"Eocheonjeol Grand Ceremony" to Be Held at Dangun Shrine in Jongno-gu

Traditional Rituals Continue for 124 Years,

Academic Forum to Be Held Concurrently

The “4359th Lunar Calendar Eocheonjeol Grand Ceremony,” commemorating the ascension of National Founder Dangun, will be held at 11 a.m. on May 1 at the Dangun Shrine in Sajik-dong (22 Inwangsan-ro, Jongno-gu).

This event, organized by Hyeonjeonghoe and sponsored by Jongno-gu (Mayor Chung Moonheon) and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, honors the day when Dangun Wanggeom, founder of Gojoseon, ascended to heaven after accomplishing the great missions of “Hongik Ingan” (broadly benefiting humanity) and “Jaese Ihwa” (governing the world with virtuous influence). The ceremony, now in its 124th year, is rooted in the Samil Spirit, which became the ideological foundation of the independence movement, and seeks to reflect on the nation’s identity and spiritual heritage.

Since the Dangun Shrine, South Korea’s first public building, was established in Sajik-dong, Jongno-gu in 1962, the tradition has been upheld for 64 years. This year’s grand ceremony will proceed in the following order: traditional tea offering, incense burning and invocation, first wine offering, main prayer, secondary wine offering, final wine offering, ritual for the spirits, and ceremonial sharing of the ritual food. The unique traditional rites will be fully reenacted as they have been passed down.

The district expects that this event will serve as an opportunity to foster filial piety and a sense of community, which are fundamental values of the Korean people. By reinterpreting Dangun’s humanistic spirit in a modern context, the ceremony is also anticipated to promote the values of world peace and the common prosperity of humanity in an era marked by multiculturalism and diversity.

On the same day, the Seoul Institute of Korean Studies will hold an academic forum on the theme “The Correlation Between the Samil Spirit and Pasa Hyeonjeong.” This will be an occasion to academically reexamine the historical significance of Eocheonjeol.

Mayor Chung Moonheon stated, “I hope this occasion will renew the meaning of Eocheon, the origin of our traditional culture, enhance national pride, and help spread the noble philosophy of Hongik Ingan.”

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