November 14, 2015
November 14, 2015. That day is remembered as a tough one for me, a part-timer at Cheongang. There was a mass protest, and our shop, located in Insa-dong near Jongno 3-ga, and given our shop's longstanding nature, always had many customers on protest days. It was cold that day, and we lit a gas heater in the courtyard. Customers stopped by during the rally to drink Dongdongju and rest before leaving, or simply settled in at our shop to chat. As time passed, the bags of incoming customers were wet, and their hair began to get tangled with water. Some customers even took off their socks and clothes to dry them in front of the heater. Those hit by water cannons containing capsaicin sat in the shop yard to wash themselves. It must have been around eight in the evening. I remember being frantically serving customers as the shop was packed. Suddenly, the owner's aunt, who was preparing food in the kitchen, came out and announced loudly, "Mr. Baek Nam-gi, the Farmers' Association Chairman, has died after being hit by police water cannons…" A momentary silence fell over the shop. What were all of us thinking at that moment? Shamefully, I, who had been working nonstop, had no thoughts at all.