'Hi Seoul Festival'Opens
Up World of Palaces

Will showcase diverse programs like concerts and street parades

Seoulites as well as tourists from Korea and abroad will be given a chance to revel in the Hi-Seoul Festival 2008 Spring, to be held from May 4 through May 18, turning the already vibrant city, rich in diverse culture with a 600-year history, into a city of fun.
Under the theme "Gung"(Palace), the festival will showcase diverse, exciting programs, including concerts and parades in such places as the five palaces -- Gyeongbok, Changgyeong, Deoksu, Changdeok and Gyeonghui -- as well as Seoul City Plaza and Cheonggyecheon Stream.
The festival, to be organized by the Seoul Foundation for Arts & Culture, will be a historical extravaganza that opens up new horizons of the metropolitan city as a cultural city with traditional and cultural experiences.
World-renowned Chung Myung-whun will conduct the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra to hold the classical music "Palace Concert"at Gyeonghui Palace on May 3 between 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., while the "Music of Peace, Dream of the Dynasty"will be performed at Changdeok Palace between 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on the same day.
Spectators will get a glimpse into the lifestyle of ancient kings. "The Coronation: King Sejong the Great"will be reenacted on May 3 between 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Gyeongbok Palace. The Seoul Museum of History in Gyeonghui Palace will display things about the lives of commoners during the Joseon Dynasty, including foods, Oriental medicines, blacksmith’s tools, ancient money, both bills and coins, and other educational stationery from May 3 through May 5.
The famous musical "Empress Myeongseong"will raise its curtain at Gyeonghui Palace from May 4 through May 12 between 8 p.m. and 9:40 p.m.
The parade "Mammindaerorak"will be conducted together with large-size sculptures and creative works as well as diverse performances on the streets between Jongno 3-ga to Seoul City Plaza on May 4 between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
The "May Palace and the Festival Bridge"and the "Eight Color Ball"will be held at the May Palace (Seoul City Hall Plaza) from May 4 through May 11 between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. The May Palace and the Festival Bridge will feature diverse plays during daylight times and masquerades during nighttime. The Eight Color Ball will present traditional music programs, rock band performances, Latin dances and hip-hop dances as well as masquerades and water screen and light shows.
The Hi-Seoul Festival has established itself as one of the international tourist attractions. The festival has four versions -- in spring, the Palace Festival; in summer, the Han River Festival; in autumn, the Art Festival; and in winter, the Light Festival.
The Hi Seoul Festival, which began in 2003, marks its sixth year. It has been upgraded to a kind of international street festival like Munich's Octoberfest and Rio's Carnival. The annual festival, aimed to showcase the history, tradition, diversity and uniqueness of Seoul and also display Seoul's dynamism and unity, was reminiscent of the 2002 FIFA World Cup fever, where hundreds of thousands of Seoulites turned out and cheered for their nation's team, which advanced to the semifinals for the first time in its World Cup history.
The festival was named for "Hi Seoul," recently-coined city brand expressing the love for Seoul and projecting a bright and friendly image of Korea's capital to the world. RED stands for the initials of Refreshing, Exciting and Dynamic and these were the images that the Hi Seoul Festival 2004 wanted to convey.
How About Sipping Coffee on the Han River's Bridges'
Starting toward the yearend, you may get off of a bus on a Han River bridge, take an elevator down to the river's edge, and sip coffee and walk along the river embankments.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government(Mayor Oh Se-hoon) has announced a plan to build a bus stop, an elevator and a cafe-type observation stop on each of the five bridges -- Hangang, Yanghwa, Dongjak, Hannam and Jamsil Grand. A bus stop will be installed on each side of four of the bridges, but only one bus stop will be built on the northbound section of the Hannam Bridge. nw

Mayor Oh Se-hoon

A poster of the Hi-Seoul Festival 2008 Spring, to be held in Seoul from May 4 through May 18.