February 21, 2010 Junking!!!!!!

Soon after I arrived in Korea, a friend told me about Junking.  As I mentioned in a prior post, there is a problem with people littering, dumping their trash on the side of the road and using empty lots to dispose of trash and household items.

There is a large empty lot at the intersection of two major roads between Anjeung-ri and Pyeongtaek.  Local Korean people were dumping their trash and unwanted household goods on the lot.  Americans spotted some nice furniture amongst the trash and rescued the furniture.  Thus began Junking.  The Americans would periodically check the lot and other places for some treasures.  Eventually, people noticed what the Americans were doing and stopped dumping in the lot.  The former best Junking area was now empty of junk and remained so.  I kept begging my friends to take me junking in other places, but it never came to pass.

On February 21, Michael and I finally went Junking.  While we were on our long walk, we spied a lacquered cabinet on the sidewalk, piled up with some trash.  We decided that we would return for it after we finished our walk.  Below is a picture of our find.  It is inlaid with mother of pearl and is about the size of a Lane chest, the kind people might put at the foot of their bed to store blankets.  It needs a little touch up, but none of the inlaid mother of pearl is missing!