-Interview with County Mayor Hwang Jeong-soo from Muju County, North Jeolla Province
With a leap toward one of the representative festivals on the peninsular by its firefly
festival which greets a history of its 21st year, Muju County from North Jeolla
Province is poised to leap into a travel destination which represents the Republic
of Korea.
Ahead its third time famtour for Ambassadors & Senior Diplomats from the Seoul
Diplomatic Corps. on Aug. 26th(Friday), 2017 organized by The NDNnews & The Seoulcity magazine which has
been a tradition during last three consecutive years, Muju County mayor Hwang
responded to a written interview with The NDNnews (www.ndnnews.co.kr).
In particular, the 21st Muju Firefly Festival this year formed its programs according
to 10 core strategies, according to Muju County mayor Hwang. 10 core strategies
include to leap into a representative festival on the peninsular designated by the
Government, to strengthen representative programs of the festival, to convert into
a night time festival in connection with its firefly concept, to construct its image
as a global festival, to try as a variety festival, and to settle as a stay-type festival etc., to name just a few.
Muju County mayor Hwang stressed in a written interview with The NDNnews
& Seoulcity magazine (www.ndnnews.co.kr) that Muju is a place where Taekwondo
men must definitely drop by it and visit someday. The following is an excerpt of
an interview with Muju County mayor Hwang. -Ed.
-First of all, how do you assess this year's Muju World Taekwondo Championships
and what are concrete strategies to nurture Muju as a mecca of world taekwondo
in the years to come?
The 2017 Muju World Taekwondo Championships received attentions of the world
as a stage of harmony and peace which recorded the first, the highest and the
largest ever in its championships history. For the first time since the World
Taekowndo Championships took place, National Head, that is, President Moon Jae-in from the Republic of Korea took part in its Opening Ceremony and it served
as a momentum which paved way for the exchange of South Korea & North Korea
sports among others.
I suppose that Muje is a place where Taekowndomen must definitely drop by it and
visit someday. Muju County will make efforts so that such understandings can be
spread globally.
-What are differentiated points of the 21st Muju Firefly Festival compared with
past festivals in Muju?
So as to leap into one of representative festivals on the peninsular this year, the
21st Muju Firefly Festival set "More deeper and newly" as its principle. So according
to its 10 core strategies, this year's Muju Firefly Festival will be proceeded, which
include to provide visitors with festival travel products by connecting Taekwondowon
& Bandiland, to operate consumer-friendly type agricultural & specialty sales plaza and to forge a stay-type festival etc. in which county people take part.
-Please touch upon the priority agendas of Muju County administration during
the second half of the year in 2017.
In order to realize a warm community county, Muju County will spur to propel
following policies: For the purpose of the improvement of life quality & income
increasement, Muju County will make efforts to spread sharing culture and will
expand to support poor & aging agricultural men. In addition, our County will
devote its efforts on expanding leisure culture programs and on expanding public
jobs as well.
-What are concrete strategies of Muju County to attract tourists from home
& abroad?
Tourists can enjoy Muju diversely from facilities such as Taekwondowon, Bandiland,
Muju Deokyu Mt. and Deokyu Mt. Leisure BikeTel until agricultural and experience
leisure village. Moreover, to experience trekkings at renowned mountains such as
Deokyu Mt. Baekun Mt. and Minjuji Mt. will make special memories for them.
As Muju propels its 2016 this year's tourism city, its phase as a tourism city was
heightened even more thanks to its travel content, product development and
publicity marketing etc.. In the years to come, Muju County will devote its entire
efforts to leap into one of representative travel destinations on the peninsular by
way of its Firefly Festival, its natural leisure forest in Hyangro Mt., Taekwon V Land
and Theme Park in Muju Island etc.
Inquiry: please call at (02)3482-3114 NDNnews regarding Excellency & Senior Diplomats' participation in the 2017
Muju Firefly Festival Famtour
Muju as a travel attraction: (Courtesy: Muju County)
Muju-gun is a region that two coundties became one administrative after they had
belonged to two diffferent kingdoms. Muju is a region, which is being revived as
an eco-cultural harmonizing its nature & live things and the culture & tradition and as a
welfare community encouraging the eco-freindly agriculture and the advanced adminstrative works as well as making all the
members pleasant. It is a place where the past, the present and the future coexist
while including the sightseeing for things to see in the past, the well-being and experience tours in the present and a tourism & leisure-type industrial city, where an International Taekwondo Park is established
in the future.
Natural Environment Muju-gun whose whole area belongs to the mountain area of the Sobek Mountains
embraces a series of high mountains, such as Mt. Minjuji (1,242m), Mt. Daedeok
(1,290m), Mt. Deokyu (1,614m) and Mt. Jeoksang (1.034), which are higher than
1.00Cm above sea level. Especially, ML Jeoksang presents a spectacular view while
being surrounded by the rocky cliffs in all directions. Besides of them, since
magnificent beautiful views including the 33 Scenic Spots of Gucheon-dong stand in a continuous row, the huge number of tourists visit the region
without a cease during the four seasons.
Cultural Landscape Here and there in the region, there are many enlivened
historical sites symbolizing the defense of the fatherland, such as the site of Jugae
Fortress, which was the county fortress of Jeokcheon-hyeon during the era of Baekjae Kingdom, the site of Musan Fortress of Silla
Kingdom, Mt. Jeoksang Fortress where there was a Saga having kept the historical
chronicles, Gucheon-dong where many voluntary soldiers (Uibyeong Armies) used to fight against
the Japanese armies whenever Japan invaded into the country during lmjinwoeran
(Japanese Invasion to Korea in 1592) and in the late Vi Dynasty, the memorial
tombs of voluntary soldiers, Chilyeon Uichong’, etc., as well as the Rajetongmun,
which played as a boundary tunnel between Baekjae and Silla kingdoms during
the era of Three Kingdoms.