Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
City goes into festival mode during Seoul Festa
Visitors to Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul take photos with people dressed up as sullagun, patrol officers during the Joseon Kingdom era, Friday. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul
By Baek Byung-yeul
By Baek Byung-yeul
The Seoul E-Prix, the country's first electric vehicle (EV) racing competition, heated up in Seoul over the weekend.
At the same time, parts of Seoul were in festival mode, as various kinds of cultural events were held in the capital.
During the EV competition weekend, the Seoul Metropolitan Government hosted Seoul Festa, the city's first large-scale festival, from Aug. 10 to 14, to entertain residents who have been struggling amid the pandemic and as a way to attract overseas tourists.
The city government prepared the festival jointly with thousands of local private firms. The Jamsil Sports Complex, where the Seoul E-Prix was held, hosted large-scale K-pop concerts featuring big-name musicians such as PSY, Rain, Stray Kids and NCT Dream.
Also, various smaller events were held in other areas, including: Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul, Yeouido and riverside parks along the Han River.
A boy poses for a photo in front of a racing car displayed by Formula E at the Jamsil Sports Complex in Seoul, where the Seoul E-Prix racing competition was held. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul
On Friday, the area around the Jamsil Sports Complex was crowded with visitors enjoying various EV racing-related events prepared by the organizers of the Seoul E-Prix, as well as fans who came to watch a Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League game. Visitors also arrived at the World DJ Festival, an electronic dance music concert.
Last week's record torrential rains, which left visible flood damage across the city, gave way to some sunshine as people watched the racing cars as well as participating in a Pokemon-related event.
In the area around the stadium, an opera singer sang well-known opera songs to comfort people in the heat and humidity.
The atmosphere continued on Saturday as the area around the stadium was filled with families, couples, friends and overseas tourists, experiencing the excitement of EV racing.
“It is my first time watching a racing competition. Though it is very hot with high humidity, I visited the stadium with my family because I wanted to show my kids what EV racing is like,” a father of two children said.
Visitors at the Jamsil Sports Complex in southern Seoul take part in a Pokemon-related event, Friday. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul
The festive mood was also visible downtown, Gwanghwamun Square, which recently re-opened to the public after going through a major renovation, was filled with hundreds of children enjoying the water jets shooting from the ground, while other people strolled about enjoying the recently upgraded square.
The square, where statues of two important historical figures ― Admiral Yi Sun-shin and King Sejong ― are located, is one of the most iconic tourist spots in the capital. Through the renovation, the place has become an urban park more removed from the passing traffic.
A little after 5 p.m. on Friday, kids who were playing in the water and people resting nearby stopped and to hear the drumming sound coming from afar.
They were soon able to see a group dressed as patrol officers of the Joseon Kingdom period (1392-1910) entering the square playing traditional Korean instruments. On the occasion of the Seoul Festa, the city government recreated the patrol rituals of a troop of patrol officers around the palaces, called “sullagun.”
The sullagun troop took a slow turn around the square and lined up. After that, they played “Arirang,” a traditional Korean folk song, using traditional instruments, and took photos with people.
“I heard the drums, so I wondered what was going on. It was nice to see such a special event in the center of the city,” a mother, who visited the square with her little girl, said.