Two Zainichi Korean grandmothers from Kawasaki, Japan, traveled to Bucheon for a documentary screening.
A special screening of the documentary 'Arirang Rhapsody' took place on October 17 at 2 p.m. at Bucheon City Hall's Fantastic Cube. This event commemorated the 30th anniversary of the friendship agreement between Bucheon and Kawasaki, organized by the 'Arirang Rhapsody' Bucheon Special Screening Executive Committee and the Bucheon-Kawasaki Citizen Exchange Association. After the screening, the grandmothers featured in the film, along with Tomohito Miura, director of Kawasaki's Fureai-kan, took the stage to engage with the audience.
Seok Il-bun, who is 95 years old, was born in 1931 in Isahaya, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. After World War II, she attempted to return to the Korean Peninsula but was unable to do so. She has lived in Kawasaki for 40 years, moving around Japan for marriage and work. Son Yeon-soon, 85, was born in 1941 in Jangheung County, Jeollanam-do, and moved to Japan after marrying at the age of 39. Both women learned to read and write at the Fureai-kan in Kawasaki's Sakuramoto district.
The film portrays the lives of Zainichi Korean grandmothers living in Kawasaki. The Fureai-kan, which opened in 1988, serves as a literacy classroom and a space for intergenerational exchange called 'Our Yard,' as well as a gathering for seniors known as 'Doraji Meeting.' The grandmothers in the film learn to read and write in their later years, create art, and advocate for a world free from war and discrimination. They also visit Okinawa to meet with other grandmothers who experienced the same war.
Director Kim Seong-woong, a second-generation Zainichi Korean born in 1963 in Osaka's Tsuruhashi, has continued to document the stories of these grandmothers since releasing 'Flower Grandmothers' in 2004. The film was produced in Japan in 2023 and premiered internationally at the Jeonju International Film Festival the following year. Although he could not attend the event, Kim expressed, "We, who live in Japan, remain captivated by Korean culture through films, dramas, music, and food. However, it feels as though the existence and history of Zainichi Koreans are completely overlooked."
Bucheon Mayor Jo Yong-ik also attended the screening to greet the grandmothers before leaving.
The screening was held for free in a 70-seat theater. Bucheon and Kawasaki established their friendship agreement on October 21, 1996, and a delegation from Kawasaki visited Bucheon in July to celebrate the 30th anniversary.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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