Oldest Arirang festival 47th Jeongseon Arirang kicks off, returns for first time since pandemic

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제 47회 정선아리랑제 개막... 코로나 이후 첫 대면 축제

Jeongseon Arirang, a festival dedicated to the Korean traditional song of the same name, is the oldest of its kind.
And, for the first time since the start of the pandemic, it's back.
Our Kim Jung-sil was there and filed this report from Jeongseon-gun County in Korea's eastern Gangwon-do province.
Jeongseon Arirang Festival doesn't start until a memorial service for seven scholars has taken place.
The scholars from the Goryeo dynasty are known to be the writers of a poem that later became the lyrics of the Korean folksong, Arirang.
For the very first time this year, though, some 70 descendants of the scholars joined the memorial to commemorate their ancestors.
Arirang, inscribed on the UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, is thought to be their way of expressing love and sorrow.

Local residents and visitors from the neighboring cities all welcomed the festival's return.


"I love it. I hope older people who went through tough times during the pandemic will come and enjoy the festival."


"I am from Jeongseon myself. So, I carry a sense of pride about Jeongseon Arirang. I hope more people will take interest and recognize the song in the future."


The 47th edition of the festival celebrated its opening night with many exciting performances.

"As you can see behind me, thousands have gathered on this opening night to enjoy the various renditions of "Jeongseon Arirang" after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic."

The highlight of the opening ceremony: Kim Nam-ki's masterful performance of the tune.
He's the oldest man alive to have sung the original version of Jeongseon Arirang and also performed at the opening of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

"Younger people should come so that Arirang can be passed on to the next generation. If the few remaining singers of this song quit, the whole culture may disappear. There are many young people here. I hope that they will sing along Arirang and continue the tradition in the future."

Other masters of Jeongseon Arirang will perform throughout the festival which runs until Sunday.
Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News, Jeongseon.

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2022-09-16, 08:00 (KST)