Gwangyang Steelworks Joins in Preserving Local Jeoneo Fishing Song Tradition

EIC Technology Department Volunteer Group Joins Gwangyang Jeoneo Festival
Collaboration with Sister Village
Supporting the "Jeoneo Fishing Song" Performance

The Sarangnanumi Volunteer Group, composed of employees from the EIC Technology Department at POSCO Gwangyang Steelworks (Director: Ko Jaeyoon), participated in volunteer activities supporting the Gwangyang Jeoneo Festival, held on September 13 and 14 in the Mangdeok Port area of Gwangyang, contributing to the preservation of local traditional culture.

This event was organized in collaboration with Sindap Village, which is a sister village to the EIC Technology Department, and featured a variety of volunteer programs centered around the demonstration of "Jeoneo Fishing Songs," a representative local tradition.

On the 14th, the Gwangyang Steelworks Sarangnanumi Volunteer Group participated in volunteer activities supporting the Gwangyang Jeoneo Festival. Photo by Gwangyang Steelworks

The "Jinwol Jeoneo Fishing Song," performed at this year’s Jeoneo Festival, is designated as Jeollanam-do Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 57 and is a prominent traditional culture symbolizing the fishing heritage of Gwangyang Bay. In the past, fishermen in the Gwangyang Bay area sang this folk fishing song, and it is now being passed down by the Jinwol Jeoneo Fishing Song Preservation Society, which is led by residents of Sindap Village.

In particular, the song has evolved to not only express the fishermen’s hopes and wishes for a bountiful catch but also to include stories of their families, establishing itself as a symbol of the region’s cultural identity.

After winning an excellence award in the folk song category at the Namdo Cultural Festival in 1998, residents of Sindap Village formed the Preservation Society and transcribed the orally transmitted "Jinwol Jeoneo Fishing Song" into written form. With financial support from Gwangyang City, the song has since been performed annually at the Gwangyang Jeoneo Festival, showcasing the skills honed over the years.

The volunteer group participated directly in the festival, cheering on the residents’ performances of the Jeoneo Fishing Song and helping to enliven the festival atmosphere, while enabling local residents and visitors to experience traditional fishing culture firsthand.

Choi Doohwan, head of the EIC Technology Department Sarangnanumi Volunteer Group, said, "Through this volunteer activity with our sister village, we have set an exemplary case of the local community and business working together to preserve traditional culture and revitalize the region. The EIC Technology Department Sarangnanumi Volunteer Group will continue to support various cultural activities in cooperation with the local community."

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