Seongdong-gu Hosts the '2021 Taejo Iseonggye Festival' to Overcome and Support COVID-19

COVID-19 Overcoming Video Contest Screening, Online Relay Lighting Ceremony, and Hope Sharing with Residents through COVID-19 Overcoming Pledges

Salgotidari March

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) held the ‘2021 Taejo Yi Seong-gye Festival’ on the 14th, creating a communication space to overcome COVID-19 together with residents and prepare for a new normal.

Under the theme ‘Together Again, Shining the Light of Hope,’ this festival combines the historical figure ‘Yi Seong-gye’ with the theme of ‘hunting,’ delivering a message of overcoming difficulties together through various events.

Through pre-events held until the 12th, traditional crafts making and a cheering contest were conducted. Participants experienced making traditional hanji lanterns, works by Korean painting artist Lee Geum-hwi, and were able to create videos with the completed hanji lanterns to submit cheering messages for overcoming COVID-19.

The main event, broadcast live on the Seongdong-gu Office YouTube channel, is held together with about 100 families who participated in the traditional hanji lantern making experience via video (Zoom).

Starting with the first part performance by the Seongdong-gu Dream Orchestra, performances by musical actor Yoon Hyung-ryul and the fusion gugak band ‘Yeonhui Byeolgok’ follow. The event will also feature the screening and awarding of the COVID-19 overcoming video contest winners, an online relay lighting ceremony, a pledge to overcome COVID-19 with residents, and a highlight performance by Bicycle Riding Scenery, providing a meaningful time to communicate with residents and light the light of hope together.

The ‘Taejo Yi Seong-gye Festival’ is a unique local festival of Seongdong-gu that utilizes the historical figure ‘Yi Seong-gye’ and the ‘Salgoti Bridge,’ Treasure No. 1738, where an arrow shot by Yi Seong-gye at Yi Bang-won missed and stuck, later called Salgoti Field. It has been a place for all residents to communicate and unite every year.

This year, the festival is organized as an online and offline event that anyone can participate in from anywhere, creating a non-face-to-face communication space. Through a paradigm shift from an animal hunting festival to a festival hunting the COVID-19 virus, it aims to deliver recovery and hope to residents and prepare for a return to daily life.

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “Through this festival, I hope to bring fun to residents tired from COVID-19 and deliver messages of comfort and hope,” adding, “I hope it will be a precious time to create unique memories with family and neighbors.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.