Songpa-gu to Host New Year's Countdown and Festival Event

December 31 Night Countdown Event at Seokchon Lake East Stage Like New York Times Square

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) has prepared a special New Year's event.

On the night of the 31st, a ‘countdown’ will be held at Seokchon Lake, followed by a city sunrise viewing event at Mangwolbong in Olympic Park on the morning of January 1.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, explained, “To bring hope to residents, we have prepared a special New Year's Eve event comparable to the New York Times Square New Year’s celebration by utilizing various tourism resources in Songpa.”

First, on the last day of this year, December 31, from 11:30 PM, a ‘New Year Countdown’ event will take place at the Seokchon Lake East Stage. The ringing of the Bosingak bell will be broadcast live using a large LED screen, followed by a congratulatory performance by a male tenor quartet to convey hope.

At the same time, the Luminarie Festival using lights is currently ongoing at Seokchon Lake, adding to the enjoyment. It is expected to become a festival where both residents and tourists can enjoy together, just like the New York Times Square every New Year.

January 1 New Year Morning, City’s First Sunrise Viewing at Mangwolbong in Olympic Park ‘New Year Celebration’

Next, at 7 AM on January 1, the ‘2023 Songpa New Year Celebration’ will be held at Mangwolbong of Mongchontoseong in Olympic Park. This is the first event in three years since COVID-19.

Mangwolbong (望月峰) in Songpa-gu Olympic Park is a peak protruding along the approximately 2.3 km Mongchontoseong walking trail. It is an ideal spot to watch the New Year sunrise along the open ridge, attracting about 10,000 citizens every year as a famous sunrise spot in downtown Seoul.

The New Year Celebration of the Year of the Black Rabbit begins with a traditional procession by the Songpa Folk Preservation Society’s pungmul team. Especially, this procession will be harmonized with the Songpa Sandae Nori, National Intangible Cultural Property No. 49, the only mask play in Seoul registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, adding excitement. Afterwards, there will be a fusion gugak (traditional Korean music) performance by singer Jeon Tae-won and a powerful congratulatory performance by musical actor Choi Jung-won.

At around 8 AM when the sun rises, a bell-ringing ceremony of hope will be held. At the moment the first sun of the new year rises, residents gathered together will watch the sunrise and make wishes for the new year. The event will conclude with a sunrise congratulatory song performance by the male vocal ensemble Saminsamsaek, consisting of tenor Song Seung-min, baritone Lee Jin-won, and bass Son Cheol-ho.

In addition to the main event, various activities will be prepared from the entrance of the venue. The New Year lantern street will light up the dark early morning path to safely guide residents. At Mangwolbong, visitors can write their New Year wishes on wish papers and hang them on sotdae (traditional wooden poles). The wish papers will be burned along with the daljip (moon house) during the Jeongwol Daeboreum festival, praying once again for wish fulfillment.

Moreover, the Songpa Calligraphy Association will offer diverse events such as ▲fortune-telling based on the Tojeong Bigyeol (traditional Korean fortune-telling) ▲writing family mottos ▲photo zones commemorating the Year of the Rabbit ▲tarot, astrology, and four pillars fortune-telling, allowing visitors to create special memories on the first day of the new year.

Furthermore, to prevent safety accidents due to crowding, the district will hold joint on-site inspections and safety management review meetings in advance with Songpa Police Station and Songpa Fire Station. On the event day, safety facilities and guides and safety personnel will be deployed to ensure thorough safety management.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, “As this New Year event resumes after three years, we will do our best to provide residents with a comfortable and happy time,” and added, “In the Year of the Black Rabbit, I hope all residents receive the hopeful energy of the new year and have a year full of health and good fortune.”

Gangdong-gu Opens Smart Library at Godeok Station Available 365 Days a Year

Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Soo-hee) announced on the 30th that it will install and operate a smart library at Godeok Station, available 365 days a year, to provide convenient book services to residents.

The ‘Smart Library’ is equipped with a smart book lending and return machine, allowing convenient borrowing and returning of new and popular books regardless of library operating hours and location.

The Godeok Station Smart Library stocks about 600 books and is installed in a subway station with high foot traffic, so it is expected that many residents will be able to conveniently use the library.

The district has installed smart libraries at ▲Cheonho Station ▲Sangil-dong Station ▲Sangil 1-dong Community Center ▲Gangdong-gu Future Education Innovation Center ▲Gangdong-gu Office, and plans to add a smart library at Jungang Veterans Hospital Station in the future.

Anyone holding a Gangdong-gu Public Library Book Link membership card or Seoul Citizen Card app mobile membership can use the service. The borrowing limit is one book per person, and books can be borrowed for 14 days.

Jongno-gu’s Go Hee-dong Art Museum Holds 3rd Anniversary Exhibition of Reopening

Jongno-gu (Mayor Jeong Moon-heon) has started the 3rd anniversary exhibition of the reopening titled ‘Touching Modernity, Go Hee-dong: Pioneer of Modern Painting’ at the Jongno-gu Go Hee-dong Art Museum (16 Wonseo-dong) from the 27th until April 2024.

The exhibition is organized to look back on the artistic career of ‘Chungok Go Hee-dong,’ Korea’s first Western-style painter and a pioneer of modern painting, showcasing his various Eastern and Western paintings.

It is meaningful as it highlights Go Hee-dong, who opened a new chapter in Korean art from tradition to modernity, and unveils six newly acquired pieces collected since the reopening of the public art museum for the first time.

The Jongno-gu Go Hee-dong Art Museum is a modern-style hanok that the artist himself designed in 1918 at 16 Wonseo-dong and lived in for 41 years. After restoration, it opened as the ‘Go Hee-dong House’ in 2012.

Recognized as a significant space showing the birthplace of Korean modern art and the residential appearance during the Japanese colonial period, it was registered as Cultural Heritage No. 84. In 2019, the Jongno Cultural Foundation took over its operation and renamed it ‘Jongno-gu Go Hee-dong Art Museum.’

The house interior is composed of six exhibition rooms displaying related videos about Go Hee-dong’s life, works that explore his life and artistic world, and numerous small items. The beautiful courtyard is also used for concerts, and exhibition-linked programs are continuously offered to provide cultural enjoyment opportunities to citizens.

The museum operates from Tuesday to Sunday, 10 AM to 6 PM, and admission is free. For inquiries, contact the Jongno Cultural Foundation.

Mayor Jeong Moon-heon said, “This will be a great opportunity to appreciate the works of Chungok Go Hee-dong, a pioneer who led the modern art world ahead of his time, and to see the newly acquired pieces,” adding, “We will continue to plan high-quality exhibitions and various experiential and educational programs to promote Chungok Go Hee-dong and provide citizens with a life enriched by culture.”