DMZ as Tourism Resource

Gyeonggi Province out to exploit its tourism resources such as royal tombs, air and boat shows to attract more tourists

Director-General Hwang Seong-tae of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of the Gyeonggi Province said that the province has been doing and will do its best to attract a greater number of tourists at home and abroad. This year, the province targets to attract 3 million foreign tourists and over 6 million domestic tourists to the province as it plans to take advantage of all kinds of tourism resources available such as the Yungkun Royal Grave and a number of intangible cultural properties including Namsadangnori. The province also will double its efforts to bring both foreign and domestic tourists to the various international events such as the Iecheon World Pottery Biennale, the Gyeonggi International Aviation Exhibition, and tourist programs linking the DMZ, only such zone in the world, among others, to make the province one of the best tourist destinations in this part of the world. Following are excerpts of what Dir.-Gen Hwang had to say in an exclusive written interview with NewsWorld:
Question: Can you, please, introduce to us about a special exhibition of intangible cultural properties at the Yungkun Grave located in Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province?
Answer: We planned to strengthen the base for the public appreciation of our inherited intangible cultural properties by holding a feast for traditional performance arts at the royal tomb, a representative Joseon royal tombs that belong to the province.
The details of the planned performance: On May 9, a performance at the Yungkun Grave where the 22nd King Jeongjo and his father Jangjo or better known as Crown Prince Sado were buried included such traditional arts as grass flute, monk dance, spiritual consolation rite, Gyeonggi ancient songs, and Anseong Namsadangnori play and rope walking in front of some 1,000 strong crowd gathered at the royal tomb to watch them.
A special significance of performance at the royal tomb: We wanted to change the traditional way of thinking that the royal tombs are serious places to give respects to those late kings into places where we can enjoy our top-class traditional culture in a lively atmosphere. Our plan coincides with the policies of the Office of Cultural Properties to allow many ancient ceremonies and traditional performances to take place at those royal properties to show that those Joseon Dynasty cultural properties are UNESCO-listed world cultural properties so long as the assets’ value and their surroundings are not damaged.
On other intangible cultural assets: The Gyeonggi Province has been holding high-level intangible cultural asset performances at Namhansansong in Gwangju and Peace Ground at Imjin River in Paju every year.
Q: Can you please tell us about the policies to preserve and protect intangible cultural assets such as the Anseong Namsadangnori Play in Gyeonggi Province as part of the cultural content industry?
A: The province has 44 genres of intangible cultural properties, 50 individual holders and 14 group holders, which breaks down to 8 songs with 10 holders including 7 groups; one dance genre with one individual holder; sis group plays with six individual holders and six group holders;24 handicrafts with 29 individual holders and 29 group holders; and four kinds of food with four individual holders.
The province’s policies to continue to develop them: The provincial government has been paying support funds to those intangible cultural asset holder. 1 million won each to individual holders and 400,000 won to each group holders.
The province has also been paying support funds to help public performances of intangible cultural assets; 441,800 won.
The province gave 1.5 billion won to support the Bucheon Intangible Cultural Properties Expo while the central government paid 2 billion won.
The province also supported the AK Plaza Intangible Asset Exhibition from April 23-29 to display 12 genres with 17 holders and posted 130 million won in sales.
Q: Will you please update us on your plans to attract tourists into the province and their targets?
A: Despite global economic slump, new epidemic flue sweeping the world, Korea was able to attract 7.81 million foreign tourist arrivals and posted $9.3 billion in tourist income thanks to the influence of Hallyu or Korean arts and entertainment popularity abroad and the won and dollar exchange rates, the highest growth ever in comparison to rival foreign countries.
This year, the government set foreign tourist arrival target at 8.5 million and tourism revenue of $10 billion. The province in line with the government’s policies, set to attract 3 million foreign tourists and 64 million domestic tourists to the province this year, up more than 10 percent from the previous year.
In order to attract a greater number of foreign tourists, we have to get cooperation from Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) and other local autonomous organizations and draw up strategies segregating from region to region and tourism cultural products and traditional exchange goods, goods related to globalization of Korean foods and MICE goods, seasonal tourism products, Hallyu and festive products, suitable for characteristics of each targeted foreign country to strengthen our tourism promotion strategies.
To lure domestic tourist to the province, we have to revive group tourism such as “student group tourists” and “group tourist attraction” programs with tourism promotion campaigns cut out for each region and produce tourism products suitable to each tourist groups with the ultimate aim of increasing tourism income for residents in the province.
Q: Please, inform us about the province’s abundant tourism, ecological and security resources?
A: The Gyeonggi Province has many tourism resources like it should be as it is the largest autonomous entity in Korea.
Demilitarized Zone: It is the only DMZ in the world and some 4 million tourists both at home and abroad visit the zone every year as it is the famous security tourism zone in the world. The province is attempting to diversified and segregate the DMZ tourism by opening the DMZ Peace Area Road,” stretching for 182.3 km from Gimpo to Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province and “DMZ Bicycle Tour” recently.
The West Coast: The mud flat in the West Coast, one of the five largest mud flats in the world, the Shihwa Lake Tidal Power Plant being built and the International Boat Show and the International Yacht Competition are some of the tourist attractions in the west coast of the province.
The Incubator of Pottery: Some 895 kilns of 1,879 kilns operating across the country are located in the province. Out of the number of pottery kilns located in the province, some 680 are engaged in producing royal celadon pieces and pottery pieces needed in every day lives and they are located in the province mainly in Iecheon, Gwangju and Yeoju, making the province the mecca of the Korean pottery. In addition, the province has one of the best Makkoli(rice wine) and other traditional Korean foods such as the rice cooked with the rice produced in the Iecheon area, mixed noodles in Yeoju and the soup made with heads of cows or bulls that made Gwangu famous for.
Q: Can you please, enlighten us on the World Pottery Biennale and international tourism and cultural events held in the province annually?
A: The pottery biennale started in 2001 drawing over 5,000 potters from 70 countries participating in the global event. The 6th biennale is to take place next year and the Korea Pottery Foundation plans to connect the event with the creation of a theme park to boost its position as a representative cultural event in Korea.
2010 Gyeonggi International Aviation Exhibition:
The world-level air show, industrial exhibit and other shows for experiences will make up the event with air show to be held twice a day during the event including the fly bys by the Black Eagle and other world-level air acrobatic acts in the air.
The 2010 G-Global Aviation in Ansan:
The event took place from April 30 to May5 under the support of the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization. Fifteen teams from participated in the air acrobatic show including a team each from Russia, the United States and Japan. nw

Director-General Hwang Seong-tae of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Gyeonggi Province.

(Clockwise) A scene of 2010 G-Global Aviation in Ansan. : A scene of a pottery making. : A winner in the boat racing rejoicing with an award plaque. : A scene from Gyeonggi Boat Racing in Hwaseong.