▲ Boongeobang Pond before and after the improvement construction carried out in 2020

 

As the weather gets warmer, there have been lots of interesting things happening around SeoulTech's Boongeobang Pond. Walking around, it may be seen students gathering in twos or threes to take a break, while local residents have visited to see the area's beautiful cherry blossoms. Boongeobang Pond is a place of relaxation, experience and fun for many students, as well as the local community. Then how exactly did Boongeobang Pond come to be such a beloved part of SeoulTech's campus?

 

Boongeobang Pond is a naturally-formed pond and became what it is today after a lot of maintenance. In 2017, SeoulTech opened the Boongeobang Cherry Blossom Walkway and carried out construction to improve the surrounding environment in 2020.

As a result of this construction, SeoulTech students can now walk on the waterside deck and see the various species of fish living in the pond. The most common species is the crucian carp, which is called bungeo in Korean. The pond takes the name Boongeobang Pond from a portmanteu of bungeo and bang (which means 'room' in English).

 

Around Boongeobang Pond there are many other creatures such as herons and ducks. In particular, the heron is a sort of mascot for Boongeobang Pond, and visiting herons have been named Waeksun, after a student wittily gave them the name, and it caught on with other students. If a student is lucky, the student might be able to see Waekseun catching and eating bungeo. Interestingly, Waekseun is not afraid of people, freely coming, going and enjoying the attention like a true mascot.

 

There are many other interesting things about Boongeobang Pond.

The area is a place for many events throughout the year. One of the most popular events is the offering free bungeo-ppang, a fish shaped bun. On March 9, 'Bungeo-ppang at Boongeobang Pond’ was held as a social event for students. The university's president personally handed out bungeo-ppang to students in attendance.

The reason for sharing bungeo-ppang specifically is related to its pronunciation. In Korean, bungeo-ppang is a similar pronunciation to Boongeobang (Pond). For this reason, it has become a unique custom to share bungeo-ppang in SeoulTech. Club CCC also runs its own bungeo-ppang sharing event. Aside from sharing this popular snack, many clubs and student bodies operate other events including performances and club fairs.

 

There is another unique custom among SeoulTech students. When the weather warms up, students gather in groups and eat black-bean-sauce noodles (jajangmyeon in Korean), a typical delivery food. We call it boong-jja, another portmanteau, this time of ‘jajangmyeon at Boongeobang Pond.’ It's a good opportunity to make pleasant memories with friends, and it usually starts in March. Moreover, SeoulTech's community has unique words related to Boongeobang Pond, such as boong-nae and boong-st. Despite dredging work carried out in 2020, Boongeobang Pond still gives off a rotten smell. This stench has become known as boong-nae, a compound word of Boongeobang (Pond) and naemsae (which means smell in English). Similarly, boong-st is a compound of Boongeobang (Pond) and ‘mist,’ which refers to the water droplets splashing from fountains in Boongeobang Pond.

With its nature, social events and unique contribution to SeoulTech's campus vocabulary, Boongeobang Pond has become a landmark and the center of SeoulTech's vibrant culture. If looking for a place to relax and enjoy the outdoors, Boongeobang Pond has something for everyone.



 

Reporter,

Kyungmin Shin km.pa22@seoultech.ac.kr

Reporter 신경민

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• e-mail : km.pa22@seoultech.ac.kr