The Change of Food Consumption Space According to the Construction of Youngsan River’s Estuary dam: Focus on Grilled Eel

Abstract

This study aims to clarify how the construction of the Yeongsangang Estuary dam, socioeconomic changes after the construction of the Yeongsangang Estuary dam for Myeongsan-ri and Gujinpo, which are representative grilled eel sites along the Yeongsangang River, affected the food consumption space in this area. Myeongsan-ri was very prosperous during the Japanese colonial era as there was a grilled eel restaurant along with an eel canning factory by the Japanese, but after the liberation, the Japanese withdrew from the country and failed to inherit their reputation from the past. Gujinpo has flourished since the 1960s, but its influence has weakened as the construction of the Yeongsangang Estuary dam has shifted from natural eels to cultured eels and formed a large-scale grilled eels food culture. The 4-River Restoration Project was incorporated into the existing shopping district as a road, and some of the restaurant buildings were demolished, and some of them continued to operate by moving places, but some gave up the project, significantly weakening the placeness of food culture in Gujinpo.