Changwon Special City Holds Moment of Silence for Victims
Before Opening Ceremony
The Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, renowned nationwide for its cherry blossom festivities, has officially begun its main events.
Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam announced on the 30th that the opening ceremony for the 63rd Jinhae Gunhangje, one of South Korea's representative spring festivals, was held at Jinhae Public Stadium, and a variety of events will continue until the 6th of next month.
Hong Nampyo, Changwon Special Mayor, is delivering a greeting at the opening ceremony of the Jinhae Gunhangje Cherry Blossom Festival.
The opening ceremony, which took place in the afternoon of the 28th, was attended by many citizens and tourists who enjoyed the beautiful spring day in Jinhae with cherry blossoms in full bloom, marking the beginning of the festival together.
Prior to the pre-ceremony performances, a moment of silence was observed to pay respects to the victims of recent large-scale wildfires.
The ceremony began with a joint performance by the Navy band and the Changwon and Tongyeong City Children's Choirs. It continued with the national pledge, a poetry reading, the opening declaration, congratulatory performances, and the 'Dream Stage,' which shared stories from citizens, delivering messages of comfort and hope as the event concluded.
Changwon Special City Mayor Hong Nam-pyo said, "The Jinhae Gunhangje began in 1952 during the Korean War to honor the patriotic spirit of Admiral Yi Sun-sin and to overcome a national crisis. As we are currently facing various disasters and social challenges, including recent wildfires, I hope this year's festival will remind us of its original meaning, provide hope and comfort to citizens, and serve as a venue for national unity."
Meanwhile, in consideration of the large-scale wildfire damages in regions such as Sancheong-gun and Hadong-gun, Changwon City plans to proceed with the festival in a more subdued atmosphere than in previous years by expressing condolences to the victims, adjusting some content, and reducing the scale of the event to reflect the national sentiment.
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