• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.31-43
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• 2006

The aim of this paper is to explore localization processes of the Chuncheon mime festival (hereafter, CMF). Its history and processes can be periodized as three stages: the formative stage ($1989{\sim}1993$), the developing stage ($1994{\sim}1997$) and the settling-down & diffusing stage ($1998{\sim}2004$). Throughout this successful processes, CMF has contributed to settle down the structure of a virtuous circle in the regional (re)vitalization on the economic and socio-cultural dimension since the mid 1990s. This results from (1) a successful mix among vision providers, practioners, central and local governments, and citizen, (2) a interplay of the ability of spatial production by the mime culture and the capacity of cultural production by spatial occupiers.

• (The) Research of the performance art and culture
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• no.18
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• pp.171-199
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• 2009

This paper started with my effort to find connections between Empty Hands, which was put on the stage at the Mime House in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, and Jindo Ssitgimgut. The mimist Yu Jin-gyu(58) adopted so many elements from Jindo Ssitgimgut for his performance that I felt that it was the pantomime version of Jindo Ssitgimgut. Of course, the pantomime took the form of gut based on shamanism in terms of story. Watching the pantomime, I once again saw the possibility of developing Korea's cultural archetypes into cultural contents. Helen Lannaghan, the art director of London International Mime Festival of 2005, saw his performance at the conference of Chuncheon International Mime Festival and invited it to the London International Mime Festival praising that it's full of Korean elements, minimalist, and modern at the same time. In fact, Empty Hands, which boasts great harmony among the Korean objet, Oriental thoughts, Samulnori, and Western contemporary mime, was invited to many foreign festivals including the Mimos International Mime Festival in 2000, Polish International Mime Festival in 2001, Mongol's International Mime Festival in 2002, and Belgium's International Mime Festival in 2003. In addition, it's recognized for its artistic values and had a chance to shine in another international setting at the London International Mime Festival whose reputations have been worldwide. All those achievements are the result of Yu's constant effort to reflect Korean elements through his movements. What I saw in his pantomime was the possibility that plays based on Korea's cultural archetypes such as Jindo Ssitgimgut could play an important role as a global content of performance culture. Pursuing the possibility further, I analyzed the factors that brought the worldwide recognition to Empty Hands and searched for the ways to create solid storytelling with Jindo Ssitgimgut and make a huge hit on the international stage. It should be noted once more that the pantomime Empty Hands launched Korea's unique performance culture to the world stage by making great use of the traditional Korean cultural contents.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.98-106
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• 2009

For the success of a festival, effective volunteer management is axiomatic. Given the dramatically increased size and quality of festivals and events in Korea over the past fifteen years, the importance of effective volunteer management has been overlooked among festival organizations in comparison to similar festivals in western countries. This paper provides a description and an assessment of the Hi Seoul Festival 2009 volunteer program based on an seven-step ideal process of an effective festival volunteer program with suggestions for the program development by reviewing organizational documents, and an interview with a staff member of the Hi Seoul Festival organization, and a survey pertinent to festival volunteers' motivation. This study shows college students are more interested in volunteering at festivals in Korea with the primary motivation of developing relationships and gaining work experience. It also suggests that the Hi Seoul Festival organization should fully appreciate the importance of an effective volunteer program and the position and work of a volunteer coordinator.