By Lee Hyo-sik
Staff Reporter
Andong’s Hahoe Village in North Gyeongsang Province, one of Korea’s most popular and representative folk villages, is facing a dilemma ahead of a possible designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
If designated, Hahoe Village, which is already a popular tourism spot, will likely be flooded with tens of thousands of tourists from both home and abroad, making it difficult for the village to remain as it has for centuries.
If Hahoe fails to be named as a heritage site, it will deal a severe blow to its reputation and prospects of becoming an international tourist attraction.
The Cultural Heritage Administration and Andong City have been making an all-out effort to get Hahoe Village listed as a World Heritage Site, saying the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. UNESCO is expected to make a decision during its general meeting in Brazil on July 31.
“There is no question that a larger number of tourists will visit Hahoe Village if it is named a heritage site, which could make it difficult for us to preserve the area as it has been for many years. But at the moment, it is much more important to secure the designation from UNESCO,” said Kim Sun-ho, manager of the culture and art division at Andong City.
Kim then said the city and other related organizations will be able to implement a range of effective measures to control the number of visitors and protect the village.
The city has recently decided to restrict the number of daily visitors to 5,000 from Aug. 15 to prevent damage to cultural assets there.
Hahoe Village is a one-clan community. Families of the Pungsan Yu clan settled there one after another from the 16th century in the mid-Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).
Their time-honored residences, Confucian school, and many other ancient buildings are preserved intact, together with their unique folk art, including the Hahoe Mask Dance Drama, called Byeolshin-gut, a shamanist rite venerating the tutelary of communal spirits.
Hahoe contains rare and invaluable cultural vestiges that need to be preserved in this ever-changing era.
The Andong Hahoe Folk Village Preservation Committee also echoed Kim’s view, saying the committee’s priority is to have the village named as a World Heritage Site. “We desperately want the designation, which will boost the global reputation of our village. Some people may be concerned that this will attract a huge number of tourists and damage the village’s cultural assets, but there will not be a surge in the number of visitors,” committee director Ryu Jae-ha said.
Currently, about 6,000 to 7,000 people come to Hahoe Village on weekends, with the number jumping to nearly 20,000 during festivals. Ryu said the figure will not likely increase dramatically, adding if more people visit the village than expected, they will then come out with measures to curb the number.
Meanwhile, Kim of Andong city expressed concerns that if the village fails to be named, it will wreak havoc on its reputation. “Many may think that the designation is a sure bet for Hahoe Village. But it remains to be seen whether the village will be labeled as a heritage site or not at the upcoming meeting. Previously, UNESCO postponed its decision on Hahoe Village.”