The 17th Jongno Cheonggye Tourist Zone Yukijeon Festival Held

[Seoul District News] Jongno-gu Kicks Off with Opening Ceremony at Heunginjimun Special Stage on 23rd Featuring Various Experiences and Performances Highlighting 8 Commercial Areas & Jongno-gu Youth Choir Performance, Gakseolyi, Dance, and Magician Clown Shows on 24th ... Seocho-gu Hosts 'Seocho Young Artists Special Exhibition' Displaying Over 130 Works by 44 Young Artists in One Space

Citizens visiting the 2019 Yukujeon Festival

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] During the Joseon Dynasty, there were six major types of large shops that held the rights to supply essential goods to the country. These were known as the ‘Yuk-ui-jeon,’ referring to six market types: Jijeon (traditional Korean paper), Eomuljeon (seafood), Jeopojeon (hemp and ramie fabric), Seonjeon (silk), Myeonpojeon (cotton fabric), and Myeonjujeon (fine silk).

Jongno-gu (District Mayor Jeong Mun-heon) will hold the '17th Jongno Cheonggye Tourism Special Zone Yuk-ui-jeon Festival' on the 23rd and 24th at the lawn area of Heunginjimun Gate.

The festival aims to inherit the long history and tradition of Yuk-ui-jeon and to promote the revitalization of the special zone’s commercial district and local economy.

The Jongno 1st and 2nd districts, where Yuk-ui-jeon was historically located, today feature various markets along Cheonggyecheon Stream, including Gwan-su-dong Sangpae and Hwijaang shopping areas, precious metals shops, Gwangjang Market, medical device shops, Dongdaemun shoe market, Changsin-dong stationery and toy market, seal street, and aquarium market. With the restoration of Cheonggyecheon completed, the area was designated as the ‘Jongno Cheonggye Tourism Special Zone’ in March 2006 to create synergy with surrounding tourist resources.

Started to commemorate the special zone designation, the Yuk-ui-jeon Festival, now in its 17th year, is richly composed of various experiential programs reflecting the characteristics of eight commercial districts and reenactments of traditional Yuk-ui-jeon.

The opening ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. on the 23rd at the special stage near Heunginjimun Gate, featuring trot music, fusion gugak (traditional Korean music), daebuk (large drum) performances, and reenactments of traditional Yuk-ui-jeon. Citizens of all ages can participate in activities such as making silver rings, wearing hanbok, car racing, and making family seals.

On the 24th, there will be diverse performances suitable for all ages, including the Jongno-gu Children’s Choir, traditional street performances (gakseori), dance, and clown magic shows. Events for children such as goldfish giveaways and a folk games Olympics will also be held.

District Mayor Jeong Mun-heon stated, “This festival, rooted in the long history of Yuk-ui-jeon, will offer fun experiences and cultural performances that highlight the unique characteristics of the special zone. We will work with merchants to invigorate the local economy and create a Jongno Cheonggye Tourism Special Zone that attracts continuous visitors.”

Youth Gallery Cafe

# “As a young artist, I am very pleased to participate in this special exhibition and excited to present my work to many visitors.” (Shin Bora, 34)

A space for exhibiting and selling works is provided for young artists, and residents can enjoy cultural exchanges close to home in Seocho.

Seocho-gu (District Mayor Jeon Seong-su) announced that it will operate the ‘Seocho Young Artist Special Exhibition: SYAF (Seocho Young Artist Festival)’ from the 23rd to the 29th to provide young artists, who are often the ‘painful fingers’ of our society, with pride in their work and opportunities to grow as professional artists.

The ‘Seocho Young Artist Special Exhibition’ showcases about 130 works by 44 young artists who participated in this year’s Young Gallery Cafe Support Project. These works, previously displayed in 30 neighborhood cafes, are gathered in one space for this exhibition. This is part of the district’s comprehensive support project, the ‘100 Days of Daily Life Recovery Project,’ aimed at restoring residents’ daily lives exhausted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

Since 2019, the district’s ‘Young Gallery Cafe Support Project’ has connected young artists with neighborhood cafes, allowing artists to exhibit and sell their works in cafes, thereby helping improve their economic independence.

Among the 44 young artists, 11 are developmentally challenged young artists, and 10 are students from local art universities.

Visitors can enjoy diverse and unique works expressed through the individual perspectives of various young artists. By scanning the QR code next to each work’s caption, visitors can hear the artist’s vivid interviews and introductions to the works, sharing the artist’s personal stories. The exhibited works are also available for purchase, and the sales proceeds support the young artists in continuing their active artistic activities.

The special exhibition opens for admission at 3 p.m. on the 23rd, with an opening ceremony at 4 p.m. From the 24th to the 29th, it is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Sundays when it is closed. The venue is the 3rd floor of the Yujung Art Center in Bangbae-dong, and admission is free for all.

The district expects this special exhibition to become a unique communication platform where young artists and visitors meet, and for the young artists who previously participated individually to build networking by gathering in one place. The district plans to hold this exhibition series annually starting next year.

Meanwhile, over the past four years, the district has promoted the Young Gallery Cafe Support Project, exhibiting 510 works by 170 young artists in neighborhood cafes. Among these, 26 works were sold, generating about 13 million KRW in revenue. This project has received great support from residents, cafe owners, and young artists, and has been recognized as a representative youth art policy project, attracting inquiries from other local governments.

Seocho District Mayor Jeon Seong-su said, “I hope this special exhibition will be an opportunity for young artists to realize their dreams as professional artists and to widely promote youth art. We will continue to discover and support local young artists so they can grow.”

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