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🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

Jeju Stone Park celebrates 20th anniversary with festival of healing and fun

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

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  • Jeju Stone Park is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a special festival from June 12-14, offering free admission.
  • The festival, themed 'Land of Giants, 20 Years of History Forged by Primordial Stones,' features diverse cultural performances and family-friendly events.
  • The park, established in 2006 on a vast site, showcases Jeju's stone culture, the myth of the creator goddess Seolmundae Halmang, and folk traditions, attracting millions of visitors.

Jeju Stone Park, a sprawling cultural site dedicated to the island's unique stone heritage, is marking its 20th anniversary with a celebratory festival. From June 12 to 14, the park in Jocheon-eup, Jeju City, will be open to the public free of charge for its "20th Anniversary Festival Week."

The festival's theme, 'Land of Giants, 20 Years of History Forged by Primordial Stones,' aims to provide visitors with a unique cultural experience. The park itself, opened in 2006 on approximately 3.3 million square meters of land, has drawn over 3.8 million visitors by the end of last year. It is renowned for preserving Jeju's primordial Gotjawal forests while showcasing the island's foundational stone culture, the creation myth of the goddess Seolmundae Halmang, and various folk traditions.

This 20th-anniversary event has been prepared as a festival week for three days where residents can directly participate and enjoy.

— Lee Sang-hyo, Director of Jeju Stone Park Management OfficeDescribing the festival's focus on community participation and enjoyment.

Opening day, June 12, will feature a photography and video exhibition by Kim Yong-ho titled 'Namgukjaegyeon: Jeju, Seen Again,' and a silent play 'The Time We Couldn't Know Each Other' directed by Kim Ara. The weekend, June 13-14, will host the 'Obaek Janggun Festival' near the Seolmundae Halmang altar, designed for families with children. This segment includes a non-verbal Taekwondo performance, a women's arm-wrestling competition, and children's activities like water gun fights and talent shows.

Lee Sang-hyo, director of the Jeju Stone Park management office, expressed his hope that the event would offer "differentiated cultural healing and enjoyment" in a place where "primordial nature and narrative breathe." He emphasized that the three-day festival is designed for residents to participate and enjoy, promising a memorable experience rooted in Jeju's distinctive history and natural landscape.

We hope you experience differentiated cultural healing and enjoyment at Stone Park, where primordial nature and narrative breathe.

— Lee Sang-hyo, Director of Jeju Stone Park Management OfficeHighlighting the park's unique atmosphere and the festival's aim to provide a healing experience.
DistantNews Editorial

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

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