120th Anniversary Cultural Festival of Yi Yuk-sa's Birth 'Re: Yuk-sa' Held

Cultural Festival to Commemorate the 120th Anniversary of Yi Yuksa's Birth Held at Kkumbit Theater on the 18th at 2 PM
The festival titled 'Re: Yuksa' aims to revisit Yi Yuksa, who was active in Seongbuk, and respond to his message
Collaborating with universities in Seongbuk-gu to present creative arts performances, making it a more meaningful cultural event

Seongbuk-gu, Seoul (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) will hold a cultural festival titled 'Re: Yuksa' on the 18th at 2 PM at the Kkumbit Theater (20 Gireum-ro 7-gil, Seongbuk Media Culture Maru, 4th floor) in collaboration with Seongbuk Cultural Center (Director Kim Young-il), Dongduk Women’s University, Seokyeong University, Sungshin Women’s University, and Hansung University to specially commemorate the 120th anniversary of the birth of Yi Yuksa.

The title of this cultural festival, 'Re: Yuksa,' carries a layered meaning: to rethink (Rethinking) Yi Yuksa, who was actively creating works in Seongbuk-gu, and to respond (Reply) to the messages he sent to the nation and future generations in the past.

Yi Yuksa (李陸史, May 18, 1904 ? January 16, 1944) was a representative independence activist and national poet during the Japanese colonial period. He participated in anti-Japanese struggles both domestically and abroad, and from 1939 for three years, he stayed at 62 Jongam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, dedicating himself to his literary work. During this period, he published his representative works such as "Green Grapes" and "Climax" in the literary magazine "Munjang." Since 2016, Seongbuk-gu, together with the Seongbuk Cultural Center, has held an annual cultural festival commemorating the birth of poet Yi Yuksa.

This cultural festival will showcase newly created works related to Yi Yuksa across various genres. It will also be a more meaningful cultural event by collaborating with universities located in Seongbuk-gu. Students from Dongduk Women’s University’s Practical Music Department will present original songs, Seokyeong University’s Department of Performing Arts will stage an original musical, Sungshin Women’s University’s College of Music will perform art songs and string quartets, and Hansung University’s College of Arts will present original Korean dance performances.

As a special performance, the band ‘Vintage Frankie,’ which sings about history and culture, will perform original songs composed to Yi Yuksa’s poems, and hip-hop musicians ‘Kwon Sseok’ and ‘GK’ will present original rap pieces based on Yi Yuksa’s poetry. This cultural festival will provide an opportunity to understand and revisit the life and literary world of Yi Yuksa, an independence activist and national poet from Seongbuk-gu.

The 120th anniversary cultural festival ‘Re: Yuksa’ allows for comfortable entry through reserved seating via Naver reservation. On-site admission on the day is also available.

Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, said, “Seongbuk annually holds a cultural festival honoring Yi Yuksa, a representative local independence activist and literary figure. This year, marking the 120th anniversary of his birth, it will be an even more meaningful cultural festival as university students in the area collaborate on creative artistic performances inspired by Yi Yuksa’s literature. We will remember that Seongbuk’s achievements were built on the sacrifices and efforts of independence activists who resisted Japanese oppression, and we will strive to carry on Yi Yuksa’s spirit.”