[Seoul District News] Yongsan-gu to Host Itaewon Global Village Festival on 15-16 & Slogan ‘Uri, Jigeum Manna’ Festival Resumes After 3 Years of COVID-19 Hiatus & 3 Key Themes Enhancing Festival Meaning: Eco-friendly, Yongsan Residents, Itaewon Tourism Special Zone ... Seodaemun-gu’s Sinchon Yonsei-ro Hosts ‘Let’s Run Again’ Festival on 10th at Star Plaza, Changcheon Culture Park, and Myeongmul Rest Area Featuring Flea Market, Classical and EDM DJing, Dance, and Busking Performances
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yongsan-gu (District Mayor Park Hee-young) will hold the Itaewon Global Village Festival on the 15th and 16th in the Itaewon Tourism Special Zone area for those tired of daily life due to COVID-19 and longing for world travel.
As it is being held for the first time in three years, the slogan is "Let's meet now." It signifies the resumption of the festival, which was interrupted by COVID-19, inviting people from all over the world to meet again in Itaewon.
During the festival, the district will completely block vehicles on Itaewon-daero (from Noksapyeong Station to Itaewon Station) and Bogwang-ro (from Itaewon Station to Cheonghwa Apartment Intersection). This space will be filled with the main stage, performance zone, antique stage, hot stage, DJ box, world food zone, cultural experience zone, and more instead of vehicles.
Main programs include the opening ceremony, world traditional culture contest, Cooking Itaewon, global village parade, DJ party, Feedback dance contest, street busking performances, and closing ceremony.
Meeting Eco-friendliness, Residents, and Itaewon
The three key themes adding meaning to the 2022 Itaewon Global Village Festival are eco-friendliness, Yongsan residents, and the Itaewon Tourism Special Zone.
To minimize the use of disposable products during the festival, the district will run the "Wake Up Sleeping Tumblers" campaign. Bringing a tumbler allows free drinking water at water fountains, and a separate booth is set up to collect unused tumblers for recycling. Various events such as tumbler use certification entries (Yongsan-gu newsletter) are also prepared.
Park Hee-young, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, explained the purpose, saying, "The Itaewon Global Village Festival should evolve beyond just a festival for enjoyment to become a true global village festival leading the global agenda of 'eco-friendliness.'"
The biggest change this year is linking the festival with the "Yongsan Residents' Day" commemorative ceremony. On the first day of the festival, the 15th, the opening ceremony held at 5 p.m. on the main stage will also include promotional videos about the district and awards for residents.
Yongsan-gu has designated October 18, 1946, when Yongsan-gu was first established as an administrative district, as Yongsan Residents' Day, and this year marks the 29th commemorative ceremony.
Mayor Park Hee-young said, "Due to the easing of social distancing, consecutive events have increased fatigue among residents and staff," adding, "This will minimize burdens and reduce costs while boosting residents' pride by showcasing Yongsan-gu's elevated status through the festival."
The third keyword adding meaning to the festival is the "Itaewon Tourism Special Zone." Mayor Park emphasized, "If Edinburgh Festival exists in the UK, then the Itaewon Global Village Festival exists in Korea," and added, "We will restore the former glory of Itaewon, which was depressed due to COVID-19, through the festival."
Before COVID-19, the Itaewon Global Village Festival attracted one million visitors annually and won the Big Data Festival Hot Issue Star Award (2018) and Social Popularity Award (2019), ranking 8th nationwide and 1st in Seoul in the 2019 Festival Brand Reputation Index.
Korean and Global Cultures 'Collaboration'... 31 Foreign Embassies in Korea Participate
The festival highlight is the Global Village Parade. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the 15th, a procession about 1.4 km long will continue from Hangangjin Station to the performance zone. The parade starts with a flash mob, followed by a grand play combining rap percussion performances and dance.
The parade includes 32 teams with about 1,000 participants such as the military band, Ministry of National Defense honor guard, rap percussion & traditional performance groups, and performance teams from 10 embassies worldwide. Notably, the Philippine traditional performance group, which won the 2019 World Culture Award Grand Prize, leads the flash mob.
