Local night market 'Pado Market in Mundong' is generating explosive interest, with reservations selling out quickly, as it lights up the summer nights along the coast of Gijang.
Gijang County announced on July 30 that it will host the night market event from August 1 to 2 at the Mundong breakwater in Ilgwang-eup to revitalize the fishing village.
This event features a variety of cultural programs, including the debut of new trot songs by local seniors and documentary production, presenting a new model for fishing village revitalization.
According to Gijang County, the main experiential programs at Pado Market, such as marine healing paddleboarding, cooking classes, and seaweed lunchbox making, have already reached full capacity for reservations.
The overwhelming number of applicants has led organizers to adjust participant numbers based on their own criteria due to the high demand.
The budget for this event is approximately 40 million won. While it does not reach the scale of large regional festivals, it boasts strong community participation and creative planning in a flea market format.
To prepare for potential crowding, the county has shared site layouts and safety plans with disaster response departments and coordinated with local police and fire departments to establish a comprehensive traffic control and safety network.
The highlight of the night market will be the live debut performance of the trot song 'Muno Seong Story' on the evening of August 1. This song was co-written by eight local seniors, who have an average age of 73 and have lived in the village for an average of 60 years.
A representative from the organizing committee explained, "Initially, we planned to offer health and leisure programs like gardening and Pilates, but the seniors expressed a desire to 'have fun instead of just learning,' which inspired our planning."
During the first two classes with instructor Jo Tae-jun, the seniors shared their cherished memories and local scenery, which became the lyrics of the song.
Although they initially struggled with the unfamiliar tempo and recording process, the seniors' enthusiasm was undeniable, with one stating, "We stuck the lyrics on the refrigerator and sang them while passing by."
During studio recording at Ulsan Music Creation Center, the eight voices blended harmoniously, leaving both the seniors and staff deeply moved.
This beautiful endeavor is not a one-time performance. A professional director will film an official music video on August 10, and they aim to produce a documentary covering the entire process from songwriting to performance for submission to a film festival in the first half of next year.
This event is part of the 'Mundong Living Area Fishing Village Revitalization Project,' which is set to run from 2023 to 2026 (with an extension planned until December 2027) in the Muno Seong village area of Ilgwang-eup, covering 244,000 square meters.
Under the vision of 'Restoration and Coexistence in the Sea Garden,' this project involves public institutions such as the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Busan Metropolitan City, and Gijang County. Private organizations 'Cultural Arts Plan B' and 'Local by Local' have formed a consortium to lead on-site operations.
Cultural Arts Plan B, which oversees the trot program, focuses on community revitalization, cultural urban regeneration, and local content production.
Partner organization Local by Local is responsible for discovering creators and developing and branding local products, enhancing economic self-sufficiency. They are also working on job creation and attracting residents to the fishing village alongside improvements to hardware infrastructure, such as the construction of a community support facility and maintenance of fishing port facilities.
Woo Seong-bin, the head of Gijang County, stated, "Pado Market is a meaningful event created and participated in by the residents, showcasing the charm of the fishing village. I hope many people visit Mundong to create special summer memories through diverse experiences."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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