Event to honor Nongae draws fire

A girl jumps off a fake cliff holding a dummy, at Jinju Nongae Festival in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, Sunday, in an event to experience the martyrdom of Nongae, a courtesan who threw herself into a river holding a Japanese general during a Japanese invasion of the Joseon Kingdom.

/ Courtesy of Gyeongnam Domin Ilbo

Netizens criticize organizers for reenactment of historic figure’s martyrdom

By Kim Rahn

A regional festival is drawing criticism because of an event where children jump off a structure in a reenactment of a historic figure’s martyrdom.

Bloggers have slammed the event for inappropriateness of children having a “war experience” or “suicide experience,” while the festival organizers say it was instructive to learn about patriotism.

Organizers of Jinju Nongae Festival, held last weekend in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, organized the event as part of the festival which commemorates Nongae, a gisaeng (Korean courtesan) during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).

During the Japanese invasion of Joseon in 1593, Nongae lured a Japanese general to a cliff and threw herself into the Nam River below while holding the general tight in her arms, causing both of them to drown. People in the region have honored her as a patriotic martyr, holding festivals since 2002.

In the event named “Experience of Nongae’s Sacrifice,” visitors were encouraged to jump off an artificial cliff, while holding a dummy dressed like a Japanese soldier, onto an air mattress 1 meter below.

Not only adults but also about 600 children took part in the event, according to the organizer.

Internet users are responding negatively.

Cho Kuk, a law professor at Seoul National University, said on his Twitter account, “What are they trying to teach children through the ‘Nongae death-leap experience event.’ Do they want to teach from childhood that they should die for the nation? As a citizen and parent, I can’t consent to the idea.”

Another tweeter said, “The suicide experience is regarded as the Nongae-spirit experience. They think it will promote the festival. They may allow people to shoot guns for a war experience.” An Internet user monandol, said, “Don’t waste money on such things but rather give children a proper education of history.”

But the festival organizer claims nothing was wrong with the event, which has been held for six years.

“It is an event to experience Nongae’s patriotic martyrdom, as she sacrificed her life for the nation. We didn’t force children to participate in the event, but parents encouraged them to try. They all enjoyed it, laughing and taking pictures of the jump scene. For safety, we also prevented children under 10 from doing it,” an official of Jinju City said.

Regarding the criticism that it is a “suicide experience,” he said it is a “martyrdom experience.”

“Jumping off a cliff is an important factor of the festival as that’s what Nongae did. If the jump event is seen as a suicide experience, survival games should be seen as a war experience and the government should ban them,” the official said.

He said the local authority still thinks there is no problem with the event, but will review whether or not to continue it at next year’s festival, following the public uproar.

논개처럼 되려면 투신해라?

진주논개제가 아이들에게 순국 투신 체험을 시켜 논란이 일고 있다.

네티즌들은 아이들에게 ‘전쟁경험,’ ‘자살경험’을 시켰다고 비난하는 반면, 주최측은 애국을 배울 수 있는 교훈적 행사였다는 입장이다.

진주논개제는 임진왜란 때 왜장을 끌어안고 남강에 투신한 논개를 기리기 위해 열리는 축제로, 지난 주말 진주 일원에서 열렸다.

‘논개순국체험’이라는 이 행사에서 참가자들은 왜장 옷을 입은 인형을 안고 인공 절벽에서 1미터 아래 에어 매트 위로 떨어졌다. 여기에는 어른 뿐만 아니라 600여명의 어린이들도 참가했다.

이 행사에 네티즌들은 부정적인 반응을 보였다. 서울대 법학과 조국 교수는 자신의 트위터에서 “논개투신체험으로 아이들에게 무엇을 가르치겠다는 건가. 어릴 때부터 나라를 위해 죽어야 한다는 걸 가르칠건가? 시민으로서 또 부모로서 동의하기 힘들다”고 밝혔다.

다른 트위터 이용자도 “자살 체험이 논개 체험이란다. 이게 행사를 홍보한다고 생각하나보다. 전쟁 체험때는 사람들에게 총을 쏘보게 하겠네”라고 말했다.

그러나 주최측은 이 행사는 이상할 게 전혀 없고 6년째 이어져오고 있다고 말한다. 진주시 관계자는 “논개는 나라를 위해 희생을 했고, 이것은 그 순국을 체험해보자는 행사이다. 강요에 의해서 한 것도 아니고, 오히려 부모들이 아이들에게 해보라고 했다. 다들 재미있어하고 사진 찍고 그랬다. 안전 문제가 있을까봐 10세 미만 아이들은 못하게 했다”고 말했다.

‘자살체험’이라는 비난에 대해 이 관계자는 ‘순국 체험’이라고 못박았다. 그는 “뛰어내리는 건 축제의 중요 부분이다. 투신이 자살체험이라면 서바이벌 게임은 전쟁 체험이라고 볼 수 있고 그런건 정부에서 못하게 해야 하는 것 아닌가”라고 반문했다.

진주시는 여전히 이 행사에 아무 문제가 없다는 입장이지만, 비난 여론이 있으니 내년에도 행사를 할 지는 고려해볼 것이라고 이 관계자는 전했다.