Various programs decorated the first "Hi Seoul Festival" in downtown Seoul throughout May 24 and 25. The programs unleashed at the City Hall Plaza, Gwanghwamun and Jongno included concerts by distinguished performers as well as stage performances by student groups called "Concert of Youth" that aimed to involve the youths in the city event. A parade composed of a car parade, costume parade, traditional marching band, and drum-and-fife band covered the streets on Sunday afternoon, as well as a marathon competition for foreigners and "Citizen"s Walk", a walking tournament for Korean citizens.
A variety of theme festivals that overcrowded the central city included openings of animation exhibitions, flea markets, a "global village festival" with traditional food and dance performances, media art performances, martial arts demonstrations, and even pet contests. Notable was the reproduction of the Cheongdo bullfighting in the Dongdaemun Stadium, a novel and exquisite experience to Seoul inhabitants and foreigners alike.
When people envisage New York, the phrase "I love New York" comes to their minds. Malaysia has a rhyming name for itself with "Malaysia, Truly Asia." Then why not make a slogan for our own capital? The title of the festival "Hi Seoul" was designed to portray the capital"s new slogan, one of a friendly image that welcomes the global community and promotes unity among Seoul citizens. As a homophone of "high," it also represents a high vision for Seoul to rise up as a new leading star. This new slogan along with such cultural events hopes to promote the Korean culture, and thus attract tourism and foreign investment to the country.
This year"s festival marked the premier of its kind in diversity and volume, though the city had previously held other promotion events during the fall seasons for the past eight years. Whether the logo of "Hi Seoul" in colors of red, blue and yellow, that represent the three major forces that balance nature, the earth, the sky and the man, stays as the next big apple, remains to be seen in the following years.
neyessioui@ewha.ac.kr