Dong-A Ilbo | The Year Since ‘Gyeonggi’ Turned One Thousand.. A Feast for the Eyes and Ears
Dong-A Ilbo reported on the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation's 'Gyeonggi Millennium Docufesta,' marking 1,000 years since the name 'Gyeonggi' was first used, including a youth talk concert lineup featuring Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung.
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In 1018, the 9th year of King Hyeonjong of Goryeo, as the central and local administrative systems were reorganized, Gaegyeong, the Goryeo capital of the time, and the 12 surrounding counties were grouped together and began to be called 'Gyeonggi.' It was also the year the 'Gyeonggi System' was institutionally implemented and 'Gyeonggi Culture' was born.
The Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation announced on the 11th that, marking the 1,000th year since the naming of 'Gyeonggi,' it will hold the 'Gyeonggi Millennium Docufesta' (2018 Gyeonggi Millennium October Festival) through the 27th.
'Docufesta' is a compound of 'document' and 'festa' (festival). It is the overall name encompassing detailed programs such as the Gyeonggi Millennium Grand Festival and the Gyeonggi Millennium Youth Festa.
To mark the Gyeonggi Millennium, the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation set the values to be pursued together by Gyeonggi's 13 million residents as: future, unification, people, space, culture, and heritage.
One event worth noting first is the 'Gyeonggi Archive_Now' exhibition, where visitors can explore art and records related to Gyeonggi's 1,000-year history. It began on the 10th of last month at Gyeonggi Sangsang Campus (the former Seoul National University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences campus, Seodun-dong, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon) and runs through the 31st of this month. It was planned as a special exhibition by the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art to commemorate the 1,000th year since the name 'Gyeonggi' came into use. Visitors can survey Gyeonggi's diverse culture and creative art all in one place.
Extensive cultural and artistic materials were also researched and excavated to compile Gyeonggi's cultural identity into a 'New Gyeonggi Millennium Uigwe.' An 'Uigwe' is a Joseon-era book that documented major state events in text and illustrations. This exhibition, too, will be produced as a 'Gyeonggi Archive Book.'
From the 19th to the 21st, the 'Gyeonggi Millennium Grand Festival' will also be held at Gyeonggi Sangsang Campus. Together with 31 cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province, it will present content under the themes 'The Thousand Years Lived (Traditional Culture),' 'Now (Everyday Culture),' and 'The Thousand Years to Come (Future Culture).' There will be a variety of things to see and enjoy, including 'living culture performances,' the 'Gyeonggi Millennium Living Culture Colloquium,' and 'live podcast broadcasts.'
Invited celebratory performances by the Ussuriysk Goryein Cultural Center Art Troupe, made up of overseas Koreans in Russia, and a Kazakhstan art troupe, are expected to draw visitors' attention. Traditional art performances by Goryeoin -- ethnic Koreans forcibly relocated -- who carry on the legacy of Joseon, carry meaning that spans past, present, and future generations.
Food and rest areas will also be provided; the 'Millennium Table' is a program in which Gyeonggi residents share a table set with local specialty foods from the Gyeonggi region, becoming 'one family' (sharing a meal) together.
For the young people who will lead Gyeonggi Province into its new millennium, the 'Gyeonggi Millennium Youth Festa' will also be unveiled. Held at the Contemplation Hill of Gyeonggi Sangsang Campus, the event consists of the Gyeonggi Millennium Youth Concert, a 'youth troubles' talk lecture, and more. Singers Mamamoo, Ailee, NU'EST, Mad Clown, and Nucksal, among others, will take part in the Gyeonggi Millennium Youth Concert. The 'youth troubles' talk lecture will feature a talk concert with Professor Jin Jung-kwon, Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung, broadcaster Yoo Byung-jae, and Kim Ji-yoon, director of the Good Love Research Institute.
Other events include the 'Gyeonggi Millennium Cultural History and Academic Conference' (November 2-4), the 'Gyeonggi-do Diversity Film Festival' (October 27-28), and the 'Forepore & Office Workers' Band Festival' (October 27). Details of the Gyeonggi Millennium commemorative projects can be found on the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation website and the Gyeonggi Millennium website.
A Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation official said, "Through this year's events marking 1,000 years since the naming of Gyeonggi, we plan to re-establish Gyeonggi Province's standing together with its residents and explore directions for future development."
Suwon = Reporter Lee Kyung-jin lkj@donga.com