The Ecological Value of Ui-ryeong and the 'Masil Ecological Table'

[Hankook Ilbo · Opening the Morning · January 4, 2024]

Yun Suk-myung, Research Fellow Emeritus at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA) and former President of the Korean Pension Association

Having studied the field of pensions with a background in economics, my primary interests are sustainability, intergenerational equity, and consideration for future generations. When I look at our society, where populism runs rampant while reform is sidelined despite the system being proven no longer sustainable, I find myself writing pieces with depressing conclusions.

As this is my first Column of the new year, I wanted to cover something hopeful, which brought back memories of visiting national parks. This is because the operational methods of the Bukhansan Ui-ryeong Trail and the Byeonsan Peninsula Ecological Exploration Center—both part of a program for the advisory committee of the Korea National Park Service's standing auditor—were impressive. According to a Bukhansan nature environment guide, the Ui-ryeong Trail, which means "cow's ear pass" because it stretches long like a cow's ear, was the motif for the song "Bawi Gogae." It also has a painful history. It was a refugee route during the Korean War, and access was restricted for a long time following an infiltration incident by North Korean armed commandos.

There are times when inconvenience is a virtue, and it is said that ecological preservation has been well-maintained here. However, the authorities are reportedly plagued by complaints from local governments wanting to expand this dirt path and even pave it with asphalt to allow vehicle traffic. In an era of climate crisis, national parks, including the Ui-ryeong Trail, serve as refuges and shelters for endangered species pushed out by development pressure. It seems we need a social consensus on the necessity of preserving elements that are difficult to convert into economic value.

At the Byeonsan Peninsula Ecological Exploration Center in the national park, I experienced the "Masil Ecological Table." Named after the National Park Masil Trail and the Ecological Exploration Center, the Masil Ecological Table is a restaurant operated by eleven local older people aged 60 and over for visitors and employees. It provides visitors with local food made from regional ingredients and provides jobs for older people aged 60 and over. They also deliver lunchboxes to home-bound older households with mobility issues.

The Masil Table is a unique win-win model born from the collaboration of the Korea National Park Service, Buan County, the Korean Senior Citizens Association, and the Korea Labor Force Development Institute for the Elderly. It is a social cooperative and an older-person-friendly enterprise established through the cooperation of these four public and private entities to provide jobs for older people.

The Service provides the restaurant operating space for employees to the Masil Table free of charge. Buan County designated it as a "Certified Local Food Establishment." The Buan County branch of the Korean Senior Citizens Association supported the authorization of the older-person-friendly enterprise and social cooperative. The Korea Labor Force Development Institute for the Elderly selected it as an older-person-friendly enterprise and provides startup support funds and labor costs. The Masil Table is said to be the first model linking a public institution with an older-person-friendly enterprise.

When I showed interest during the meal, a staff member quietly told me that it was the idea of Lee Seung-ho, former director of the Byeonsan Peninsula Ecological Exploration Center (currently head of the Regional Cooperation Department at the Service). He reportedly conceived this project while working at the Dadohaehaesang National Park. It is said to be a business model he wanted to try while creating the first luxury villages of national parks, such as Gwanmaedo and Yeongsando in Dadohae.

I looked at the profits and losses of the outsourced cafeteria operators at national park ecological exploration centers before the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 2019, all nine cafeterias, including Bukhansan, were in deficit. The situation worsened as cheap meals were provided to reduce costs. This is because the decline in quality led to a decrease in users. It is impossible to know immediately whether the Masil Ecological Table, where the heartfelt touch of the grandmothers could be felt, will settle successfully. Nevertheless, many positive aspects can be seen. The Korea National Park Service is also reportedly considering expanding the Masil Table to other regions.

In this win-win model that started in Buan, I saw hope that solutions for ultra-low birth rates, rapid population aging, and ruinous populism can be found depending on effort and will. My desire for this hope not to disappear is even more earnest as the new year begins.

Source: Hankook Ilbo (original article)