A watchtower overlooks Mangdae Village in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province.Courtesy of Jack Greenberg By Jack Greenberg Earlier this summer, I rode the Gyeongchun Line out to Chuncheon, the capital of Gangwon Province. The purpose of my trip was not to eat "dakgalbi" (Korean grilled chicken) or to follow in the footsteps of the characters from "Winter Sonata" (2002) but rather to explore the city's architecture and search for traces of local history.
After several hours of walking without any particular itinerary, I reached the beautiful cathedral of the Missionary Society of St. Columban in Jungnim-dong, which I had first visited last September. The church sits atop a hill and as I climbed, I happened to notice a low-rise neighborhood on the opposite side of the road.
Rising above the old roofs was an unusual sight — a square, white tower. Curiosity aroused, I had to go across for a closer look. This neighborhood, which is within the boundaries of Yaksamyeong-dong, is informally called Mangdae (Watchtower) Village for the obvious fact of the tall structure's presence.
The community's origins can be traced to the 1950s when people displaced by the 1950-53 Korean War decided to settle on the hilly, sloping terrain. To get up close, I first located a narrow set of stairs. They would have been easy to miss if it wasn't for the watchtower-shaped informational sign.
After a few twists and turns, I reached the watchtower's base. However, from here I was too close to see it properly du.