Seongdong District Residents' Singing Contest Held After 4 Years

[Seoul District News] Seongdong-gu to Hold Residents' Autonomy Harmony Festival and Seongdong Residents' Singing Contest at Salgotji Park from 3:30 PM on October 1 & Program Presentation and Traditional Liquor Tasting Experience & 21 Finalists' Competition and Guest Singer Performance... Seocho-gu Resumes Yangjaecheon Cheoncheon (River, Slowly) Tour

2019 Resident Autonomy Harmony Festival Held Photo

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) will hold the ‘2022 Resident Autonomy Harmony Festival’ program presentation followed by the ‘Seongdong-gu Residents Singing Contest’ at Salgotyi Sports Park on October 1.

This year, the two events will be held in conjunction, offering a variety of attractions and entertainment, creating a grand festival of harmony where residents, exhausted from COVID-19, can enjoy and socialize together.

First, the Resident Autonomy Harmony Festival, held for the first time in three years since 2019, will feature a program presentation, experience booths, and a marketplace. Starting at 3:30 PM, a total of 16 teams with 220 participants will showcase their skills honed through local community center programs such as pungmulnori (traditional Korean percussion performance), Korean dance, line dance, dance sports, and pop song classes.

At the event venue, food markets by neighborhood will be open, and residents will sell handmade workshop products such as EM soap, eco-bags, and pouches created through resident autonomy projects. Additionally, diverse experience booths including napkin art, traditional liquor tasting, and postcard writing will be operated.

Following this, from 6 PM, the Seongdong-gu Residents Singing Contest will be held for the first time in four years since 2018. Among 155 applicants, 21 finalists who passed the fierce preliminary round will freely showcase their talents and skills in the singing contest.

Moreover, congratulatory performances by invited singers such as Hongja, Hong Jiyoon, and One Plus One (Kim Min-gyo, Lee Byung-chul) will further elevate the event’s excitement.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “I expect many residents to actively prepare and participate in the event, making it a festival where everyone can come together.” He added, “As Seongdong-gu’s representative festival, which was interrupted by COVID-19, is held in one place, I hope it becomes a grand cultural festival in the deepening autumn days.”

Seocho-gu offers an opportunity to enjoy beautiful autumn scenery while riding a raft with family on Yangjaecheon, an urban stream.

Seocho-gu (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) recently announced the resumption of the ‘Yangjaecheon Slow Tour,’ which had been temporarily suspended due to heavy rain, starting from October 4.

The ‘Yangjaecheon Slow Tour’ means ‘a tour to slowly enjoy the stream,’ and is an experiential environmental program where children can briefly enjoy nature at Yangjaecheon and feel the importance of stream conservation. It has been highly recognized externally, receiving awards such as ▲2019 Ministry of Environment ‘Excellent Environmental Education Program’ ▲2020 European top environmental award ‘Green Apple Awards’ Silver Prize ▲2021 Ministry of Environment ‘Environmental Award.’

The program was suspended due to COVID-19 and planned to resume this summer after three years, but was temporarily halted again due to severe damage to stream facilities caused by record heavy rain in August. It will be reintroduced to residents after restoration of Yangjaecheon facilities.

Main activities include riding an electric shuttle car along Yangjaecheon with a professional guide to learn about various animals and plants living nearby, and experiencing feeding carp and ducks. There are also opportunities to visit water purification facilities and make and throw EM mud balls for water purification, allowing participants to actively engage in stream cleaning activities. The popular raft experience offers a special chance rarely available in the city, where participants can ride a raft along the Yangjaecheon waterway and even release loaches.

This year, equipment has been reinforced to expand participation, doubling the daily capacity from 24 to 48 people. The program is free of charge and open to children aged 5 and above along with their parents. Registration is available through the Seoul Public Service Reservation System.

Jeon Seong-su, Mayor of Seocho-gu, said, “I am pleased to restart the Yangjaecheon Slow Tour,” and added, “I hope many families will cherish the meaningful experience and memories.”