[Reporter’s Notebook] "Ensuring Fairness in Local Festival Judging Must Come First"

Shin Dongho
Head of Honam News Bureau

Dongho Shin, Director of Honam Reporting Headquarters.

Autumn is the season when Gwangju and South Jeolla Province transform into a stage for festivals. This is due to the region's DNA, which has long been rooted in a culture of excitement and style. Added to this is a strong sense of camaraderie that supports people even in difficult times. The reason why most local festivals focus on "songs" and "flowers" is also rooted in the past, when people sought small moments of relaxation in their busy lives.

However, in recent times, the significance of these local festivals seems to have faded amid various controversies.

Local festivals are not just simple events; they serve as important bridges connecting culture and the economy. Yet, the process of selecting event agencies does not appear to be fair.

The recruitment of judges often relies solely on announcements posted on the bidding institution's website, and some planning companies secure judges through personal connections, pushing creative ideas to the background.

This strange structure undermines both the quality of festivals and the trust of citizens. To correct this, an independent public system that is completely separate from the bidding institutions should be introduced for the recruitment and management of judges.

By forming a pool of experts, assigning judges through random selection, and transparently disclosing evaluation criteria and scores, fairness can be ensured. Only agencies selected through a fair process can create genuine festivals that citizens can take pride in.

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