Haebangchon’s jar street ends after land fee dispute
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Yoon Yoo-jin, owner of Hanshin Onggi pottery shop in Haebangchon, South Korea, removed a decades-old display of traditional Korean earthenware pots this week.
The shop had lined a wall near a US military base with the pots, known as onggi, since 1982 to attract customers. Government authorities requested five years of back fees for the land used by the display, prompting Yoon to dismantle the arrangement.
Hanshin Onggi opened in 1967 and became a local landmark under the guidance of founder Shin Yeon-geun. After her husband died in 1982, Shin began displaying the onggi along the wall to increase visibility for her business while raising her six children. Yoon described the display as a beloved part of Haebangchon, attracting both longtime residents and visitors who appreciated the unique streetscape. The Yongsan-gu district office stated they were unaware of the issue when contacted by The Korea Herald.
Yoon took over the shop after Shin Yeon-geun died in December 2024 and made the decision to remove the display due to the financial demands.
