If You Want Full Sensory Satisfaction, Small-Scale Festivals Are Perfect

Interview with Kim Jong-won, Chairman of the Korea Festival Culture Promotion Association
Success of Local Festivals Depends on Focused Selection of Culture, Specialties, and Historical Themes
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The season of festivals, autumn, is drawing to a close. According to statistics from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, a total of 1,129 local festivals are being held this year, with more than half of them concentrated in autumn. Local festivals, which are planned mainly around seasonal local specialties and attractions of the respective municipalities, tend to be somewhat monotonous. Festival organizers on site unanimously say that if a festival is not outstanding, it is not only difficult to succeed but also hard to stand out.

This autumn, Kim Jong-won (64), a director met at three festival sites, advised that for a local festival to succeed, the planning must focus on one of three themes: culture, local specialties, or history. Serving as the chairman of the Korea Festival Culture Promotion Association, he plans dozens of local festivals each year and travels extensively across the country. The following is a Q&A with Director Kim.

-The most recent festival you directed was the ‘1st Naruteo Film Festival’ held with Dongjak-gu residents.

▲That’s right. On October 28, we successfully concluded the ‘1st Naruteo Film Festival’ with Dongjak-gu residents. The general director was selected through a public contest, and I was fortunate to be chosen. The first edition of any event is about setting the first button right. While applicants must do their best, the selecting organization must also choose the most suitable candidate for the festival to continue growing. Fortunately, we passed a rigorous screening and successfully carried out this festival.

-What would you say were the key factors behind the success of the ‘Naruteo Film Festival’?

▲The active support and trust of the local government. They trusted the director and gave full support, which allowed ideas to flow smoothly. I liken local festivals to a ship. If there are too many interfering rowers while the ship is sailing the sea, the ship will go astray. Having seen and experienced many such cases, I honestly worried this might happen again, but it was a needless concern. Mayor Park Il-ha of Dongjak-gu and all related officials united with the sole goal of ‘festival success.’ Whenever issues arose during the process, we communicated immediately by phone or KakaoTalk to resolve them. Removing obstacles as they appeared allowed us to smoothly reach the finish line. Seeing politicians give up their seats to residents and sit side by side watching the opening film made me proud as the general director. I believe the Naruteo Film Festival program shone because everyone opened their hearts equally, regardless of status, and enjoyed the festival together.

The 1st Naruteo Film Festival with Dongjak District Residents.
[Photo by Dongjak-gu]

-Even though this was a film festival, the high satisfaction among residents suggests the overall content was engaging. Is that correct?

▲I think the audience fully enjoyed how each program incorporated the identity of ‘Dongjak-gu.’ It not only boosted the pride and self-esteem of Dongjak-gu residents but also allowed them to participate directly and satisfy their five senses. Besides film screenings, we prepared various other enjoyable contents such as magic shows, performances by the district’s boys and girls choir, and Naruteo busking.

-You have mainly planned large-scale festivals, so why have you recently focused on local festivals?

▲Tourism patterns have changed significantly after COVID-19, and visitors’ preferences for festivals have shifted 180 degrees compared to before the pandemic. Before COVID-19, festivals and tourism were about escaping daily life and enjoying a break from routine. Now, people come to festivals to accumulate new energy through sensory experiences. Small-scale festivals centered on residents are better suited to meet these changes than large-scale venues. It is very rewarding to work closely with residents and implement programs they want. Regardless of size, the purpose of a festival is resident satisfaction. After focusing on small-scale festivals, such as the successful 2019 Goryeo-Khitan War 1000th Anniversary Gang Gam-chan Festival and the Mapo Naruteo Salted Shrimp Festival which attracted 700,000 tourists, the results became even more remarkable. Because of this appeal, I have decided to devote myself more to small-scale festivals going forward.

Director Kim, whom I met at the festival site, was busy setting up the stage, holding a hammer instead of a megaphone. He emphasized that the satisfaction of the participating residents is more important than the scale of the festival.
[Photo by the subject]

-What do you consider most important at a festival site?

▲Safety is the top priority, first and foremost. Safety personnel and operational staff must be deployed appropriately and checked and encouraged meticulously from start to finish to ensure everything runs smoothly. Accidents can happen suddenly and unexpectedly. Prevention is the best approach. It’s not only the performers who rehearse; safety and operational staff also conduct rehearsals considering various scenarios. In festivals, greed is forbidden. You must carefully consider priorities and proceed step by step. If there is one killer content that can turn the festival upside down, that festival is bound to be a huge success.

-What are your future plans?

▲As I mentioned earlier, I plan to focus on festivals where I can directly engage with residents. A region develops when its residents are happy and enjoy themselves. For example, even small festivals at the neighborhood (dong) level must have quality comparable to large festivals because residents’ expectations have risen. I intend to discover hidden local assets and create festival products. By visiting the area on foot and researching historical documents, you can find festival products suited to the region. There is a saying, ‘The most Korean is the most global.’ If you properly reflect the local identity and create a unique festival product, it will resonate. I plan to concentrate on these aspects going forward.

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