Family Environmental History
July 6, 2026 By: David Kim
While I have been a lifelong Vancouverite, my parents and grandparents hailed from the region of Gangnam, the southern part of the larger metropolitan city of Seoul. The name Gangnam, directly translated, means south of the river and is positioned at one of the most prominent rivers in South Korea, the Han River. Gangnam is now considered the central hub of education and industry, and is home to Korean international corporations such as Hyundai Motors and GS Caltex. Despite its current prominence, Gangnam was not always a glamorous district. Before the massive infrastructure development under the presidency of Park Chung Hee during the 1960s, Gangnam was mostly farmland, with a focus on mulberry and rice production. Gangbuk, the direct translation being north of the river, was actually the focus of major infrastructure development, but President Park eventually shifted his focus to developing Gangnam, as the Han River acted as a natural fortress in case of a North Korea invasion. This led to the hyperdevelopment of Gangnam with many government official buildings, such as the Supreme Court and the Public Prosecution offices.
The Han River had other uses as well. Its large body of water provided easy access to water, allowing for farming to be successful, but also home to many wild animals such as boars. The Bukhansan Mountain, one of the most well-known national parks and mountains in South Korea, has an extensive ecological history. Home to animals such as water deer, chipmunks and squirrels, the Bukhansan Mountain was one of the major hunting grounds that was exclusively used by the Royal Family during the Joseon Dynasty. It also served as a suitable location to build fortresses, as its natural environment helped defend against any invaders. To honour the historical and ecological significance of Bukhansan Mountain, the Korean government turned it into a national park in 1983.
Environmental concerns regarding Gangnam and South Korea as a whole have started picking up traction in the 21st century, with many young and old citizens of Korea demanding stricter regulations and policies. Many protestors vehemently opposed the construction of further nuclear plants and other environmentally-destructive infrastructure, with many of the protests happening in Gangnam. Temperatures in Korea have started rising every year since 2000 and have slowly risen by 0.23 degrees Celsius, causing further concerns regarding Korea’s emissions and green policies. This shift to prioritize nature takes a drastic shift from how previous generations thought about nature, and as development seems to have peaked in Korea, citizens now prefer to protect the rich ecology that is present in Korea.
My grandparents and my parents lived through a tumultuous time in Korea. Following the Korean War and the destruction it created throughout South Korea, conservation took a back seat to reconstruction and modernization. My parents and grandparents were very much following in the modernization movement of President Park, starting in the 1960s, and this led to my predecessors not prioritizing ecological protection, but rather economic success. Most of my older family members find the concept of ecological protection laughable and often ridicule many environmental protection legislations that are passed. This leads them to think in similar ways to how the Americans viewed the South, as natural resources became a means of wealth and potential rather than conservation.
Throughout this course, exploitation of the environment has devastating impacts and is often caused by humans chasing economic prosperity. While my predecessors may share the same view as early colonizers of North America, I wish to think differently. However, it is easy to share this sentiment, as I did not go through the economic disaster my parents and grandparents lived through. Speaking with my father before completing this assignment, he would tell me stories of how his classmates considered families that had instant ramen in their pantries as wealthy. My father continued by stating it was often hard to find meat in stores, and many of his old classmates were malnourished and finding a job became difficult, even for the most highly educated. While it is easy to point fingers and lament previous generations for major urbanization projects that took place in Gangnam and all across Korea, which undoubtedly led to ecological destruction, it is difficult for me to chastise them, as I did not live through the wartorn and economically shattered nation of mid-20th century Korea.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangbuk_District
https://peakvisor.com/park/bukhansan-national-park.html
https://sah.org/2023/01/24/the-continuous-reinvention-of-seoul/
https://earth.org/tens-of-thousands-in-seoul-protest-government-climate-inaction/