Looking for 'Master of Napping' after Spacing Out... Seoul City's Unique Festival Draws Attention

Master of Sleep Found at Hangang... Garden Filled in 4 Hours
Basic Heart Rate Measured Through Arm Band-Type Heart Rate Monitor
Civic Star Audition Held, Hangang Ambassador

Following the 'Spacing Out Contest,' which has become a representative event of Seoul, the 'Jumper Sleeping Contest' will be held this time. It is an event to find the true masters of sleep who peacefully fall asleep outdoors by the Han River. In particular, scientific data will also be utilized by using armband-type heart rate monitors.

Seoul City announced on the 16th that it will hold the 'Han River Jumper Sleeping Contest' at the Green Shade Square in Yeouido Hangang Park on the 18th, and the citizen star audition 'Han River Rising Star' at the special stage in the Moonlight Square near Jamsu Bridge in Banpo Hangang Park on the 19th.

The 'Han River Jumper Sleeping Contest' was planned with the purpose of allowing modern people, exhausted from work, study, and other activities, to take a rest and recharge. It was developed into a unique festival inspired by citizens who fall asleep while reading books as part of the 'Reading Han River Park' program.

Seoul City started accepting participants on April 29 and filled the recruitment quota within 4 hours. Originally, 100 participants were to be recruited, but considering those who did not show up on site, a total of 120 applications were accepted. Regarding the gender ratio of participants, women accounted for 69% (83 people), more than twice the number of men (31%, 37 people). By age group, people in their 20s made up the largest portion at 49% (59 people), followed by those in their 30s at 42% (50 people), teenagers at 7% (9 people), and those in their 40s and 50s at 2% (2 people).

Contest participants only need to come to the venue wearing pajamas or the most comfortable clothes in a state as tired as possible and lie down on the prepared air sofas. Considering that people tend to fall asleep better when full, basic food such as lunch boxes will also be provided. Music to help deep sleep will be continuously played on site.

The winner of the contest will be decided based on the participant whose heart rate shows the greatest variation between the baseline heart rate and the average heart rate during sleep, inspired by the fact that heart rate decreases when sleeping. Participants wear armband-type heart rate monitors to measure the baseline heart rate, and then heart rates are measured every 30 minutes to calculate the average heart rate. However, only participants whose heart rate remains stable during the 30-minute interval measurements will have their records recognized.

The selection of the best dresser on the day will also be a highlight. Seoul City plans to select the best dresser through on-site citizen voting, choosing participants who wear distinctive clothes that express their individuality. The sight of participants lying down wearing pajamas, which they usually wear at home, in a public place by the Han River is expected to be a unique scene for citizens visiting the Han River. Certificates and prizes such as ▲Apple Watch ▲AirPods ▲gift certificates ▲sleep-related products will be awarded to the 1st to 3rd place winners and the 1st and 2nd best dressers.

The citizen star audition 'Han River Rising Star' will also be held. This is a citizen star audition program introduced for the first time this year at the 'Jamsugyo Ttubak Ttubak Festival' for citizens who dream of performing on stage. Anyone who loves the Han River and has talent in various fields such as singing, dancing, magic, and sports can participate regardless of gender or nationality. After recruiting participants for 40 days from March 29, a total of 477 teams applied. The 30 teams that passed the preliminary round will undergo the main round week judging on May 19 and 26, and the final 10 teams will perform on the final week stage on June 2.

The total 477 teams and 886 participants ranged in age from the youngest at 7 years old to the oldest at 60, representing diverse generations. Regarding gender ratio, including team members, 57% (508 people) were male and 43% (378 people) were female. By age group, those in their 20s accounted for the largest portion at 46% (218 teams). Foreigners from the United States, Singapore, and Indonesia also applied. By field, 87% (417 teams) applied in singing, and 12% (55 teams) in dance.

Joo Yong-tae, head of Seoul City's Future Han River Headquarters, said, "This weekend, a unique festival will be held at the Han River to select masters of sleep and talent. We hope families, couples, and friends will cheer for the citizens participating in the contests on site and show great interest in who will be selected as the masters of sleep and talent."

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