Gangdong-gu Hosts the 27th Gangdong Prehistoric Culture Festival

[Seoul District News] Gangdong-gu, Travel to 'Days Full of Bichsal' at Amsa-dong Historic Site from October 7 to 9 & Celebration Performances with Jang Yoon-jung, Kim Bum-soo, Guckkasten, Jung In, Stella Jang, and More, Prehistoric Idol Festival, Gangdong Slowpoke Contest, Rest Time, and More Attractions... Lee Soo-hee Gangdong-gu Mayor and Won Hee-ryong Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Discuss GTX-D Line Attraction... The 5th Annual 'Gangdong Animal Love Festival' Held on the 24th, a Representative Pet Culture Festival of Seoul City

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Soo-hee) announced on the 29th that it will hold the 27th Gangdong Prehistoric Culture Festival under the theme "A Day Full of Comb-patterned Pottery" for three days from October 7 to 9 at the Seoul Amsa-dong archaeological site area (875 Olympic-ro, Gangdong-gu).

The Gangdong Prehistoric Culture Festival, which first opened in 1996, marks its 27th anniversary this year. It is the only festival in Seoul themed on the prehistoric era and represents Gangdong-gu, a district with a deep history in Seoul.

At this 27th festival, the district plans to express its wish for the UNESCO World Heritage registration of the Seoul Amsa-dong archaeological site and portray the happy daily lives of Neolithic people who lived there as a special three-day festival stage.

In particular, since this festival is held offline for the first time in three years, it features a variety of programs that residents can directly participate in, such as the "Neolithic Archaeology Experience School," "Prehistoric Idol Festival," "Gangdong Slowpoke Contest," and "Rest (休) Time." In addition, various contents to enjoy over the three days will continue without interruption.

On the first day of the festival, October 7, the following events will be held sequentially: ▲2022 Seoul Amsa-dong Archaeological Site International Academic Conference, ▲Dream Parade performed by the Gangdong-gu Folk Art Troupe, ▲"Prehistoric Idol Festival" for the excavation of Gangdong's popular stones, and ▲Lighting ceremony and tour of the Light Festival tracing prehistoric traces.

The opening performance will follow, featuring idol group "Saturday," trot queen "Jang Yoon-jung," and national singer "Kim Bum-soo," marking the official start of the journey to a prehistoric day full of comb-patterned pottery.

On the second day, October 8, there will be ▲Eco-friendly street performance "Yusangtong Project," ▲Gangdong-gu Urban Management Corporation family festival performance, ▲Bawijeol Village Hosangnori, and various other attractions and activities for visitors to the Seoul Amsa-dong archaeological site.

On the last day of the festival, October 9, numerous artists will showcase their talents in ▲Gangdong Artist Performance "Hello Gangdong," ▲Prehistoric Rock Festival, and ▲Popera performances that captivate the audience with powerful voices.

The closing performance will feature psychedelic rock band "Guckkasten," the sweet voice of "Jung-in," and "Stella Jang," delivering passionate stages. Following the closing performance, a fireworks show will beautifully decorate the autumn night sky, marking the end of the 27th Gangdong Prehistoric Culture Festival.

Additionally, permanent programs include ▲"Neolithic Archaeology Experience School," providing children with various opportunities to experience the Neolithic era, ▲Experience booths in collaboration with Jeongok Prehistoric Museum, ▲the unique "Gangdong Slowpoke Contest," where the last to arrive at the goal wins, ▲"Rest (休) Time," healing through ASMR and sky screen without mobile phones, and many other experiential programs such as "Prehistoric Adventure Playground," "Prehistoric Picnic Zone," and "Bushcraft."

Lee Soo-hee, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, said, "We have prepared various resident participation programs to make this a festival where residents are the main characters." She added, "I hope this three-day journey to the prehistoric era will be remembered as a happy memory by the residents."

She also said, "Since the Gangdong Prehistoric Culture Festival is a large-scale festival attended by about 420,000 people each time, we will do our best to ensure safety management." She added, "Safety guards will be stationed throughout the festival site to prepare for emergencies that may occur at the venue, and we will do our best to ensure that visitors enjoy the event and return home safely."

From October 7 to 16, when the festival begins, the "Prehistoric Shining Garden, Light Exploration Team" themed "2022 Night Light Festival" will be held inside the Seoul Amsa-dong archaeological site, dazzlingly decorated with diverse media art depicting the prehistoric era.

At the Night Light Festival, the Light Exploration Team will roam paths of hunting and gathering, nomadism, and cultivation, allowing visitors to experience outdoor walking-type media art exhibitions such as giant prehistoric figures, light butterflies, prehistoric wish trees, and firefly forests.

The lighting of the Night Light Festival is from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and during the Gangdong Prehistoric Culture Festival, there will be experiential events where visitors can meet various prehistoric figures, collect stamps, and receive prizes on a first-come, first-served basis.

Lee Soo-hee, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, met with Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, on the 28th to explain urgent issues in Gangdong-gu and request active support, the district announced on the 29th.

During the meeting, Mayor Lee proposed ▲the passage of the Metropolitan Area Express Train (GTX) Line D through Gangdong-gu, ▲direct connection of Subway Line 5, ▲private sale of the 12th complex in the Godeok Gangil district, and ▲original plan promotion of the (tentatively named) Suseok Bridge.

