General Nam Yi's Expedition Against the Jurchen Tribe: General's Departure After 4 Years of Shrine Rituals

Yongsan-gu Supports the 41st Namijanggun Sadangje Festival... October 10-14 Hosted by Namijanggun Sadangje Preservation Society, Sponsored by the District... Begging, Eve Ceremony & Flower Lantern Parade, Sadangje, General's Departure, Danggut, Sacrificial Rite & Grand Feast Sequence

Yongsan-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Park Hee-young) supports the hosting of the “41st Nam I Janggun Sadangje” organized by the Nam I Janggun Sadangje Preservation Society. After holding only the ritual due to social distancing, the reenactment of the general’s procession will be held again for the first time in four years.

The event schedule is as follows: ▲Geollip (November 10?11, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) ▲Eve Festival & Flower Lantern Parade (November 12, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.) ▲Sadangje Ritual (November 13, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.) ▲General’s Procession (November 13, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) ▲Danggut Ritual (November 13, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.) ▲Thanksgiving Ritual & Community Feast (November 14, 10 a.m.).

First, the Geollip group will visit various parts of the village for two days, playing pungmul (traditional Korean percussion music) and praying for the residents’ well-being. They will also collect funds for the sacrificial rites needed for the Sadangje and Danggut rituals.

The Eve Festival will take place around the Nam I Janggun Shrine (88-10 Hyochangwon-ro), near Yongmun Market and Yongmun-dong Saemaeul Geumgo. Pungmul performers, residents, and art groups will participate together.

The Flower Lantern Parade involves the procedure of bringing flower lanterns from the neighboring Sancheon-dong Bugundang Shrine (7 Hyochangwon-ro 15-gil). About 150 residents will form the parade. The Sancheon-dong Bugundang Shrine is dedicated to Lady Kwon, the wife of General Nam I.

The Sadangje ritual is a memorial ceremony honoring the achievements of the general and praying for the residents’ health, longevity, and prosperity. It is held annually on the first day of the 10th lunar month at the Nam I Janggun Shrine.

The highlight of the event is the General’s Procession. General Nam I is said to have trained troops around the current Samgakji area during the Yi Si-ae Rebellion and the campaign against the Jurchen tribes. The Preservation Society reenacts the procession.

The route is Nam I Janggun Shrine → Hyochang Park Entrance → Sookmyung Women’s University Main Gate → Sookdaeipgu Station → Shinkwang Elementary School → Yongsan Police Station Front → Kkum Namu Complex Town → Wonhyo-ro 2-ga Intersection → Nam I Janggun Shrine. Leading the procession is the Preservation Society’s flag, followed by nearly 200 participants including flag bearers, daechwita (traditional military band), commander’s flag, generals, deputy commanders, standard bearers, soldiers, ritual officers, and lantern carriers.

The Danggut ritual is also worth seeing. It is a 12-stage gut (shamanistic ritual) to console the spirit of the general who died unjustly. Led by ritual master Lee Myung-ok (holder of Seoul City Intangible Cultural Property No. 20) and other Preservation Society members, the ritual is performed at the Nam I Janggun Shrine and lasts about six hours.

The stages include Gamangcheongbae, Bugun Street, Sinjang Street, Mugam, Hogu Street, Balmyung Street, Josang Street, Sangsan Street, Byeolsang Street, Daegam Street, Changbu Street, Jaeseok Street, Gunwoong Street, Hwangje Pul-i, and the final stage. At each stage, blessings for the village are prayed to various spirits. During the ritual, residents also hold a noodle feast.

The Thanksgiving Ritual is held the day after the gut ends. It expresses an apology for disturbing the sacred shrine. After the ritual, residents hold a community feast and share the sacrificial offerings.

The district office ensures safety management by rerouting city buses and shuttle buses along the General’s Procession route and deploying orderlies. Yongsan Police Station will control traffic, and Yongsan Fire Station will manage the site in case of accidents.

Park Hee-young, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, stated, “The Nam I Janggun Sadangje is a village ritual passed down in Yongmun-dong,” and “it is different from other village rituals in that it was designated as Seoul City Intangible Cultural Property No. 20 in July 1999.”

The current scale and form of the Nam I Janggun Sadangje were established during the Japanese colonial period. In 1945, local leaders discussed shrine repairs and preservation measures, and in 1950, they began Geollip to fund the Danggut ritual. Five years later, they established the “Nam Chungmugong Sau Preservation Committee” by drafting bylaws.

In 1972, as part of the Saemaul Movement, the Danggut ritual was discontinued, and only the Sadangje ritual was held three times a year on the 1st day of the 4th, 7th, and 10th lunar months. In 1982, folklorist Namgang Kim Tae-gon (1936?1996) reported on the Nam I Janggun Sadangje at a local festival symposium, renewing interest. Since its restoration in 1983, the ritual has been held annually without interruption.

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