Gangbuk-gu Hosts the '4·19 Revolution National Cultural Festival 2021'

From April 10 to 19, programs held across various locations including the National 4·19 Democratic Cemetery... Mixed face-to-face and non-face-to-face methods suitable for the COVID-19 era to inherit the 4·19 spirit... Diverse programs themed 'Online,' 'Nationwide,' and 'Globalization' prepared

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Park Kyum-soo) will hold the ‘4·19 Revolution National Cultural Festival 2021’ for 10 days from April 10 to 19 in the area around the National 4·19 Democratic Cemetery and other local sites.

The 4·19 Revolution National Cultural Festival is an event to commemorate the students and citizens who fought against injustice with a passion for democracy in 1960 and to honor their spirit of sacrifice.

Since 2013, the festival has been jointly hosted by Gangbuk-gu, the 4·19 Democratic Revolution Association, the 4·19 Revolution Victims’ Families Association, and the 4·19 Revolution Meritorious Persons Association around the anniversary date of April 19 each year.

This year marks the 61st anniversary of the uprising and the 9th time the event has been held.

Gangbuk-gu decided to hold this year’s National Cultural Festival using a hybrid format of both in-person and online events in response to the COVID-19 situation. The core themes of the festival are set as ‘Online,’ ‘Nationwide,’ and ‘Globalization.’

■ Online: Efforts to continue the legacy of the 4·19 Revolution

The online programs include the eve ceremony and its accompanying events such as the Rak (樂) Music Festival and “When Azaleas Bloom.”

On the 18th, the eve ceremony and music festival will be held at the Gangbuk Cultural and Arts Center Grand Theater. Anyone can watch the performances by accessing the live streaming channels on social media platforms (YouTube, Facebook). Using the online video conferencing program Zoom, viewers will also have the opportunity to interact face-to-face with performers.

At the end of the official eve ceremony, a performance delivering ‘messages of hope’ will be staged. This includes a video media exhibition symbolizing the 4·19 Revolution and performance art using props such as commemorative towels, featuring citizens who participate appearing sequentially in the video. Citizens wishing to participate in the opening performance or communicate with the music festival performers can apply through the 4·19 Revolution official website’s online supporters section. Participation is limited to 419 people and will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Rak (樂) Music Festival will feature performances by famous singers such as Gummy, Coyote, Oh My Girl, and VICTON. A joint performance with the Aransol Children’s Choir, a municipal youth choir, is also being prepared. “When Azaleas Bloom” is a promotional video that introduces the past and present of the 4·19 Revolution in an easy-to-understand way through familiar music like “Morning Dew.” The video was filmed at the National 4·19 Democratic Cemetery and at the site of the Haegong Shin Ik-hee House (a memorial house) located on the slopes of Bukhansan in Suyu-dong.

■ Nationwide: Programs focusing on student participation and intergenerational communication

The nationwide-themed programs include a national university student debate, English speech, and drawing and writing contests. A pilgrimage trekking event with mountaineer Captain Um Hong-gil will follow. Although both in-person and online formats are used, the programs emphasize student participation and communication between generations.

On the first day of the festival, April 10, a national student English speech, drawing, and writing contest will be held. Any youth nationwide can apply by April 2. For the English speech contest, participants must choose between individual and team categories. Judging will be based on videos submitted by participants within the application period. Results will be announced on April 12 on the National Cultural Festival official website.

The drawing and writing contests have different themes by category. The drawing theme is “Love for the Country,” and the writing theme relates to democracy; these will be announced on the event day (April 10). The drawing contest targets 419 elementary school students, and the writing contest targets 200 upper elementary (grades 5?6) and middle school students. Participants will submit their works by connecting to a separately guided online Zoom system on the day. Award-winning works will be posted on April 16 on the 4·19 Revolution official website.

On the second day, April 11, the national university student debate and pilgrimage trekking with mountaineer Captain Um Hong-gil will continue. The final round of the university student debate, themed “Talking about Youth Democracy,” will be held at the Gangbuk Cultural and Arts Center Grand Theater. Four teams that passed the preliminary and main rounds will compete fiercely.

On the same day, a walking event led by Captain Um Hong-gil will take place from the National 4·19 Democratic Cemetery to Bonghwanggak in Ui-dong (a cradle of the March 1 Independence Movement). The route is approximately 4.2 km and connects with the ‘You, Me, and Us’ stamp healing tour walking trail, a representative tourist course in Gangbuk-gu.

This walking event is different from previous years as it is linked with the ‘Gangbuk-gu Youth Hope Expedition Team.’ The participants are 50 local middle school students. The ‘Gangbuk-gu Youth Hope Expedition Team’ is a unique educational program in Gangbuk-gu where youth learn dreams, hope, and a spirit of challenge by climbing mountains with Captain Um Hong-gil.

■ Globalization: Sharing the uniqueness of the 4·19 Revolution with the world

The international academic conference for the globalization of the 4·19 Revolution will continue as usual. On the 15th, nine distinguished professors from overseas and domestic institutions will meet via online video conference. The conference theme is “Challenges and Directions of Asian Democracy in the New Normal Era through the Spirit of the 4·19 Revolution.” Professor Lee Ki-ho of Hanshin University will chair the session, and professors from Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand will each present for 15 minutes on their topics. After discussions on each topic, they plan to provide comprehensive evaluations on the values of the 4·19 Revolution.

Since 2014, the district has been promoting the registration of 4·19 Revolution records as UNESCO World Documentary Heritage in cooperation with the 4·19 Revolution UNESCO World Documentary Heritage Registration and Commemoration Project Committee. In 2017, the 4·19 Revolution records were selected as candidates for UNESCO World Documentary Heritage registration by the Cultural Heritage Administration. Last year, President Moon Jae-in pledged at the 60th anniversary ceremony of the 4·19 Revolution to devote all efforts to achieving the world heritage registration. The government’s target deadline is 2022.

On the 18th, organizations related to the 4·19 Revolution will hold a ‘4·19 Revolution Commemoration Event.’ At the National 4·19 Democratic Cemetery, a memorial service honoring the spirits of the martyrs and a democratic cemetery cleanup project involving youth volunteers will take place. On the final day, April 19, the 61st anniversary 4·19 Revolution Commemoration Ceremony will be held.

Since 2013, Gangbuk-gu has opened the ‘4·19 Revolution National Cultural Festival’ with a mission to inherit and widely promote the spirit of 4·19. It has established itself as a representative patriotic cultural event in Korea that successfully conveys the meaning of the 4·19 Revolution to future generations, to the extent that Gangbuk-gu is now strongly associated with 4·19.

Mayor Park Kyum-soo of Gangbuk-gu said, “This year’s National Cultural Festival is organized as a hybrid event suitable for the COVID-19 era. Regardless of the format, I believe it will be no less effective in feeling the breath of the democratic martyrs. We hope many people will show interest and participate in the event, which aims to reexamine and share the value of the 4·19 Revolution with future generations.”