Part 2 - LA84 Foundation

432
14. Seoul Olympic Arts
Festival
The Han River Festival
• Gala Opening of the Han River
Festival (Han Riverside Park on
Yuido, September 10)
Under the theme of "The World's
Future on Today's Han River," a grand
festival of traditional Korean music
and dance, replete with a large choir
and fife-and-drum corps, was held as
a ceremonial greeting for the Olympic
flame and to heighten the festive
atmosphere of the Seoul Olympic
Games.
One of the special attractions of the
Han River Festival was spectacular
open-air presentation of diverse traditional
and contemporary arts,
including a laser show. Seating for
10,000 spectators was installed
before a giant stage capable of holding
300 performers at once. A huge color
TV monitor (4.7x6.4m) was erected in
the nearby riverside park during the
festival period for the overflowing
crowds.
• Youth Festival (Han Riverside Park
on Youido, September 6-October 2)
A "Kunst Disco Seoul 88" was set up
in the Sister City Park on Youido by the
government of the Federal Republic of
Germany to offer a meeting place for
youth. Seventy West German popular
artists performed multimedia contemporary
arts involving laser, dance,
costumes, video and lighting.
• World Traditional Cuisine and Folk
Festival (Youido Plaza, September
10-October 5)
Traditional Korean foods and folk plays
were exhibited and native foods of
9
countries participating in the Arts
Festival served during this mass
festival.
• Han River Laser Show (Han Riverside
Park on Youido, September 10-16)
The national flay of Korea, the Olympic
emblem, the Hodori mascot of the
Seoul Games, a Korean traditional fan
dance and other graphic images were
synthesized by a 32 bit computer on a
mammoth screen (50x70m) installed
on the 63-storey DLI Building for 40
minutes each evening during the show
period. Search lights with a reach of
16kilometers and colored beams wove
a fantastic tapestry of light in the night
sky over Youido.
Lasers were beamed from Namsan
Tower and the DLI Building to produce
multi-color displays over the Han River.
• Youth and Folk festival (Han Riverside
Park, September 10-October 5)
Linked with the World Traditional
Cuisine and Folk Festival, the Youth
and Folk Festival featured 246 events
in which 130,000 members of 116
organizations took part. Over two
million citizens attended such shows
as a farmer's band contest, folk song
contest, kite flying competition and talent
contests. The festival also featured
a number of audience participation
programs. It was designed to give
opportunities to as many people as
possible from all walks of life to get
involved in the Seoul Olympics.
• Jazz Festival (Youido Park,
September 13)
Jazz and traditional Korean music
were played side by side during this
festival. British, German and American
jazz musicians played together. Park
Yun-cho's traditional Korean dance
"Salpuri," Sin Kwang-ung's jazz
quartet and New York University Prof.
Lee Sun-ock's zen dance were performed.
• Exhibition of Korean Traditional
Music and Costumes (Han Riverside
Park on Youido, September 13)
Fifty Korean fashion models presented
a colorful collection of Korean traditional
costumes, while traditional
Korean music was performed.
• Global Village Festival (Han
Riverside Park on Youido, September
14-October 3)
Young artists from at home and abroad
participated in the festival wishing for
the success of the Seoul Olympic
Games. The festival was designed to
create an encounter between the
traditional Korean "market culture" and
the arts of the world.
• Floating Lantern Festival (Han Riverside
Park on Chamshil, September 13)
With prayers for a successful Seoul
Olympics, more than 200,000 Buddhist
monks and believers set 70,000 lotusshaped
lanterns afloat on the Han
River, turning the occasion into one of
the highlights of the Han River
Festival.
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