아득한 하늘 아래 밥상 [이종건의 함께 먹고 삽시다]

The scorching summer sun beat down relentlessly on the residents of T'ongbuk-dong in Pohang, a city struggling with the climate crisis. The residents, already facing hardships, were forced to endure extreme heat, reaching temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius. As the heatwave continued, the atmosphere in the community grew tense.

On July 27th, 35 stories up on a tower crane, the chairman of the T'ongbuk-dong Demolition Campaign Committee, Mr. Jeong, had been enduring the oppressive heat for months. His office was in a building called "The Platinum Skyhaven," a complex under construction at 45 stories high. Despite the lack of electricity, the chairman had been living in a tent on the construction site for the past 15 years, unable to receive any compensation for the loss of his auto repair shop and equipment.

The chairman had been protesting the forced eviction, but the local government and the city administration remained silent. Desperate, the chairman decided to climb the tower crane late at night. When he reached the height of 100 meters, he could only be seen through a blurred image in a hand-held video. The residents, exhausted from their daily struggle, gathered around the makeshift kitchen in the construction site.

The kitchen, improvised with makeshift pots and pans, was serving traditional meals, providing much-needed nourishment to the residents. The chairman, who had been unable to taste anything flavorful, was grateful for the simple meal. The residents continued to raise their voices, hoping the sound would reach the ears of those in higher positions. They pleaded for help, having spent four years on the tower crane and enduring the injustice.

Now, in 2026, with the city's tolerance for the situation, it is unacceptable that the residents must climb to such heights to seek help. The city should take immediate action to listen to the voices of the displaced residents. Let the people of the city look up at the vast sky and remember the human beings living below.