Busan Gijang-gun, Ilgwang Icheon Port Hosts 'Traditional Punggeoje' Festival... Traditional Cultural Festival Praying for Bountiful Catch and Safety

Four Days Starting from Jeongwol Daeboreum on the Lunar Calendar...
Reenactment of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Donghaean Byeolsingut

Busan Gijang-gun will hold the ‘2025 Gijang-gun Traditional Bountiful Catch Festival’ from the 12th to the 15th of the upcoming month, a four-day event taking place around Icheon Port in Icheon Village, Ilgwang-eup, on the day of Jeongwol Daeboreum.

The Bountiful Catch Festival is a unique event in the fishing villages of Gijang-gun that prays for stable fishing, abundant catches, and the safety of the village. Along with the reenactment of the Donghaean Byeolsingut, a national intangible cultural heritage, a traditional cultural festival celebrating community harmony will unfold.

Since long ago, the Gijang area has relied heavily on fishing as an important livelihood, and safe operations and bountiful catches at sea, which is their living space, have been considered vital parts of life. Each village has held annual rituals praying for these blessings, which became the origin of the Bountiful Catch Festival. Today, it is an important event praying for the village’s peace and prosperity and has established itself as a cultural event where tourists can experience traditional culture.

The Bountiful Catch Festival in Gijang-gun has been conducted by selecting one village each year as the Jeju (祭主, ritual leader) from six fishing villages in Gijang-eup and Ilgwang-eup (Daebyeon, Hak-ri, Chilam, Icheon, Gongsu, Duho), forming a promotion committee, and having the village take the lead in organizing that year’s event.

Last year, the festival was successfully held in Chilam Village, Ilgwang-eup, and this year it has been passed on to Icheon Village, Ilgwang-eup.

The traditional bountiful catch festival held last year in Chilam Village, Ilgwang-eup. Provided by Gijang-gun.

Also, the Donghaean Byeolsingut was designated as a national intangible cultural heritage in 1985 and is being researched and passed down as a nationally protected traditional maritime culture. It is a village ritual praying for bountiful catches and the safety of the village, carrying meanings of wishing for individual health and longevity, business prosperity, and harmony among village residents.

Jeong Jong-bok, the county governor, said, “The Gijang-gun Bountiful Catch Festival is a traditional event in fishing villages where sincere rituals are performed praying for the village’s safety and bountiful catches, and it is a precious cultural heritage that has been carried on reflecting the unique characteristics of the region. Especially, I hope this year’s festival will revitalize the village atmosphere, which has stagnated due to the recent decline in seafood consumption, and serve as an opportunity to strengthen the unity of the local community.”

The Byeolsingut performed during the Bountiful Catch Festival refers to a large-scale village ritual led by a shaman. In particular, the Donghaean Byeolsingut has a strong purpose of praying for bountiful catches, so it is also called the Bountiful Catch Festival itself. There are about 50 types of ritual segments such as Cheonwanggut, Yongwanggut, Mungut, and Jesokgut, but they are adjusted and performed according to local circumstances. This year, 22 types of ritual segments will be performed in Icheon Village.