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Staff Reporter
The 17th presidential inauguration ceremony for President Lee Myung-bak takes place in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, from 10 a.m., today.
On the eve of the ceremony, the ringing of the bell at the Bosingak Pavilion, Jongno, downtown Seoul will announce the start of Lee's administration at the stroke of midnight. Sixteen representatives from each administrative division and Park Bum-hoon, the chairman of the presidential inauguration preparation committee, will toll the symbolic bell 33 times.
For today's ceremony, about 25,000 citizens chosen from a draw, some 2,000 Korean residents from abroad and 1,000 foreign residents here have been invited to the inaugural ceremony as well.
In addition, 1,000 people who submitted personal stories will take part. These are people who suffered from the oil spill in Taean, family members of Korean Airline flight attendants who were kidnapped by North Korea, parents whose sons are part of the Zaytun Division in Iraq and merchants from Namdaemun market.
Pre-ceremony festivities include both the new and the old.
Along with ``samulnori'' performances and a classical concert, singer Kim Jang-hoon and Korean B-boy team will perform at the event. Kim Jang-hoon, famous for his donation and volunteer work, is the sole pop singer officially invited to this ceremony. ``Last for One,'' the award-winning Korean B-boy group, will performs while Kim Jang-hoon will sing ``Our Happy Day'' from his sixth album.
Percussion instruments from around the world will perform at the ceremony. Musician Jang Sa-ik will also perform.The original members of one of Korea's first modern samulnori group, Kim Duk-soo (janggu), Lee Kwang-soo (kkwaenggwari), Choi Jong-sil (buk) and Nam Ki-moon (jing), will rejoin for the ceremony.
Sohn Jin-chaek, head of the theater troupe Michoo directed the pre-ceremony festivities. Sohn directed the opening ceremony of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup Games.
Kim Je-dong and Kim Hak-do will emcee the pre-ceremony festivities.
To make the official ceremony more citizen-friendly, the stage is set low so that Lee can walk to the platform from the middle of the crowd.
Chung Jae-man, a professor of Sookmyung Women's University and an Intangible Cultural Asset, choreographed the welcoming dance. The dancers will welcome the new president and first lady when they enter the ceremony.
``I choreographed it for the peace and well-being of the new government,'' Chung told Yonhap News Agency.
Maestro Chung Myung-whun will conduct the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra playing Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, ``Ode to Joy'' at the main ceremony. The Beethoven masterpiece is also known as the ``Choral'' as it features a huge vocal score.
A large number of heads and former heads of state will attend the ceremony. The list includes U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice and Tang Jiaxuan, the State Councilor of the People's Republic of China.
Many leading figures from the economic sector will also commemorate the new president.
Barry M. Meyer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Warner Brothers, will be at the ceremony as he is promoting a theme park in Korea. Nobuyuki Koga of Nomura Holdings and Tan Sri Vincent of Berjaya Industrial Berhad, Malaysia will join the ceremony.
Hines Ward, a Korean-American football player of Pittsburgh Steelers, will appear at the inaugural scene as a special guest. Ward received honorary citizenship of Seoul on his first visit to Korea in 2006.
Famous soccer player David Beckham of the Los Angeles Galaxy was also invited to the ceremony, but his attendance is not confirmed yet. The soccer player and his wife, Victoria, a member of a U.K. pop group Spice Girls, will visit Korea with Los Angeles Galaxy to have a friendly match with Seoul FC.
No Hong-chul, a Korean entertainer appearing on MBC's variety show ``Infinite Challenge'' (Saturday 6:40 p.m. on MBC) and ``Come and Play'' (Friday 10:50 p.m. on MBC), was invited to take part in the ceremony as well. No met president Lee when he was the Seoul mayor and kept up their relationship since then. However, he was attacked last week and might not be able to be at the ceremony.
The inauguration preparation committee also contacted Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General but he is unable to attend.
meeyoo@koreatimes.co.kr
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