Yongsan-gu in Seoul will support the 44th Nami General Shrine Festival, an event honoring the patriotic spirit of General Nami and preserving the district's traditional culture.
The district announced that the festival will run for five days, from Friday through Tuesday, at and around the Nami General Shrine (88-10 Hyochangwon-ro), organized by the Nami General Shrine Festival Preservation Society.
The Nami General Shrine Festival is a traditional ritual ceremony held to pray for the peace and well-being of the community and its residents. Designated as Seoul Intangible Heritage No. 20 in 1999, it has become a landmark traditional cultural event through which local residents pass down their regional heritage and strengthen community bonds.
The festival opens Friday and Saturday with "geollip," a door-to-door visit to each household to pray for prosperity and good health and to collect contributions toward the cost of the ritual.
On Sunday evening, starting at 5 p.m., a pre-festival ceremony and a flower-lantern procession known as "kkotbatgi" will take place. Participants carrying flower lanterns, led by a general's lantern, will exchange flowers and perform a ritual at Sancheon-dong Bugundan before passing through Yongmun Market and returning to the Nami General Shrine.
The highlight of the festival falls on Monday, with the main shrine rite and a military procession re-enacting General Nami's march to battle. The shrine ceremony begins at 10 a.m., followed by a street procession from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The procession recreates the scene of soldiers being trained and dispatched from the Samgakji area in the past. Led by a traditional military band, about 200 participants — including the general, officers, soldiers, ritual officiants and residents — set off from the Nami General Shrine carrying flags. The urban procession winds through Hyochang Stadium, Sookmyung Women's University, Shingwang Elementary School, Yongsan Police Station, Kkumnamu Comprehensive Town, Wonhyo Intersection and Yongmun Market before returning to the shrine.
Also on Monday, a twelve-stage shamanistic ritual to console the spirit of General Nami will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., a noodle feast will offer noodles and beverages to residents and festival participants.
On the final day, Tuesday, the festival concludes with a closing ceremony of purification and thanksgiving to the spirits, bringing the five-day event to a close.
Yongsan-gu District Mayor Kim Kyung-dae said the district's deep history and culture, imbued with the spirit of its ancestors, form the roots that support Yongsan's vision as an attractive city. "We will nurture and develop these precious historical and cultural assets so that every resident can enjoy culture in their daily lives and feel a sense of pride in a dignified Yongsan," Kim said.
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