Uiwang Hosts 13th Korean Language Festival in Grand Success with 4,000 Visitors

Uiwang City (Mayor Kim Sung-je) announced that the "13th Uiwang Korean Language Festival" held on October 9 at Galmi Korean Language Park and nearby sculpture exhibition spaces drew approximately 4,000 visitors and concluded successfully, marking the centennial of the establishment of Korean Language Day.

The Uiwang Korean Language Festival was organized to reflect upon the value of Korean language as a regional historical and cultural asset, link it with contemporary values of environment, society, and transparency, and create a venue for understanding and communication between generations.

The event was co-hosted by Anyang University's Korean Language and Culture Center, Uiwang City Council of Little Libraries, and the Uiwang City Branch of the Saemaul Geunbang Movement. A total of 35 organizations participated, including the Uiwang City Children's and Social Welfare Meal Management Support Center and community libraries, presenting diverse experience, exhibition, and performance programs. The venue utilized Uiwang City's historical place names in experience booth names and introduced the old names of six neighborhoods through the "Street Name Explorer" exhibition.

At Galmi Korean Language Park, activities included rubbings of Hunminjeongeum commentary texts, making King Sejong worry dolls, making Korean alphabet beaded bracelets, making Hunminjeongeum Korean soap, Korean character treasure hunts and riddles, making Korean cutout crafts, and old and new book exchanges. At the sculpture exhibition space, book picnics, book sharing, and environmental magic storytelling sessions were held.

Additionally, calligraphy works under the theme "Capturing Uiwang," works by linguist Yi Heung-sung, a native of Uiwang, and local artists' books were displayed, and a "flower photo zone" was set up at the Korean language sculpture.

The opening ceremony began with performances by Cheonggye Free Waldorf School students dancing "Miryang O-Book Dance" and hand-writing instructor Yi Ha-roo's "Artistic Calligraphy Performance." This was followed by "Hunminjeongeum Preface Recitation" by seniors from the Uiwang City Beautiful Life Elderly Welfare Center and children from the My Hands Are Comfortable Together Care Center, and senior Song Yong-soon's recitation of his original poem "To My Stepfather," written after completing a literacy class producing seniors' poetry collections. Later, children from Wanggok Kindergarten and Sky Love Kindergarten presented chorus and rhythmic movements on the themes of "Yongbi Eocheon Ga" and "Our Korean Language," and the event concluded with participants joining in the traditional circle dance Ganggangsullae.

Meanwhile, the city promoted a virtuous cycle of knowledge resources through book sharing, reduced promotional material use by utilizing QR codes, and minimized vinyl use in the venue, reflecting values of environment, society, and transparency in the event's operation.

Mayor Kim Sung-je said, "I hope this Uiwang Korean Language Festival becomes an opportunity to widely promote the academic legacy of linguist Dr. Yi Heung-sung and regional historical and cultural assets such as Galmi Korean Language Park and the tomb of Prince Imyoung. We will continue to promote various cultural and reading projects centered on the Korean language to foster harmony among citizens and further enhance Uiwang City's cultural capacity."