Jangheung-gun Cancels Air Force 'Black Eagles' Event 6 Hours Before Start

No Cancellation Notice for Tourists... Waiting Over an Hour in Scorching Heat

Jangheung-gun: "Residents Were Informed Three Times via Village Broadcast and Emergency Contact Network"

Residents of Jangheung-gun watched the Air Force Special Flight Unit 'Black Eagles' practicing their airshow along the Tamjin River on the 29th. / ⓒ Asia Economy

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Seo Young-seo] Jangheung-gun, Jeollanam-do, is facing criticism as the Air Force Special Flight Unit's airshow, scheduled for the 31st of last month, was canceled on the day of the event.

In particular, the cancellation of the airshow was not properly communicated, causing many tourists to wait for over an hour under the scorching heat before having to leave.

According to Jangheung-gun on the 2nd, the Republic of Korea Air Force Special Flight Unit "Black Eagles" was scheduled to perform an airshow for 15 minutes from 3 PM near the Tamjin River in Jangheung-eup on the 31st of last month.

The airshow was invited for the opening ceremony of the 14th Jeonnam Jin Jangheung Water Festival, but as the water festival was canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Jangheung-gun decided to proceed with a non-face-to-face event to provide entertainment and pray for overcoming COVID-19.

The Air Force Special Flight Unit raised expectations by conducting a rehearsal over Jangheung on the 29th of last month, but suddenly notified Jangheung-gun of the event cancellation at 9 AM on the day of the airshow.

Although it rained overnight, the sky cleared up by morning, and Jangheung-gun expected no issues with the airshow. However, they received the cancellation notice six hours before the event and hurriedly sent text messages to local residents and announced the cancellation via village broadcasts.

Despite this, extensive promotion had been ongoing for several days, and with the weekend coinciding with the vacation season, a large crowd including tourists gathered in the Jangheung area that day.

People unaware of the cancellation waited for over an hour under the strong sunlight, looking up at the sky to watch the airshow. Ultimately, the Air Force fighter jets did not appear, and the crowd left feeling disappointed.

There were rumors that some livestock farmers, startled by the noise of the fighter jets during rehearsals, protested to the Air Force over concerns about damage to their animals, leading to the cancellation.

Tourist Mr. Choi (51) said, "I heard about the airshow in nearby Jangheung and came from Mokpo to Jangheung, but the event did not take place without any notice," expressing dissatisfaction, "If they had at least informed visitors from outside about the cancellation, we wouldn't have suffered in the heat."

In response, Jangheung-gun stated that the event was originally planned as a non-face-to-face YouTube broadcast.

A Jangheung-gun official said, "On the day of the event, we received notification from the Air Force that the event was difficult to hold due to weather conditions and other factors. We informed residents three times via village broadcasts and emergency contact networks, but there was insufficient time to notify tourists from other regions," adding, "We will thoroughly prepare to ensure the airshow can be held next time."