[Site Translation]What happened in Ohyun-Ri Last Night ?

* It is the arbitrary translation of the below original link. It is the latest news on Ohyun-ri where the villagers have been struggling against the expansion of the Mugeon-ri Military Training Field.

Original link: Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea
2010년 4월 14일
굳게 잠긴 쇠사슬 그리고 철조망...
April 14, 2010
Hard- Locked Iron Chain and Wire Fence...

주민들의 땀과 추억이 깃든 학교에 사슬이 채워지고, 철조망이 세워졌습니다. 어제(4월 12일) 오전, 주민들이 없는 틈을 타 도둑고양이처럼 들어온 국방부는 수십년 전 주민들의 손으로 지어지고 아직도 우리들에게는 소중한 공간인 직천초등학교에 문마다 사슬을 채우고 철조망을 세우고 경고딱지를 붙였습니다.

In the school where the villagers’ sweats and memories have been dwelled, the chains have been done and wire-fences have been set up. In the morning of yesterday (April 12), while the villagers were not there, the Ministry of the National Defense who entered the site like the thief cat, chained every door, set up the wire-fences and posted the warning sign in the Jikcheon elementary school that had been built by the villagers decades ago and that is still precious space for us.

사슬로 채워지고 굵은 자물통이 달린 학교의 문

The school door that was chained with a thick lock

'Warning:
If you infiltrate this site without permission or do harm, you will be punished by the article 23,

the law of the protection of the military facilities (Jail for more than three years)
6378th Army Vice-Commander'

학교의 모든 문과 창문이 각목으로 막히고 경고장이 붙었습니다.
All the doors and windows in school were blocked by the square wooden sticks and
posted by the warning signs.




학교의 대형유리 안쪽에는 군용 철조망이 세워졌습니다.
Inside the big glass windows of the school, military wire fences were set up.



한때, 많은이들이 도자기를 굽던 학교 뒷편의 화로터가 폐허가 되었습니다.
The charcoal burner site in the backyard of the school, where many people have
once roasted the potteries have become the ruin.

1982년 무건리 훈련장 건설이 본격화 되던 시점 국방부는 직천리에 있던 학교를 폐쇄하였습니다. 당시 주민들은 마을이 없어져도 아이들만은 배우게 해야한다는 생각에 몇날 며칠을 경운기로 책상등 집기를 나르고 흙을 퍼날라 지금의 직천초등학교를 만들었습니다.

In 1982, when the construction of the Mugeon-ri military training site became active, the Ministry of the National Defense, closed the school in Jikcheon-ri. At the time, the villagers, thinking that, even though the village would become disappeared, they should let their children to learn, had made the Jikcheon elementary school, carrying the appliances such as the desks and earth with their cultivators for many days.

비록 법적 소유권은 교육청의 것이었지만 학교는 주민 모두의 것이었습니다. 1994년 학생이 없어 폐교가 된 뒤에도 매년 광복절이 되면 마을 주민들은 물론 타지에 살던 사람들도 모두 모여 한바탕 운동회를 벌이고 텁텁한 막걸리 잔을 나누던 곳도 바로 이 학교였습니다. 그런 학교의 소유권은 올 초 몇푼의 돈에 팔려 국방부로 넘어갔습니다.

Even though the legal ownership right of the school belonged to the Government Education Hall, the school was for all the villagers. Even after the school became closed because no more students were available in 1994, it was this school where, not to mention the villagers but also the people in the other areas, would gather to hold the sports meeting and share the bowls of thick taste of the fermented rice alcohols, after it.

하지만 학교는 아직도 주민들의 것입니다. 600일이 넘도록 고향을 지키고자 하는 주민들의 염원을 담는 촛불이 밝혀지는 곳이기 때문입니다.

The ownership of the school became to be in the hands of the Ministry of the national Defense, sold with the pennies, by the Ministry of the National Defense, early this year. However, the school is still for the villagers. The reason is because it is the place where the candle lights that were filled with the wishes of the villagers who hoped to keep their hometown for more than 600days.

이런 직천초등학교를 막아 버린 국방부의 의도는 너무나도 명확합니다. 주민들의 투쟁의 공간인 촛불행사장을 없애려는 것이지요. 아마도 그들은 이 공간을 없애면 자신들의 의도대로 오현리 주민들을 모두 쫒아낼 수 있을거라 믿는 것 같습니다.

The intention of the Ministry of the National Defense, to block this Jikcheon elementary school is so clear. They are attempting to the candle light event site that has been the space of the villagers’ struggle. It seems that they are believing that they could expel all the Oh-Hyun-Ri villagers if they remove this space, according to their intention.

하지만 그들이 알아야 할 것이 있습니다. 오현리 주민들의 촛불은 학교에만 있는 것이 아니라 주민들의 마음속에 그리고 무건리 훈련장 확장을 반대하는 모든이들의 가슴속에 있다는 것을...

However, there is the thing they should know. The candle lights of the Ohyun-ri villagers are not only in school, but also in the chests of all the people who are against the expansion of the Mugeon-ri Milityray Training Field…

학교를 막아도 우리의 촛불은 여전히 타오를 것입니다. 촛불행사장을 허물어도 촛불은 계속 타오를 것입니다.
그들이 우리의 마음마저 허물지는 못할 것이기 때문입니다.

Even though they block the school, our candles will still burn. Even though they destroy the candle event site, the candle will still burn.
The reason is because they cannot destroy our hearts, as well.



올린이:오현지킴이 An Ohyunri keeper