- Enjoy the traditional market, exhibition and hands-on activities at Culture Station 284 from January 19 to February 26

- The opening ceremony held on January 18… 11 excellent startups by young entrepreneurs and 26 pre-launch startups to be awarded

The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (MCST) and the Korea Craft & Design Foundation (KCDF) are holding the 1st Newtro Festival “Today’s Traditions” at Culture Station 284 (1st and 2nd floors) from January 19 to February 26 where visitors can enjoy a traditional market and exhibition, as well as hands-on activities.

This event is entitled the Newtro Festival as a way to affirm our commitment to discovering something new from the old, and enjoying traditional culture in new ways. The theme “Today's Traditions” was selected to make traditional culture something more than a preserved heritage and aims to promote it as something that anyone can enjoy at any time. To further highlight the significance, the festival is held at Culture Station 284, a symbolic landmark that has changed over the years from a working train station to a cultural complex. Visitors can see the fruits of MCST’s efforts to promote traditional culture over the past three years, including supporting young entrepreneurs in traditional culture fields as well as the hanbok and hanji culture industries, and promoting the spread of traditional pastimes at the market and exhibition, while enjoying various activities.

Values that future generations aim to uphold as they create and appreciate today’s traditions are illustrated over the five sections of the venue: Useful, Vivid, Beautiful, Joyful, and Healthy. The folktale of the moon, the cassia tree, and the rabbit is visualized in the Culture Station 284 Central Hall in celebration of the Year of the Rabbit in 2023 to pique the imagination of the younger generation.

Products created by startups run by young people who combine innovative ideas and traditional culture are sold at Useful. Media art working with najeonchilgi and bojagi used in the Joseon era court entitled Shinsaekchangyeon, and digital content featuring hanok and hanbok in virtual space (ZEPETO) are showcased at Vivid. The elegance and taste of Korean culture including hanbok, Korean food, and hanji are showcased at Beautiful. Visitors can make their New Year’s wishes and resolutions at Joyful, and play traditional games such as, yutnori[1], jegichagi[2], which featured in the OTT series Squid Game at Healthy.

Various hands-on activities are available for everyone to experience such as making coloring books on the theme of traditional games and culture and making hanji mobiles. What is more, traditional outdoor activities like jwibulnori[3] are available in the Culture Station 284 square. All visitors who come to the event wearing hanbok over the Lunar New year (Seollal holiday) will receive special souvenirs.

The opening ceremony for the 1st Newtro Festival “Today's Traditions” was January 18. JEON Byung-geuk, 1st Vice Minister of MCST attended to hand out the Minister of MCST Awards for excellent startups by young entrepreneurs in the traditional culture field.

Visit the official KCDF (www.kcdf.kr) and Culture Station 284 (www.seoul284.org) homepages and social media channels for more information on this event.