Why we love Myeongdong

By Atty. Eduardo T. Reyes III 

Myeongdong is a bustling commercial district in Seoul, Korea, teeming with both local peddlers and tourists especially at night. It is the mecca of cosmetics or beauty products, shops for leading brands, and street food. It is described as a place “to see and be seen.” True to its name, “Myeongdong” means “bright town” in English.

Historically, Myeongdong used to be a humble residential area during the Joseon Dynasty (around the 14^th Century) until 1910 when Japan annexed Korea. Reeling from the Japanese Occupation, instead of its economy plummeting, Myeongdong rose to prominence by being the center of trade- especially of beauty products.

Mindful of the pricey hotels, shopping items and food in Myeongdong, my siblings and I never planned to meet there for our reunion. But given that my two nieces are K-Pop fanatics, we ended up booking flights to Incheon, Seoul, Korea, and being billeted in, SkyPark Hotel 3 right at the heart of Myeongdong.

A quick walk from the hotel on the brick-lined streets leads to the night market and endless shops of beauty products. The July rain does not scare away both the market vendors and tourists. Amazingly, credit cards are accepted for any purchase from the movable kiosks.

I was first introduced to gyeran bbang (fried egg cake/muffin) which is nothing but delicious. The egg yolk sits atop the muffin as if it belongs there to start with. Then there’s an array of skewered meat from pork to lamb and beef that melts in the mouth while the smell of butter permeates the air.

The peace and order in Myeongdong and most parts of Seoul is impressive. I reckon that it starts with self-discipline. Cars don’t honk their horns even when herds of people are on the streets where the night markets are rolled-out. Garbage are gathered by the night market peddlers as each one is in-charge of collecting the trash from their respective customers.

Police visibility is almost invisible in Myeongdong and its streets don’t have traffic enforcers. Yet cars and pedestrians are hardly crammed. Workers from all walks of life from those donning business suits to casual wear, just go about with their daily routine in no non-sense fashion.

There there’s K-Pop. These Korean groups have captured the imagination of the world with their singing, dancing and all-around entertainment talents. Yet K-Pops are not overnight sensations. They harnessed their skills through resilient training since childhood and maintaining a strict discipline to further their careers.

While in a get-together with my siblings in Myeongdong, I was also preparing for a two 2-hour lecture on the topic: “Litigating Land Disputes” to be delivered to two groups of lawyers in Manila taking their Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) seminar. The premise of my topic is on the Regalian doctrine.

The Regalian doctrine decrees that all natural resources including lands belong to the state. Yet there is another dimension to this doctrine which is not about the state arrogating power over all natural resources unto itself. It is the principle of “stewardship” or one wherein the state must conserve and protect all natural resources and grant rights over the same only in favor of those who can put them to best use.

As I was delivering my MCLE lectures in Manila, it crossed my mind how our country has lagged way behind Korea. Why our natural resources were not really put to good use pursuant to the Regalian doctrine? And how come that in our country, self-discipline is in short supply?

I surely had a wonderful reunion with my siblings and other family members in Myeongdong. Indeed, it has been cautioned that “beauty is skin-deep;” but to me, there is nothing wrong with making the effort to be beautiful. Beauty inspires.

After finishing my lectures in Manila and while trapped in its traffic, my mind wandered back to Myeongdong.

It seems so far away.

                (The author is the senior partner of ET Reyes III & Associates– a law firm based in Iloilo City. He is a litigation attorney, a law professor, MCLE lecturer, bar reviewer and a book author. His website is etriiilaw.com).