[Inside Chodong]Unhappy Local Festivals

According to the Standard Korean Language Dictionary, 'festival (祝祭)' is defined as 'a large-scale event held to celebrate.' Famous festivals around the world come to mind, such as Germany's Oktoberfest, Brazil's Rio Carnival, Thailand's Songkran Festival, Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival, and Spain's La Tomatina. These are events that many would love to attend if given the chance.

But what about our local festivals? The headlines of related news are filled with unpleasant words far from joy, excitement, and fun, such as 'overcharging,' 'trash,' 'safety negligence,' and 'disappointment.'

Complaints about overcharging are nothing new. On the 28th of last month, a Japanese YouTuber visiting the Jeonnam Hampyeong Butterfly Festival was shocked by the prices: a shabby bowl of fish cake soup costing 10,000 won, and a plate of pork barbecue, insufficient for a full meal, priced at 40,000 won. The video went viral.

During the Busan Fireworks Festival on December 17 last year, hotels near Gwangalli where the festival was held charged 900,000 won per night, 4 to 5 times the usual rate, and cafes with good views demanded 100,000 won for seat fees, causing widespread complaints.

Safety negligence has not disappeared even after the Itaewon tragedy, and the disposal of trash left after festivals has long been a social issue. On the 27th of last month, during the fireworks display held in Haman County, Gyeongnam, a crowd of 50,000 people gathered all at once in a county with a population of 60,000, causing discomfort to tourists and even dangerous situations where accidents could have occurred. When criticism poured in on the local government, the county governor issued an official apology. The careless excuse that they did not anticipate such a crowd cannot justify the dangerous moments.

The 'Seoul World Fireworks Festival,' held for the first time in three years on October 8 last year and offering a dazzling moment to 1.05 million people, left 50 tons of trash in Yeouido and Ichon Hangang Parks. There were many calls for self-reflection on the shameful level of civic consciousness, but honestly, I do not have high expectations for how much will change this year.

How did our local festivals come to be like this? The surprising fact is that there are as many as 1,129 local festivals held or scheduled to be held this year. According to the '2023 Local Festival Hosting Plan' found in the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's data room, excluding contests, expos, and senior citizen parties, these are cultural, tourism, arts, and specialty product festivals lasting two or more days, hosted by local residents, local organizations, or local governments, and involving the participation of an unspecified number of people, as recognized by the government.

Looking closely at the data, which might be helpful when planning domestic travel, there is a lot of interesting information. There are 1,074 festivals receiving budget support from national or local governments, with total support amounting to 850.6 billion won. Some boast a long history, such as the Beopseongpo Dano Festival in Yeonggwang, Jeonnam, first held in the mid-Joseon period; the Namwon Chunhyang Festival in Jeonbuk, which started in 1931 and is holding its 93rd event this year; and the Jirisan Namak Festival in Gurye County, Jeonnam, which began in 1945 and is celebrating its 79th year this year.

Based on visitor numbers from the previous year, some festivals attracted millions of visitors, such as the Yeouido Spring Flower Festival in Seoul with 5.23 million, the Haeundae Light Festival in Busan with 3.79 million, and the Wangin Cultural Festival in Yeongam, Jeonnam with 3.57 million. On the other hand, there are mini-festivals with only 200 to 300 attendees, like the Baengnyeong Simcheong Filial Piety Lotus Festival in Ongjin County, Incheon, and the Sanseong Cultural Festival in Goseong, Gangwon-do.

Every year, many local festivals face criticism for lacking distinctiveness and for the regional economic revitalization effects, which are the rationale for budget support, being unimpressive. We hope for the development of local festivals that make both visitors and local residents happy and are enjoyable for people worldwide.