GK:2.2.1 Location and features of rural villages
Geography of Korea: II. Population and Living Space > 2. Villages and Rural Communities > 1) Location and features of rural villages
목차
1) Location and features of rural villages
The physical place where a rural settlement is situated is termed its location. A settlement’s distinguishing features will vary according to its location. Rural settlements located on wide and flat plains will for the most part exhibit agricultural features, while those situated on sea coasts largely be engaged in fishing. Meanwhile, rural settlements located in mountainous areas will have relatively varied features incorporating forestry and agricultural activities.
(1) Farming villages
As the name implies, the inhabitants of farming villages—which comprise the bulk of South Korea’s rural settlements—are dedicated primarily to agricultural work. The population of South Korea’s farming villages has dropped precipitously from historical levels, and though agriculture’s share of South Korean industry as a whole has declined, the importance of the farming village remains.
Because such factors as topography, climate, and soil conditions play such a critical role in agriculture, a farming village’s location has an intimate relation to the natural environment, especially as concerns the distribution of arable land and water supply. In Korea, the clearing of agricultural land first took place on hills along minor rivers rather than on the alluvial plains of major river basins. This avoided the dangers of flooding while maintaining easy access to water. Later, with the development of water management technology agriculture expanded to the fertile alluvial plains along major rivers.
Thus it is that so many of Korea’s farming villages are located in the hills. More specifically, at the foot of hills or mountains—though there are also cases of farming villages situated deep within carved out valleys. In Korea, such a location is the traditional setting for a rural village, following the custom of “baesan imsu,” or “mountain in the rear, water in the front.” The village is typically situated on a gentle south-facing slope where the mountain meets the plains. In this way it not only receives the full sun but the water table is also low making potable water easy to acquire while also putting the village out of danger of flooding. What’s more, such a location offers protection from the northwest monsoon winds in winter while the mountains to the rear provide a source of firewood, building materials, and a variety of foods. Along the river or stream flowing in front of the village are found banks suitable for farming. By the tenets of pung su (or feng shui in Chinese) that play such an influential role in determining the location of rural settlements, this type of location is the most ideal and termed myeongdang, or a propitious site. Even after agricultural activities were extended to the alluvial plains of large rivers, there was little change in the location of the villages themselves. Though farming could now take place on the alluvial plains, the village was still situated in the foothills at the periphery of these plains. The selection of a higher elevation for the village’s location helped protect it from the flooding of the large rivers.
Rice cultivation has long been the primary activity of most of Korea’s farming villages. The typical features of such farming villages include the wet paddies for cultivating rice and the irrigation facilities such as reservoirs and waterways that supply them with water. In order to improve operations, from the 1970s agricultural fields began to be made square and agricultural roads constructed to connect village with farmland. Within the individual village households are found storehouses for keeping the harvest and farm equipment, while a large central courtyard used for a variety of farming-related tasks and operations is another particular feature of village homes.
(2) Fishing villages
The residents of fishing villages make their primary living in fishing-related industries. As a peninsula surrounded on three sides by the sea, Korea is abundant in fishing villages. However, rather than relying entirely on fishing, many of Korea's fishing villages get their livelihoods partly from fishing and party from agriculture. Many fishing villages are situated on low rocky coasts. These rocky coasts are found not very distant from mountainous hinterland, and through long erosion by waves the bedrock has been exposed. Thus, compared to the wide sandy beaches found on sandy coasts, the water depths here are deep making the launching of fishing vessels convenient. The nearby seabed abounds in reefs, the habitat of shellfish and seabirds, while the sea itself is rich in sea life, giving such locales the ideal conditions for the development of fishing industries.
More specifically, Korea's fishing villages have developed on narrow plains at the embayment between headlands protruding out to sea. In this way the headlands act as natural breakwaters, protecting the settlement from rough waves and high winds. During extreme weather conditions such as typhoons they protect the fishing vessels, while even under normal conditions they act to keep the coastal waters tranquil. Further, many fishing villages face southwards and are situated in valleys surrounded on three sides by mountains or hills with only one side open towards the sea. The surrounding hills serve as good resources and the village’s orientation gives it ample sunlight, which is useful in the drying of fish or seaweed. In the past, many rural settlements that were situated on sandy coasts were dedicated more to agricultural activities than to fishing. Because of their sandy beaches, not a few of these villages are now popular tourist spots.
Some of the major features of fishing villages are docks and marinas for the boats, breakwaters, and a lighthouse, while in those villages that focus on tourism, one sees beaches, restaurants, inns, and parking facilities. Village dwellings are typically on slopes overlooking the village port area, while surrounding the homes can be found small-scale agricultural plots. The homes of fishing villages are relatively smaller than those of farming villages and with narrower yards. This is because most activity takes places at sea or on the coast, and so the home is only a space for rest.
(3) Mountain villages
Although Korea is seventy percent mountains, it has relatively few mountain villages. But it is difficult to distinguish mountain villages from farming villages, since there are many alpine areas where farming is still the main industry, while not many villages in alpine areas have industries based on alpine resources, such as forestry or mining. Mountain villages are found in areas with extreme variations, and even villages within a given geographical range may have very different natural conditions depending on altitude. Because of this, a given mountain village’s primary activity will vary by location.
Compared to the arable land of farming villages, that of mountain villages is on steep inclines. Add to this the adverse weather and farming conditions and poor transportation links, in the past agriculture in these areas was usually limited to subsistence farming, augmented perhaps by some cash income derived from timber production or the collection of firewood.
Major change came to these mountain villages with the country’s natural resource development starting from the 1960s. In particular, mining villages formed around the development of coal and limestone mining in the Taebaeksan mountains in the country’s eastern region. With the expansion of rail and road networks in this area for the transport of anthracite and cement industries, the region experienced a more diverse development than the typical mountainous region. The alpine region’s cool summer climate has encouraged highland agriculture and the cultivation of things like radishes and cabbage, while the creation of grasslands for the raising of such livestock as beef and dairy cattle is also on the rise. More recently, the tourism industry, taking advantage of the alpine region’s unspoilt natural environment and beautiful scenery, has experienced rapid growth. The expansion of the sports and leisure industry in mountain areas, with its ski resorts, recreational forests, and condo development, is also bringing major changes to life in the mountain villages.
The positioning of mountain villages does not differ much from that of farming villages. Because living conditions become increasingly austere as one gains altitude, at least in South Korea villages are rarely found over 1000 meters above sea level. Further, because the period of daylight is briefer in mountainous areas, directional placement is more crucial here than in the farming villages on flatter terrain and most mountain villages are oriented towards the south. The homes in mountain villages are typically situated on small plots and on sloping ground. Because the temperatures in these areas are relatively low and the winds harsh, homes are usually enclosed. The work that in a farming village is usually carried out in a home’s courtyard is, in a mountain village home, done inside the house, and in more traditional times even the livestock barn was located within the home.
