Japanese-Style Festival to Be Held in Gyeonggi Province on National Liberation Day
Professor Seo Kyungduk Criticizes It as "An Act Against National Sentiment"
Professor Seo Kyungduk strongly criticized the Japanese-style festival scheduled to take place in Gyeonggi Province on National Liberation Day, calling it "an act that goes against the national sentiment."
A Japanese-style festival is scheduled to be held at a theme park in Gyeonggi Province on Liberation Day, causing significant controversy. Nijimori Studio
The center of the controversy is Nijimori Studio, a Japanese-themed village located in Dongducheon. This commercial facility utilizes a set originally built for drama and film shoots as a theme park. Since July 26 and until August 17, it has been hosting the "Natsumatsuri Summer Festival."
The festival features programs that prominently showcase Japanese culture, including traditional Japanese attire, samurai duels, and a mikoshi (Japanese portable shrine) parade. The issue is that the festival schedule includes August 15, National Liberation Day. According to the event schedule, samurai duel performances and a kimono contest are also set to take place on National Liberation Day. The festival was once introduced on "Korea Travel Guide," a website operated by the Korea Tourism Organization, which further fueled the controversy. As the debate intensified, the post has since been deleted.
Seo Kyungduk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, commented on the issue, saying, "Of course, local governments can hold Japanese cultural festivals." However, he criticized, "Holding such an event on National Liberation Day, when we regained our sovereignty from Japanese colonial rule, is an act that goes against the national sentiment." He also added, "This year marks the 80th anniversary of Liberation," emphasizing, "I only hope this serves as an opportunity for us to properly recognize our own history."
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