The "Traditional Culture Performance National Competition" with embassies is also a festival highlight. The preliminaries are on the 15th, and the finals on the 16th at the Hot Stage. The district plans to select three countries for the "World Culture Award" based on scores from the competition, parade participation, and festival contribution. These countries will receive a total prize of 8 million KRW, trophies, and promotional space support in the tourism special zone.
2022 Participating Countries Status: Opening Ceremony (26 countries), Closing Ceremony (15 countries), Promotional Booth Operation (26 countries), Traditional Performance Participation (14 countries), Parade Participation (10 countries)
True to the festival's name, Itaewon-ro will have traditional culture experience booths (14 countries), and Bogwang-ro will have national promotional booths (26 countries). Visitors can experience traditional cultures and admire various traditional crafts by country.
The secret to the Itaewon Global Village Festival's success is the ability to taste various world cuisines in one place. This year, the world food zone set up on Itaewon-ro will feature famous Itaewon restaurants. Forty-five restaurants representing their regions will participate in the World Food Street, Islamic Street, Nigeria Street, etc., offering exotic foods that are usually hard to find at affordable prices.
Food booths including Korean food booths with resident participation and a craft beer zone (10 booths) will also be set up. The district will install large parasols, benches, and standing tables throughout the streets to help tourists comfortably enjoy their meals.
Additionally, 14 institutions within the district, including the National Museum of Korea, National Hangeul Museum, Global Village Center, and Yongsan Craft Center, will participate. For the first time this year, a "Grand Sale" booth featuring 10 small business owners in the tourism special zone will be set up.
An antique stage will be set up on Bogwang-ro Antique Furniture Street. Models wearing antique props and medieval European costumes will create a unique scene, serving well as a photo zone. From the 6th to the 9th, the Itaewon Antique Furniture Association will host the Antique & Vintage Festival on Antique Furniture Street.
Various Side Events Including Cooking Itaewon, DJ Party, Dance Contest
There are also various side events. On the 16th at noon on the main stage, "Cooking Itaewon" will be held. This year, famous Bulgarian chef Mikael will demonstrate the process of making traditional Bulgarian dishes. The audience can taste traditional Bulgarian food on-site.
The Itaewon club scene will move to the street. From the 15th to 16th, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., a special stage next to the Itaewon Station Tourist Information Center will be lively with a DJ party. Supported by the creative company "UNION," top Korean DJs and hip-hop artists based in Itaewon will gather.
The festival also successfully hosts "Feedback," Asia's representative global dance contest. Known for its high influence and trust among dancers, it will be held on the 16th at 4 p.m. on the Hot Stage.
Other small-scale performances during the festival include busking by street artists active in Itaewon and retro-style performances by Street Tour Group 1988, welcoming audiences throughout Itaewon.
Mayor Park Hee-young said, "As this is the first festival in three years, I hope it becomes a meaningful occasion to enjoy rich programs while sharing the public value of 'environmental protection,'" adding, "On this deepening autumn day, I hope everyone fully immerses themselves in Itaewon's unique charm at the festival site."
Seodaemun-gu (District Mayor Lee Seong-heon) will hold the "Let's Run Again Festival" on the 10th from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Sinchon Yonsei-ro Star Plaza, Changcheon Cultural Park, and Myeongmul Rest Area.
The event is hosted by the Seodaemun Cultural Center to revitalize Yonsei-ro, which is undergoing changes, and to bring joy to young people, citizens, and merchants in the Yonsei-ro area who are tired from COVID-19.
At Star Plaza, a flea market selling daily miscellaneous goods, clothing, and accessories will be held. Especially from 6 p.m., classical performances by "Layers Classic," "Ecclesia," and "La Classe," EDM DJ performances, dance performances by "Bling Girls," and a concert by "No Brain" will take place.
With various genres, it will provide enjoyment to citizen audiences, and anyone can enjoy it by visiting Sinchon Yonsei-ro at the performance times without reservations.
At Changcheon Cultural Park, a flea market involving small business owners will be held, selling crafts and daily necessities, along with various experience booths.
At Myeongmul Rest Area, visitors can enjoy busking performances and take photos at the photo zone.
Lee Seong-heon, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, said, "I hope this event opens the door to the revival of the Sinchon commercial district and that many people feel leisure and joy in Yonsei-ro."
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