54page
www.groovekorea.com / July 2014 54 GROW LOCAL Edited by Jenny Na (jenny@groovekorea.com) In 2012, the mayor of Seoul hailed the start of the ur- ban farming era. A series of symbolic agricultural projects were set up in the downtown area, including a collection of bee boxes on the roof of City Hall. Two years later, rumor has it that the bees are long gone — but the spark that was ignit- ed has now developed into a small, some- what decentralized flame. Urban beekeeping might not appear to be a natural fit for Seoul. Amid the cell- phones and the E-marts, DIY farming doesn’t seem to be a hot issue for the collective consciousness. But there are a handful of brave, ambitious Seoulites who are trying to change that, even if it means a few false starts. Story by Jaime Stief / Translation by Jung Seunghwan and Kyndra Love Additional reporting by Jongmin Lee / photos by Jessica Lia SAVE THE BEE S! Urban beekeepers create a buzz to help Seoul’s dying colonies