From the Facebook group "Save Mr Ham Tae-sik":
Mr Ham Tae-shik, the venerable shelter keeper of Piagol in Mount Jiri, South Korea, has been living in the mountain for over 40 years. He was monumental in convincing the Korean government of the late 1960s to establish a national parks program in Korea, and he opened Korea's first mountain shelter in 1970.
Despite Mr Ham's significant role in the history of Korean national parks and continued service to the well-being of his nation, the Korean National Parks Service, after several years of pressuring Mr Ham, are evicting him from his mountain shelter home.
Mr Ham, who is nearly 81 years old, had been living in the mountains for nearly 20 years by the time the Korean National Parks Service was established.
The Facebook group directs you to sign a petition to allow Ham to stay.
Please sign our petition to save Mr Ham and his home. Help send the message to the KNPS that given his past and continued service, Mr Ham deserves to stay in the mountains and continue to live the life that he loves: in service of the mountains and the mountaineers that visit them.
More from the thread on Dave's ESL Cafe:
Thats quite terrible. I know Mr Ham. I've shared many a cup of tea and bowl of Ramien with him over the years. He is one of the kindest most gentle, wisest people I have ever met.
For those who don't him. He has been living on the mountain for 40+ years not because he is some nut. But because he loves Chri-san more than anything elese in the world. Without him is is unlikely the K govt would have made Chri-san a national park.
One of the true pleasures of hiking on Chri-san is the chance to run into Mr Ham and chatting for a few minutes. It'll be sad if the Govt can pull off this eviction.
5 comments:
KNPS needs to follow the example of the USPS, which permitted a few longtime residents of Shenandoah National Park to remain there after until their deaths.
I've never met him but I have visited Jirisan many times. I hope he can stay.
Is he being evicted to protect him from the bears?
I must have met Mr Ham about 10 years ago. He was a delight to spend time with and we had a great time talking about the Korean monks he's known.
Does anyone have a copy of the book they would be willing to part with? I'd love to read it, but it looks like it's been out of print for a while.
I'd like update everyone on Mr Ham's situation.
Mr Ham was evicted last March. He still lives in Piagol, however, in a house that has been provided him by the KNPS. This house is technically in park grounds, but is not in the afforested trails like his previous shelter, nor near any of the peaks, like his first shelter in Nogodan.
The KNPS has employed Mr Ham as a trail advisor and he has a little detached office just beyond the Piagol park gate. If anyone is in the area, you may stop by Mr Ham's office to say hello or ask for trail information. Mr Ham's house is not marked in anyway that would indicate that's where he lives; however, if you do discover where he lives, please respect his privacy and do not visit him at his home. Some people have begun doing that, thinking that he still lives in some sort of publically accessible shelter.
Mr Ham is doing well. He's healthy, likes his new house, and is content. He's grateful that he is at least still in Jirisan.
For information regarding myself: I'm the founder and president of the Korean Mountain Preservation League, an environmental NGO aiming to protect the montane ecology of Korea. I met Mr Ham three years ago and have since formed a strong friendship and a relationship of mentor/student. I visit him several times a year, nine times last year, and three already this year. I've written articles about Mr Ham and have been given exclusive rights by Mr Ham and his pubisher to translate and publish his book into English. I'm currently assisting Mr Ham and the main group of activists in protesting against the KNPS's plans to build cable cars in Jirisan.
Finally, a thanks to this blog for posting the KMPL's petition to try and save Mr Ham and to those who signed it. Although it didn't ultimately work, we believe it was helpful in providing Mr Ham with a better outcome in the eviction. His current situation is better than what was feared: he'd have to move to Incheon without any sort of compensation. I hope the update is helpful anyone curious.
- Shawn James Morrissey
Thanks for the update, Shawn.
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