DistantNews
Support us
🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

Birthplace of Cheoyong Legend Neglected Amidst Ulsan Industrial Complexes

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Cheoyongam Rock, the birthplace of the Cheoyong legend, is neglected and surrounded by industrial complexes in Ulsan.
  • The site, once a significant cultural heritage, suffers from litter, disrepair, and a lack of attention, with surrounding villages displaced by industrial development.
  • The annual Cheoyong cultural festival has been canceled, and efforts are underway to revive the tradition amidst concerns for its preservation.

Cheoyongam Rock, a site steeped in the ancient legend of Cheoyong, is now a desolate monument lost amidst the industrial landscape of Ulsan. Located between the Yongyeon and Onsan industrial complexes, the rock island, once central to a tale of appeasing the East Sea Dragon, is now encircled by factories.

The site, designated as a Ulsan City Monument in 1997, shows signs of severe neglect. A commemorative stone inscribed with lyrics from the "Cheoyongga" poem, erected by private organizations in 1985, stands as a lonely marker. Nearby, a dilapidated pavilion and information board are strewn with litter. The surrounding Cheoyong Park features a solitary "Boy Cheoyong" statue, a character from the 2001 Cheoyong Cultural Festival, adding to the area's forlorn atmosphere.

The Cheoyong Cultural Festival has disappeared after 28 years amid distorted criticisms that it is religiously biased towards shamanism or has an obscene infidelity theme.

— Nam-gu Cultural CenterThe cultural center explains the challenges faced by the Cheoyong Cultural Festival, which was eventually canceled.

Compounding the neglect, the park's public restroom has been closed since May due to a lack of water. Old fishing boats are haphazardly discarded near the water, and dump trucks and camping caravans occupy the sparsely populated area. The Sejuk village, inhabited for over 6,000 years, was eventually abandoned due to industrial pollution, and even the village's name has vanished following road construction.

The decline of Cheoyongam Rock mirrors the fading prominence of the "Cheoyong" cultural heritage. While the Cheoyong Cultural Festival was established in 1995 to become Ulsan's representative festival, it was canceled this year. Ulsan City decided to revive the Ulsan Industrial Festival instead, citing a lack of identity for the Cheoyong festival. The only remaining tradition is the Cheoyongje, a memorial rite held annually by the Nam-gu Cultural Center near Cheoyongam Rock. The Nam-gu Cultural Center notes a significant decrease in interest for the Cheoyongje since the festival's cancellation. The current administration is considering ways to revive the Cheoyong Cultural Festival, seeking input from the local arts and culture community.

We are contemplating festivals that utilize historical and cultural assets for the succession of traditional culture, not just Cheoyong, and are gathering various opinions from the local cultural and arts community.

— City OfficialA city official discusses the ongoing efforts to potentially revive traditional culture festivals.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog