Seoul City Hosts Folk Game Photo Certification Event... Trot and Gugak Performances Also Held

Take Photos of Folk Games and Share on SNS to Receive Gifts, Using Camera Apps 'Snow' and 'B612'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government is offering citizens a variety of cultural and artistic programs, from folk game photo certification events that allow people to enjoy the festive atmosphere at home, to online trot and traditional Korean music performances, and small-scale seasonal customs experiences at traditional cultural facilities.

To celebrate Seollal, the major traditional Korean holiday marking the start of the new year, citizens can experience disappearing traditional folk games and seasonal customs, as well as enjoy performances suitable for all ages from the comfort of their living rooms. The main programs include folk game photo certification events, online performances, and Seollal seasonal customs experiences.

This year, for the first time, an event will be held where participants who take photos enjoying disappearing folk games such as kite flying and Yutnori will receive gifts. Using popular camera apps ‘Snow’ and ‘B612’, participants can take photos with filters featuring the New Year folk games ‘kite flying’ and ‘Yutnori’, then upload the photos to their personal SNS with the required hashtags.

The ‘Culture Comfort’ program, which has comforted citizens weary from COVID-19 through culture and arts, will also hold a special Seollal performance. Park Seo-jin, a trot singer who ranked first in YouTube views among the 20 ‘performances visiting citizens based on their stories’ held from September to December last year, will reappear to mark the start of ‘Culture Comfort 2021’. This performance will take place at the scenic ‘Unhyeongung’ palace, fitting for Seollal, and can be viewed on the ‘Culture Comfort’ YouTube channel at 7 p.m. on the 13th.

A performance for seniors, who find it difficult to go out and gather due to COVID-19, will also be held. At the senior-exclusive cultural space ‘Cheongchun Theater’, popular MC Song Hae, comedian Shim Hyung-rae, trot singer Bae Ah-hyun, and Hong Jam-eon will appear in the ‘Laugh, Youth’ performance. Events to directly experience Seollal seasonal customs will also be held at Seoul’s representative traditional cultural facilities, ‘Namsangol Hanok Village’ and ‘Unhyeongung’.

Exhibitions are also being held at Seoul’s museums and art galleries such as the Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul Museum of History, and Hanseong Baekje Museum, which resumed operations on the 19th of last month. Due to advance reservations and limits on on-site admission, detailed information about each facility’s exhibitions can be found on their respective websites.

Yoo Yeon-sik, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Culture Headquarters, said, “With hometown visits and family gatherings difficult this Seollal holiday, we have prepared various programs such as folk game experiences, online performances, and SNS events so that citizens can enjoy the holiday happily. We hope everyone enjoys a safe holiday with culture and arts and welcomes a hopeful new year.”