The Oreum Fire Lighting Ceremony, a highlight of the 2021 Jeju Fire Festival, is taking place in March 2021 at Saebyeol Oreum, Bongsung-ri, Aewol-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju-do. (Yonhap)
JEJU, Oct. 26 (Korea Bizwire) – A contentious ordinance to restore a traditional fire-setting ritual at Jeju’s Fire Festival has sparked fierce opposition from environmental groups, who are urging the provincial governor to veto a measure passed by the local council.
On October 25, a coalition of 19 civil society organizations and political parties, known as the Jeju Anti-Nuclear and Climate Crisis Action group, strongly condemned the Jeju Provincial Council’s decision to reinstate the ceremonial burning of mountainside grasslands, calling it “an act of environmental vandalism in an era of climate crisis.”
The ordinance, which passed during the council’s 432nd temporary session, was initiated by a petition signed by 1,283 residents of Aewol-eup in Jeju City.
It grants local authorities the power to decide whether to proceed with the controversial grassland burning ceremony, a centerpiece of the traditional Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival.
The legislation also includes provisions to adjust the timing of the event in response to national forest fire warnings or adverse weather conditions.
Environmental activists point out that the frequency of forest fires in South Korea has tripled since the 2000s due to climate change.
“It’s incomprehensible that the council would approve deliberately setting fires on our oreum [volcanic hills] during March and April, traditionally the driest months of the year,” the coalition said in a statement.
The group emphasized that this ordinance is unprecedented both nationally and potentially globally in explicitly permitting intentional fire-setting for cultural purposes. “The ball is now in Governor Oh Young-hun’s court,” the activists stated. “He must reject this reckless ordinance that defies common sense, ethics, and endangers residents’ safety and lives.”
The provincial government now has 20 days, as mandated by local law, to either approve the ordinance or request a review. Officials say they will carefully examine potential conflicts between the new ordinance and existing forest protection laws before making a final decision.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
