Mayor Lee Sangil: "If Poeun's Noble Spirit Is Put Into Action, the Nation Will Prosper"

Yongin City attends 22nd Poeun Cultural Festival

Festival held over two days to mark 620th anniversary of Jeong Mongju's tomb relocation

Mayor shares vision for joint festival with sister cities Goesan and Hwasun

Mayor Lee Sangil: "We must carry on Jeong Mongju's loyalty"

Lee Sangil, mayor of Yongin Special City, attended the 22nd Poeun Cultural Festival at the tomb of Poeun Jeong Mongju on October 10 and said, "If Poeun's noble spirit lives on in our hearts and is carried forward through our actions, this country will become more prosperous and a better place to live."

At the commemorative ceremony for the Poeun Cultural Festival on the 10th, Yongin Mayor Lee Sangil holds the name banner of Poeun Jeong Mongju.

The festival honors the loyalty and scholarly virtue of Jeong Mongju, a loyal subject in the waning years of the Goryeo Dynasty. Marking the 620th anniversary of the relocation of his tomb, it was organized under the theme "Poeun's Breath - Carrying on 620 Years." Hosted by the Yongin Cultural Center and organized by the Poeun Cultural Festival Promotion Committee, the two-day festival runs through October 11.

On the first day, the program included a "tomb relocation procession," a reenactment of a Joseon-era funeral procession, as well as a memorial ritual and a commemorative ceremony. Mayor Lee Sangil attended the ceremony, received Jeong Mongju's funeral banner (a red flag) from the procession of mourning banners, and delivered it to the tomb.

Mayor Lee Sangil said, "It is truly meaningful that the festival is held every fall to admire and honor Poeun and carry on his legacy," adding, "If Poeun's noble spirit lives on in our hearts and is carried forward through our actions, this country will become more prosperous and a better place to live."

He added, "We will work to further develop the festival and reach out to citizens with a diverse range of programs."

He also shared a vision for holding the festival together with sister cities connected to Poeun.

Mayor Lee Sangil said, "We have established sister-city ties with Goesan County in North Chungcheong Province, where Song Si-yeol, who wrote the inscription on Poeun's stele, lived in his later years, and Hwasun County in South Jeolla Province, where Yang Paeng-son, who adopted the pen name Hakpo to express his wish to learn from Poeun, lived." He added, "I wonder if we might one day hold a festival in Yongin together with Goesan and Hwasun to honor Poeun and carry on his legacy."

After the ceremony, the opening performance by vocalist Jeon Taewon was followed by celebratory performances by Gil Byeongmin and the Geokkuro Project.

Yongin Special City Mayor Lee Sangil delivers remarks at the commemorative ceremony for the 22nd Poeun Culture Festival, held on the 10th at the tomb of Jeong Mong-ju. Provided by Yongin City.

A reenactment of the procession accompanying the relocation of Poeun Jeong Mongju’s tomb is underway at his grave site on the 10th. Courtesy of Yongin City.

Mayor Lee Sangil and attendees of the Poeun Cultural Festival pose for a commemorative photo at the tomb of Poeun Jeong Mongju on the 10th. Photo provided by Yongin City.

On October 11, performances will include the Yongin Folk Arts Festival, percussion group Yul, and winners of the National Youth Traditional Music Competition. There will also be performances of the haegeum, pansori, and Gyeonggi folk songs by the Citizens' Cultural College, as well as performances by the Yongin Cultural Center Choir and "I'm Busker" from the Yongin Cultural Foundation.

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