"You two, be friends."
A baby has been born in Mitan-myeon, Pyeongchang — the filming location for "Welcome to Dongmakgol," a film whose rich Gangwon Province dialect charmed audiences at home and abroad — for the first time in two years.
The village recently served as a filming location for "The King's Warden," where a scene was shot of Danjong bravely hunting a tiger — a dramatic turning point that revealed a bold, courageous side of the historically downtrodden king.
The birth was the first in the village in two years, and the entire community came together to celebrate.
According to Pyeongchang-gun on Friday, the Mitan-myeon Cheongok Association presented a bouquet of flowers and a 500,000-won ($371) birth congratulatory gift to a couple surnamed Son, residents of Chang-ri in Mitan-myeon who welcomed a baby in September, at a ceremony held Thursday at the Mitan-myeon community office.
Mitan-myeon has the smallest population within Pyeongchang-gun, itself a designated population-decline area, with roughly 1,500 residents currently living there.
With newborn births having become a rare occurrence in the area, the news spread through the community like a welcome rain after a long drought.
"The sound of a baby's cry ringing out for the first time in two years brings great joy and hope to the residents of Mitan-myeon," said Lee Seong-mo, chairman of the Cheongok Association. "Going forward, the community will show deeper care and warmth to help create an environment where people feel encouraged to have and raise children."
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