"Camping on the Han River, zombies in Gyeongju."
Local governments are rolling out a range of content to beat tropical nights and revive neighborhood businesses. The idea is to offer new playgrounds for young people who drink less after the COVID-19 pandemic and, through that, inject vitality into local economies.
◇Overnight camping returns to Yeouido and Ttukseom Hangang parks in Seoul after 8 years
Seoul is the most active local government in creating nighttime playgrounds. Oh Se-hoon, the Seoul mayor, has put "nighttime economy revitalization" forward as a key policy in the ninth popularly elected term. In particular, the city plans to use the Han River, which many residents visit at night to escape the heat, to boost the nighttime economy.
According to Seoul on the 30th, overnight camping will be temporarily allowed throughout Aug. at Yeouido and Ttukseom Hangang parks. After temporary campgrounds stopped operating in the summer of 2018, overnight camping on the Han River was only allowed at designated facilities such as Nanji Campground; it is resuming after 8 years.
Next month, the city will run "Han River nightping" at temporary campgrounds with 100 tents in each park, 200 in total. Hours are 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. the next day. Using the site is free. Advance reservations are required. However, consecutive-night stays and cooking are not allowed.
The city plans to stage performances and screen movies here to extend visitors' stays. Officials say that as outdoor time lengthens, use of nearby shops and food delivery will increase, energizing the local economy.
◇A fusion of the millennial Silla capital and zombies… EX-HORROR season 6 opens
In Gyeongju, the capital of the millennial Silla kingdom, visitors can experience zombies. The Gyeongbuk Culture and Tourism Corporation will run "EX-HORROR season 6: Silla X Zombie" from Sept. 1 to 30 at Hwarang Forest (Luminight) in Gyeongju Expo Grand Park.
The experience begins with the discovery of a mysterious Silla gold crown in Hwarang Forest. The excavation leads to the mass disappearance of the research team, leaving only a cryptic trace that "something that should not have been touched was touched."
Visitors become search-and-rescue members looking for the missing team. In a Hwarang Forest overrun by zombies, they must uncover the truth of the case. They can feel chills from zombies that may appear at any moment.
The experience runs Monday through Thursday from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and on weekends and holidays from Friday to Sunday from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. It may be available to all ages. However, older adults, pregnant people, and those with heart conditions are restricted. Preschoolers may enter with an adult guardian.
Kim Nam-il, president of the Gyeongbuk Culture and Tourism Corporation, said, "Through differentiated content and nighttime tourism programs that capture Gyeongju's unique history and culture, we will work to promote stay-type tourism and develop neighborhood businesses."
◇Korea's largest LED moon sculpture to float on the Gangneung ecological retention basin
Gangneung, Gangwon Province, will float the country's largest LED (light-emitting diode) moon sculpture at the ecological retention basin in Jukheon-dong in Sept. This is the core facility of the "Moonlight Art Show" that the city is pursuing as part of its tourism hub city initiative.
Gangneung plans to add nighttime content at the retention basin to daytime-focused attractions such as Ojukheon and Seongyojang to leap forward as a stay-type tourism city. The LED moon sculpture, the core facility to be installed on the mid-island within the retention basin, will be 10 meters in diameter. A dazzling, immersive media art show will unfold around it.
In addition, a visitor-participation program using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, "Finding my moon," will be held. For visitors under 16, Finding my moon generates an image of their "future self," and for those 16 and older, an image of their "childhood self." The generated images can be saved to a smartphone.
The Gangneung Moonlight Art Show will be free. No advance reservations are required. Gangneung Mayor Kim Jung-nam said, "We will make thorough preparations so that the ecological retention basin, with Ojukheon traditional boat rides by day and the Moonlight Art Show by night, establishes itself as a new attraction and breathes vitality into the local economy."