He especially emphasized that securing the GTX-D line for Gangdong-gu is the top priority. This is because it is a solution to meet the rapidly increasing transportation demand in Gangdong-gu, which is approaching a population of 500,000 due to large-scale reconstruction, redevelopment, and business complex development.

Although a self-conducted feasibility study by the district showed economic viability for all three alternatives passing through Gangdong-gu (Godeok, Gildong Ecological Park, Cheonho), the Ministry of Land announced in July last year the "4th National Railroad Network Construction Plan," which reduced the GTX-D line to run from Gimpo Janggi Station to Bucheon Sports Complex.

In response, since the presidential pledge national agenda includes the expansion of "new GTX lines," and the Ministry of Land started the "Metropolitan Area Express Train Expansion Integrated Planning Study" in June to discover new GTX lines, the district plans to actively negotiate with the Ministry and related organizations to secure the route.

The direct connection project of Line 5 is also one of the key transportation policies promoted by Gangdong-gu. Since the opening of the Hanam Line, the number of users has surged, and because Line 5 branches into two directions at Gangdong Station requiring transfers, user dissatisfaction is high.

Mayor Lee judged that the direct connection project linking Gubeundari Station and Dunchon-dong Station is the primary solution to the current problems of Line 5 and requested cooperation from the Ministry of Land and Transport to have it selected as a preliminary feasibility study project by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance.

Regarding the 12th complex in Godeok Gangil district, he strongly urged that it proceed as originally planned with private sales. Currently, the rental housing ratio in Gangdong-gu is already the highest among Seoul's autonomous districts, especially concentrated in Godeok Gangil district. Since many resident-averse facilities such as food waste treatment plants and resource circulation centers are already operating there, supplying more public housing would require excessive sacrifice considering regional balanced development equity.

Finally, concerning the recent claim by Hanam City to change the location of the (tentatively named) Suseok Bridge, he expressed concern about resident opposition and urged that it proceed according to the original plan to lead trustworthy administration as a consistent national project.

Minister Won Hee-ryong responded, "We will carefully review the details of Gangdong-gu's issues together with the working-level staff."

In 2013, Gangdong-gu became the first autonomous district to install a "Stray Cat Feeding Station," in 2017 it established the nation's first directly managed abandoned animal adoption center, and in 2022 it launched the country's first "Companion Dog Patrol Squad."

These are the reasons why Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Soo-hee) takes pride in leading animal welfare among autonomous districts.

In the era of 15 million pet owners, the lifestyle of urban residents living with companion animals is changing, and accordingly, residents' demands for improved animal welfare are increasing day by day.

Gangdong-gu Devotes Itself to Building Animal Welfare Infrastructure

Gangdong-gu's cafe-style abandoned animal public adoption center, "Ribbon Center," is famous enough to be featured in various media outlets. This is because it breaks the prejudice that abandoned dog shelters are dirty and malodorous facilities by being established as a three-story building in the middle of the city and has been evaluated as a model facility operating excellently to date.

Established to prevent euthanasia of abandoned animals and increase adoption rates, this facility has been loved by residents and has found new families for 248 abandoned dogs so far.

The Ribbon Center carefully manages adopted abandoned dogs through strict adoption procedures and education to prevent re-abandonment. Through an educational program called "Seodanggae (Your Clumsy Dog)," it teaches pet owners and their dogs how to live healthily with neighbors by learning pet care methods and pet etiquette.

Moreover, the district operates various projects to change people's perceptions of animal welfare. It leads animal welfare and awareness improvement by promoting projects such as training companion dog behavior experts, visiting apartment complexes for companion dog education, and the companion dog patrol squad.

The "Gangdong Animal Love Festival," held on the 24th, marked its 5th year this year and has become a representative companion animal cultural festival in Seoul. About a thousand residents participated with their pets, showing great expectations and interest in Gangdong-gu's animal welfare.

Full Effort to Establish the Campaign Promise "Companion Dog Playground"

One of Mayor Lee Soo-hee's campaign promises in the 8th local government is the installation of a "Companion Dog Playground." As the number of pet owners increases, demands for expanding animal welfare infrastructure are also growing, especially the demand for playgrounds where companion dogs can run freely with their owners.

Gangdong-gu initially considered several locations such as retention basins and was reviewing a neighborhood park of over 100,000㎡ in Godeok Gangil 1 district as a candidate site for the companion dog playground, but excluded it after collecting opinions from nearby residents concerned about noise, odor, and biting accidents.

A "Companion Dog Playground" serves as a safe and free space fenced off in the dense urban area full of apartment complexes, allowing pet owners and non-pet owners to walk without conflict and acting as a safety device. However, consensus among residents must be formed before construction.

Therefore, Gangdong-gu is considering installing the "Companion Dog Playground" in parks near the Han River or riverside areas far from residential neighborhoods, where complaints are less likely to occur, and plans to approach more cautiously through residents' awareness improvement and public hearings.

The future "Companion Dog Playground" will include fenced play areas with drinking facilities, waste bag dispensers, playground equipment, and convenience facilities such as benches and parasols for owners to rest, expected to upgrade Gangdong-gu's animal welfare level.

Mayor Lee Soo-hee said, "Building animal welfare infrastructure is essential for the happy coexistence of pet owners and non-pet owners," and added, "We will continue to do our best to create a pet-friendly Gangdong-gu by accommodating various residents' demands with leading policies for animal welfare."