Various traditional festivals, like Rio Carnival in Brazil, La Tomatina in Spain, and Oktoberfest in Germany, are held worldwide. In Korea, there are festivals like the Danoje Festival and the First Full Moon Festival. However, in the Japanese colonial period, Japan tried to erase Korean culture and the festivals were not allowed. After National Liberation Day in 1945, Korea couldn’t afford to hold festivals owing to the Korean War and the faltering economy. Now, people are trying to restore Korean traditions and culture, and traditional festivals have come back increasingly. The CBT reporters researched two festivals that have traditional culture and history.-Ed

<Jeongseon Arirang Festival>

  There are various folk songs in Korea. Of these, Minyo is a collection of Korean folk songs which have remained a tradition for centuries. People used to make these songs in a natural way or as a result of their surroundings, like work songs. Therefore, the Minyo songs are about their daily lives and the original identities of each region, and they embody the general emotions of Koreans.
  “Arirang” is the most famous Minyo, and it is especially emotional. “Arirang” has existed in many different forms and has been handed down over generations. People from all over the world have appreciated the song’s value, and the song was recognized as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage of humanity. In Korea, according to the Cultural Heritage Protection Act, the government and local authorities are training some people to preserve the song.
  “Jeongseon Arirang” is the most typical version among Gangwon-do’s various forms, and some people have considered this variation as the song’s origin due to Gangwon-do’s long history. The song has about 5,000 unique versions of lyrics, which is the highest for a single Minyo song. Also, people frequently sing this song and even create new lyrics for the song.
  In 1971, “Jeongseon Arirang” became the Number 1 Cultural Asset of Gangwon Province, and, in Jeongseon, the Jeongseon Arirang Festival has been held since 1976. The festival celebrated its 44th anniversary this year from October 4th-7th. The theme of the festival was ‘Arirang Becomes One, to Sing for Peace.’ “Arirang” has various forms, but all of the forms are performed in the spirit of peace.
  On the first day of the festival, there was an ancestral ritual for a group of seven scholars from the Goryeo Dynasty, who are the supposed creators of “Jeongseon Arirang”. Also, coordinators wished to welcome the local people, to develop that region and to continue this festival through the ritual. After the ritual, ‘Arirang Gilnori’, which is a street performance, entertained the crowd. At night, actors performed Ari-Arari, which is a musical performance using “Arirang”, and it was also performed at the opening ceremony of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. After the first day, there were puppet shows and traditional masked dramas related to “Arirang”. People could watch a variety of other shows pertaining to various versions of “Arirang” from each region, and there was also a traditional Korean orchestral stage and a ritual using a traditional raft. There were also singing contests for people who wanted to watch high-quality, traditional performances. At the end of the festival, people could watch a musical performance named Arirang-peace, which had a message about peace.
 
<Jinju Gaecheon Art Festival>

  One of the most important Korean autumn festivals is the Jinju Gaecheon Art Festival. Jinju, a historic city located in Gyeongsangnam-do, holds the Gaecheon Art Festival every October. The Jinju Gaecheon Art Festival is a representative art festival in Korea featuring the largest scale and the highest quality performances, and it is a comprehensive art festival where traditional and contemporary art coexist.
  The Jinju Gaecheon Art Festival was first held in 1949 under the name of the Yeongnam Art Festival to commemorate the practical sovereignty of the Korean government and to promote the development of arts and culture. Since then, it has been held every year except for 1950, when the Korean War broke out, and 1979, when former President Park Chung-hee was killed. The festival was renamed in 1959, and its new name has been used since.
  The 2019 Jinju Gaecheon Art Festival ran for eight days from October 3rd-10th. On October 3rd, a ceremony was held with a torch lighting, a bell-tolling ceremony, and fireworks. In the following eight days, various contests and exhibitions were held. The many contests showcased various Korean traditions, from art pertaining to Korean traditional music, dance, writing and photography, to folk culture involving bullfighting and archery. In the exhibitions, outstanding works from these competitions were displayed, and works from artists from various fields of art were exhibited. Also, visitors were able to see art performances covering the past and present from both Korea and foreign countries. They included silk fashion shows, Korea-China photo exchange exhibitions, waterfront concerts, and performances by celebrities.
  For this festival, traditional costumes, military uniforms, traditional game experiences, and a photo zone were prepared. The last performance of the Gaecheon Art Festival was a commemoration of the victory of the Battle of Jinju. The Siege of Jinju was a battle that prevented a Japanese invasion. The citizens of Jinju were led by Gim Simin against an enormous number of Japanese troops during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592, and it is known as one of the three major battles of the Japanese invasion of Korea. The Jinju Gaecheon Art Festival always ends with a performance and a parade commemorating the victory of the Siege of Jinju.
  Kang Dong-gu, the director of the Jinju branch of The Federation of Artistic & Cultural Organization of Korea and the head of the festival, said, “For this festival, we tried to prepare a festival where citizens and tourists could become one through culture and art, and we contemplated how to globalize this festival. We’re also looking for ways to mark the festival’s 70th anniversary next year, and we are making efforts to improve the festival through gradual changes. We will keep working to make this festival a representative festival of Korea with traditional and future-oriented development.”

  These two festivals are helping to protect our traditional culture. CBNU students should also have an attachment to Korean culture and take time to visit and enjoy these festivals next year.

By Lee So-yoon
 sy39@cbnu.ac.kr
By Yoo Jin-kyu
 jk37@cbnu.ac.kr