is called 'Jeon Tae-il, the beautiful young man'.
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Source
Korea Tourism Organization and Visit Seoul.