The Jeju Fire Festival, which has had its future called into question due to environmental concerns, will now be conducted without the traditional ‘Oreum Fire Lighting,’ a symbolic element of the event. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
JEJU, Oct. 13 (Korea Bizwire) – The Jeju Fire Festival, which has had its future called into question due to environmental concerns, will now be conducted without the traditional ‘Oreum Fire Lighting,’ a symbolic element of the event.
In a press briefing held on Wednesday, Jeju City Mayor Kang Byung-sam announced that the Jeju Fire Festival will proceed without the ‘Oreum Fire Lighting,’ in which an oreum (volcanic cone) is set ablaze, a practice raising concerns about carbon emissions. This decision was based on the recommendations put forth by the festival’s steering committee.
The steering committee outlined its recommendations on September 26, emphasizing that the Jeju Fire Festival should transition from its oreum fire-centered theme to an ecological value-centered festival, encouraging participation from the residents of the province.
The committee urged the prompt development of countermeasures to address concerns regarding carbon emissions, wildfires, and damage to life, worries raised by both residents and tourists alike, especially in the current era of climate crisis.
The Jeju City government embraced these recommendations and resolved to transform the Jeju Fire Festival into a citizen-led event, from planning to execution.
Kang stated, “The Jeju Fire Festival in 2025 will adopt a new approach to better adapt to the changing times. We eagerly anticipate extensive support and attention to shape the Jeju Fire Festival into a sustainable event in alignment with ecological values.”
Since its inception in 1997, the Jeju Fire Festival has been a cultural celebration rooted in the theme of ‘bangae,’ signifying Jeju’s traditional nomadic culture. As part of traditional practices, each village sets fire to farm fields to clear dead grass and manage destructive insects for livestock pasture, including cows and horses.
A highlight of the festival is the Oreum Fire Lighting, where flammable materials are used to ignite the Eulalia field covering an area of 260,000 square meters on the southern slope of Saebyeol Oreum, rising to an elevation of 519 meters above sea level.
Concurrently, the festival features a display of 2,000 firecrackers, sparking debates about environmental impact.
This year’s Oreum Fire Lighting was canceled due to a nationwide wildfire alert and disputes over environmental issues.
In light of these circumstances, the steering committee, comprised of professionals from diverse fields, including civil groups, legal communities, journalism, academia, cultural and artistic communities, and the tourism industry, has engaged in discussions to determine the future of the festival.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
If they were so concerned about the environment, they wouldn’t have built a huge car park right next to the oreum that gets used once per year!
And Jeju was never a ‘nomadic’ culture. It just practiced a form of traditional slash-and-burn agriculture/pasturage.