[Report] Healing Melodies Echo Across Wando Beach... The 6th Island Day Opens

The Miracle of the Island: Visiting the Healing Festival
Four Days at Wando Beach Park, August 7-10
Over 15,000 Gather Despite the Scorching Heat
Laughter Blooms at Regional Experience Booths
Healing Food Zone and Local Government Exhibitions Draw Huge Crowds

At 5:00 p.m. on August 7, Wando Beach Park in Wando-eup, Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do was packed with a crowd of over 15,000 people. Despite the sweltering midsummer afternoon and the lack of even a breeze at the event site, the anticipation on people's faces clearly outweighed the heat. At this opening ceremony for the 6th Island Day, Wando was transforming itself into a "healing island."

Mr. Kim (50), who traveled from Busan, said, "I had no idea the Island Day event would be this large in scale," adding, "I came to see the sea of Wando and am delighted to experience such a wonderful event as a bonus." The festival venue, filled with both visitors from afar and local residents, was already brimming with excitement.

Children are experiencing various crafting activities at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's experience booth. Photo by Lee Jungkyung

This event, held over four days from August 7 to 10 around Wando Beach Park, is themed "Take It Slow, Island" and delivers a message of healing. At the heart of the event was the "Healing Island Exhibition Hall," where visitors could explore the healing value of islands across the country.

Upon entering the exhibition hall, the first thing that catches the eye is the "Healing Island Self-Diagnosis Zone." In this space, where visitors could check their various emotional states, people took time to reflect and organize their thoughts.

After much contemplation, Ms. Kim (35) wrote down her feelings on a memo pad and said, "This is my first time experiencing such a self-emotional diagnosis. I never had time to reflect on myself amid my busy daily life, but this opportunity allowed me to think seriously about myself."

At booths from Jeju Island and Gyeongsangnam-do, visitors experienced island culture by writing wish tree cards and playing golf. Photo by Lee Jungkyung

The hands-on activities at each regional booth captivated visitors. A male visitor who participated in the Jeju dialect context-matching game at the Jeju Island booth burst out laughing, saying, "This is definitely a game only someone from Jeju can play! It's more fun and interesting than I expected."

At the "Scenic Healing" booth from Gyeongsangbuk-do, there was a game where participants had to say "Dokdo" and "Ulleungdo" in one breath to succeed. The sight of people of all ages participating together showed their affection for the islands. There were also scenes of young men preparing seriously while nearby visitors applauded to cheer them on.

The fishing game at the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province booth was also extremely popular. In this game, participants succeeded if they caught at least three fish with a fishing rod in 30 seconds. A female visitor said, "I can't believe I can catch fish this way. I want to bring my children to experience this together."

Chef Jung Jiseon, who became famous as the "Black and White Chef," is personally serving seafood dishes such as abalone dim sum to visitors and engaging in conversation. Photo by Lee Jungkyung

At the "Healing Food Zone," which featured specialties from Wando, abalone dishes enticed the crowd. Chefs Oh Seduk and Jung Jiseon served dishes such as abalone paella, abalone dim sum, and seasoned seaweed. One visitor waiting in line gave a thumbs up, saying, "These are very special flavors using seafood. The abalone is extremely fresh and the taste is outstanding."

One person who participated in the marine healing program commented, "Just looking at the sea makes me feel at peace." Another visitor smiled and said, "Spending a day in a place like this would be true healing." Visitors were experiencing the healing power of the island's nature with their whole bodies.

The eve festival, which began at 8:00 p.m., kicked off with a trot concert. Park Jihyun, Park Seojin, Han Hyejin, and Jeon Dagyeong took the stage, igniting the passion of middle-aged and older audience members. Watching people in their sixties waving their hands and singing along, the powerful appeal of trot music was once again evident. Exclamations such as "I never knew trot could captivate people like this!" arose naturally, and the lively atmosphere overwhelmed the venue.

Trot star Park Seojin, who took the stage at the eve festival, delivered a splendid performance with singing and janggu dance. Photo by Lee Jungkyung

On the second day, news of congratulatory performances by Ha Hyunwoo, An Sunghoon, TripleS, and Kwon Jina left younger audience members already brimming with excitement. Lee (17), a high school student who came from Gwangju with a friend, said, "I came to see Kwon Jina and TripleS. I didn't know Wando was such a beautiful place, so it's a win-win to enjoy both the concert and the trip."

In the policy hall, various policies aimed at improving the welfare of island residents were presented, along with policies from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the Korea Forest Service. The sight of attendees remaining until the end despite the hot weather showed that Island Day had become an important opportunity to rediscover the value of Korea's island culture, going beyond a mere local festival.

The four-day journey that began in Wando is drawing attention to how its message of healing and wellness will be delivered. Taking a moment to pause, reflect, and rest both body and mind amid busy daily life?this was the true gift that Wando offered.