T&D correspondent travels to native country for historic festival

When I think about traveling to my home country, South Korea, my heart feels so happy and joyful. It was so exciting to be on my way to see my family and friends.

My excitement was growing by the minute. 

Our flight left Columbia around 7 and we got to Atlanta around 8 where my excitement continued to grow. We had almost a 4-hour layover in Atlanta until it was time to board the Korean Airline at 11:30. Once we were aboard the plane and settled in our seats, we got ready for the 15-hour flight. The flight went by quickly and after three wonderful meals and a little sleep, we were landing at the Incheon airport.  

We were met at the airport by a friend and taken to Suwon, Korea, about one hour away. Suwon is the beautiful city that I have been invited to since 2016 to attend the Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival. This is the 60th year of the Festival. 

“The Festival celebrates the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, showcasing the artisans’ remarkable craftsmanship, the daily lives, and emotions of the people during the Joseon dynasty and King Jeongio’s compassionate governing philosophy.” The construction of the Fortress was inspired by King Jeongio’s piety and his vision for developing a strong nation.

After a wonderful dinner, we checked into our hotel and my excitement of being in my home country kept me awake for most of the night. I was able to rest most of the next day.

That evening was the opening ceremony of the festival where I received an award from the mayor for promoting the city of Suwon and the Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival. At this event, I was able to meet many of my friends that I have made over the years in Suwon and it was so good to see them and get to spend time with them.  We had a great time together.

The next day, I was able to go around and take many pictures around the Fortress and the many events going on. There were beautiful dances and children performing for the many people attending the festival. The final day of the festival was on Monday, Oct. 9, with the Royal Procession to Suwon.

This event was a grand recreation of the 8-day royal procession undertaken by the 22nd Monarch of the Joseon Dynasty, King Jeongjo in 1795.

This was a beautiful parade with many children and adults involved in the procession. I enjoyed so much being there to take pictures of the whole procession going through the fortress.  

I would like to thank the Mayor of Suwon, Lee Jae Joon, and the Chairman of the City Council, Kim Ki Jeong, and the public officials who worked so hard to make the festival a tremendous success.   

After the festival, we went to Pusan to visit with my family. Pusan is the second largest city in Korea and the city where I was born. We did a lot of sightseeing around Pusan and surrounding areas. It was good to get to eat so much good Korean food. I miss my hometown of Pusan and my family. It was so good to be with my sisters and other family members and being able to spend so much time with them and get to do so many things with them.

After being in Suwon and Pusan for a little over a month, it was time to go back home to St. Matthews. I am so thankful for having the opportunity to be able to be with my sweet family and friends, but it is so good to be back home.