"Your Phone Becomes a Hopae"... 600-Year-Old Haemieupseong Transforms into 'Joseon of 1421' for Three Days

October 9-11: 23rd Seosan Haemieupseong Festival Announces 'HAEMI UNIVERSE 1421' Theme
Receive a QR Hopae and Take Part in Civil and Military Exams
Top Scorer Becomes "Haemi Hyeongam" for a Day
One Narrative Connects Taejong's Military Exercises and 23 Towns' Engraved Stones
Expanding Into the Night with 1,000-Drone Show, Black Eagles Air Show, and Dining for 60 in a Historical Feast

A “hopae,” the traditional identification tag, appears on the screen of your mobile phone. From the moment visitors pass through the fortress gate, they are no longer tourists from 2026 but residents of Haemieupseong in 1421. They shoot arrows and take the state examination. Those who pass receive a “hongpae” (red certificate), and the top scorer is crowned “Haemi Hyeongam” (county head) for a day. This year, the Seosan Haemieupseong Festival spotlights not a passive re-enactment of historical parades observed from afar, but an "immersive historical festival" that pulls visitors directly into the narrative.

Im Jinbeon, CEO of Seosan Cultural Foundation (left), Lee Jeongmin, General Director of the Seosan Haemieupseong Festival, and Heo Gwon, Director of Seosan Cultural Foundation, are posing for a commemorative photo at the press conference for the 23rd Seosan Haemieupseong Festival held on the 16th at Conference House Dalgaebi in Jung-gu, Seoul. This year's festival will take place from October 9 to 11 around Seosan Haemieupseong Fortress. Seosan Cultural Foundation

On September 16, Seosan City and the Seosan Cultural Foundation held a press conference at Conference House Dalgaebi in Jung-gu, Seoul, and unveiled the main programs for the "23rd Seosan Haemieupseong Festival," which will be held from October 9 to 11 in and around Haemieupseong Fortress in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province.

This year’s theme is "HAEMI UNIVERSE 1421: The Gate of Time Opens." The year 1421 marks the completion of Haemieupseong Fortress, which began construction in 1417 (the 17th year of King Taejong’s reign) and was completed in the third year of King Sejong. The National Heritage Administration also describes Haemieupseong as a military stronghold constructed between 1417 and 1421, when the Chungcheong Byeongmadojeoljesayeong was moved there to defend against Japanese pirates.

The biggest change in this year’s festival is that previously scattered historical reenactment programs have been woven into a single narrative. The starting point is the “Gangu” military exercise conducted by King Taejong in 1416 across Dobisan and Haemi areas in Chungcheong. Relying on historical records that the Crown Prince Chun-nyung (later King Sejong) participated, the festival’s central storyline traces Taejong and the Crown Prince’s journey, the beginning of fortress construction the following year, and the completion in 1421. The traditional Taejong King’s Gangu parade will now include additional performances and shows.

Lee Jungmin, General Director of the Seosan Haemieupseong Festival, stated at the briefing, “The focus was on learning history not merely by reading or listening, but by experiencing it firsthand.” With experience directing the Seoul Jazz Festival, Gwacheon Jazz Picnic, and the Incheon Asian Games, he designed the entire fortress as a historical role-playing space. After passing Jin-nam Gate, scanning a QR code transforms the visitor’s phone into a Joseon Dynasty hopae, and participants use this to take part in various civil and military service experiences throughout the fortress.

The 600-year-old fortress itself serves as a stage. On Haemieupseong’s walls remain “Gakjaseongseok,” engraved stones noting which towns—such as Gongju and Cheongju—were responsible for each construction section. These inscriptions made it possible to identify which region built a particular section if it collapsed. This year’s opening ceremony will recreate this history in a performance titled, "23 Towns, Building the Fortress with Light." Twenty-three grand lanterns, each symbolizing a city or county of the Chungcheong region, will be illuminated in succession, linking the collective memory of fortress construction from six centuries ago to today’s regional solidarity.

Im Jinbeon, CEO of the Seosan Cultural Foundation, explained that while last year focused on showcasing traditional master craftsmanship, this year’s scope has expanded, “to emphasize the historical meanings of regional alliance in Chungcheong and national self-defense.” This brings to the forefront the fortress’s original function not as an administrative center, but as a military base for provincial forces. In fact, after serving as headquarters for the Chungcheong Byeongmadojeoljesayeong, Haemieupseong remained a strategic military outpost on the west coast for more than 200 years, until the command was relocated to Cheongju in 1652.

Im Jinbeon, CEO of Seosan Cultural Foundation, explained the direction and main programs of this year's festival at a press conference for the 23rd Seosan Haemieupseong Festival held on the 16th at Conference House Dalgaebi in Jung-gu, Seoul. The festival will be held from October 9 to 11 in the Seosan Haemieupseong area. Seosan Cultural Foundation

This historical context extends outside the fortress walls. At the East Gate parking lot, the “Haemi Defense Road” will feature models of the Cheongung and Shingung intercept missiles, Air Force tactical vehicles, and a drone simulator. This connects the military defense functions of the old Chungcheong Byeongmadojeoljesayeong to modern defense technology. On the 10th, the Air Force's Black Eagles special flight team will perform an air show.

Once the sun sets, the stage shifts from the fortress walls to the night sky. Over three days, a 1,000-drone light show will be held five times in total, depicting ten episodes from Haemi’s history such as the golden hawk’s flight, the completion of Haemieupseong, the installation of the military command, King Taejong’s Gangu parade, and the emblematic shields. From Jin-nam Gate to the Dongheon, a "Path of Light" will link the floors, walls, and overhead spaces with lights and video displays. While nighttime views of the fortress were emphasized last year as well, the difference this year is that the drone and media art spectacles are closely aligned with the festival’s overarching historical narrative.

Children visiting the Seosan Haemieupseong Festival site are looking over the festival program guide on the grass. This year, visitors can receive a QR pass to participate in immersive historical experiences such as the civil and military service exams. Seosan Cultural Foundation

History comes to the table as well. On the 10th, at Dongheon and Naea, a paid historical dining event called "Haemi Feast Eight Scenes" will be held for just 60 participants. Spanning 600 years of history from Taejong’s Gangu to the “Return of the Golden Hawk,” the history-rich menu will be presented across eight courses. Chef Kim Sungwoon, owner of Table Popo, and Chef Kim Jiyeong, owner of the Hansik restaurant Gyuban, will interpret local ingredients—such as newly harvested rice from reclaimed fields and domestic beef—through modern techniques. This moves the festival a step beyond merely serving "local specialties" by infusing the food with storytelling.

Performances will also follow the festival’s three-day storyline. On the opening day, the Gakjaseongseok performance, a congratulatory concert by Jang Yoonjeong, and the 1,000-drone light show will take place. On the 10th, the Black Eagles air show will be followed by "Haemi The Classic," performed by the Hyundai Motor Group Philharmonic and the Seosan Boys and Girls Choir, along with a Taekwondo martial arts performance and a concert by the singer DinDin. On the final day, September 11, the site-specific musical “Become the Moon”—staged on the Cheongheojeong slope—will conclude the three-day festival, along with the final drone show.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.