Getting Over Seoul Complex

Government authorities have designated the year 2001 as the year of "Regional Culture". Preparing for the 2002 Korea-Japan World cup, the government intends to attract non Korean tourists through a plan of regional activation. Accordingly, regional festivals have cropped up like mushrooms. HaHoi which has preserved traditional mask plays held a Byulshingut Festival in March.

Byulshingut is a play form the lower classe exposures the nobility's falsehood. It is a precious cultural property which has been handed down from the 12th century. Chongdo is famous for its bulls, and plans to hold the 2001 Bullfighting Festival next April. The origin of bullfighting in Korea is not clear having no literature. Probably it started in an impromptu way when cowpunchers got together. Its scale has been steadily enlarged and has celebrated its 10th anniversary.

In addition to a variety of different sized bull fight, other events will be held. Regional culture, as seeing above, is life-settled culture having roots among people who share their history and experience. It's a productive and unique district culture having its own native customs along with times and seasons. People enjoy it naturally and don't feel awkward to say it's their own culture. The activation of the regional festivals is a kind of drastic reform. Non Koreans who first visit Korea are often surprised to see that there's no other distinct and unique living culture in Korea.

Expected local culture is hardly observed. Korea has a Seoul-centered system in all its aspects. The Metropolitan area only occupies 11.8% of Korea as a whole. The overwhelming majority, however, has clustered in this one area. Besides the population of Seoul compromising 45.9% of Korea's total, Seoul has political and financial power beyond comparison. It's no wonder Koreans have been plunged deeply into the "Seoul Complex". This complex, interestingly, is based on historical reasons. Seoul, the center of sovereign power, has reigned over the other towns from the Chosun era. This five hundred years was the strong centralism age.

The word Sangkyung (containing the meaning of going upper side) was used to indicate "going to Seoul" in all cases, even if the point of departure was the geographically north to Seoul. Seoul has been the capital of Korea over seven hundred years. It has had many advantages throughout that years. The modernization period of 1970s and 80s was the time of one-way expansion development and it focused on the majority of economic, educational, and cultural properties to Seoul. Therefore Seoul complex is nothing but an ambition wanting to jump on the majority board. Considering this Seoul-centered system and people's consciousness, the absence of Seoul culture is another serious challenge.

Seoul doesn't have culture when viewed in the point of identity. Regional activation plans through festivals have epochal meaning in this sense. However, they are now facing against bitter criticisms for they are represented falsely. Seoul people are sent work to the local areas, and have to be detached. This centralized personnel committee causes many problems. Those who don't really understand the regional emotion consequently cause the standardization of festivals. The essence of festival, creativity and enthusiasm to participate in the government-centered festivals has diminished . In addition, tight budgets degenerates festival into commerical ventures.

It is very undesirable and rather paradoxical phenomenon that the regional festivals lose their identity because of antiquated consciousness. And it has reached the limit of the Seoul-centered system. The root cause of the degeneration of regional festivals lies in the Seoul complex, however. As the water in the gutter lays stagnant, a gimcrack excluding switchover thought is meant to be deteriorated.

By Hong Joo-hee
Editor of Culture Section