Suncheon 'Food and Art Festival' Continues Outdated Administration

Selling Food & Art Gift Certificates to Various Government-Related Organizations
Restricting Use of Suncheon Sarang Gift Certificates and Disaster Relief Funds

[Suncheon=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] The '2021 Food and Art Festival' to be held over two days on the 12th and 13th in the UD Street area of Suncheon City is reported to be much larger in scale than before, as various departments of Suncheon City have added supplementary events.

The Suncheon City Senior and Disabled Division operates the 'Silver Market,' the Autonomous Innovation Division holds the '1st Suncheon Autonomy Expo,' and the Citizen Sovereignty Office hosts the 'Democracy Policy Festival' around the Suncheon Bu-eupseong area.

As a result, although the scale of the festival has grown larger than ever, there are criticisms that by adding other events unrelated to the original purpose of the festival, the meaning of the 'Food and Art Festival' is inevitably diluted.

There are suspicions that the department in charge of the 'Food and Art Festival,' which has been controversial and problematic in the past, added various events because they lacked confidence.

Additionally, it has been identified that government-affiliated organizations such as residents' autonomy committees of each eup, myeon, and dong, the neighborhood chiefs' association, and the Barugesalgi (Right Living) Association purchased tens of thousands of won worth of Food and Art Festival gift certificates.

This is interpreted as a continuation of the old-fashioned administrative practice of mobilizing manpower to cover up a possible failure of the festival.

Furthermore, local currencies such as the Suncheon Love gift certificate, Onnuri gift certificate, and disaster relief funds are not allowed to be used.

Citizen A said, “I don’t understand the administration’s intention to prohibit the use of local currencies meant to support the region and small businesses, as well as disaster relief funds.”

There were also criticisms that the festival’s program composition is inadequate.

The opening ceremony will be held at around 6:30 p.m. on the 12th, and on the 13th at around 3 p.m., there will be a lively cooking class by the Paengrak couple.

Side events include writing messages on the Okcheon riverside wall with Creon, snack provision at the Youth Cafe, making keyrings and pouches at the experience zone, photo-taking at the photo zone with prizes for posting on SNS, and games such as taking pictures with Younghee and playing Dalgona (Korean sugar candy) picking.

Critics say that a festival without ideology is an empty shell event, calling it an incomprehensible administration and a strange festival.

There is criticism that there are no events connecting the ideology that the Food and Art Festival holds.

In the Culture Street area, food trucks are set up; along the Okcheon riverside, the Food and Art Market and social enterprises for agricultural and specialty products are present; and at the Webtoon Center UD Street, food stalls and experience booths are prepared, making it the largest scale ever.

Citizen B said, “I miss the Suncheon City that reduced consumptive budgets for festivals that were not held last year due to COVID-19 and instead provided disaster relief funds to all citizens.”

There is a call for administration that does not contradict the purpose of Suncheon City, which was the first in the nation to declare With-Corona, to restore lost daily life and promote various events for citizens’ smiles and regional economic vitality.