Storytelling festival to liven up myths of Jeju Island

Poster for Korea International Storytelling Festival / Courtesy of Korea International Storytellers Association

The 6th Korea International Storytelling Festival, organized by the Korea International Storytellers Association under the guidance of Bang Dong-joo, aims to unite both international and local storytellers in a celebration of narrative and cultural exchange, Oct. 6-9.

This year's event is themed "A Journey through Storytelling."

Taking place on Jeju Island ― a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site renowned for its volcanic features and over 18,000 gods ― the festival will cover a range of subjects including education, tourism, language and cultural activities, all woven together through storytelling and the island's rich folklore traditions.

The festival will offer a multitude of activities from meditative storytelling temple stays at Gwaneum Temple and storytelling hikes on Sosan Oreum (a volcanic cone) to lectures and seminars provided by mythologist Choi Won-oh and Jeju National University professor Yang Jin-geon.

Three storytellers from Colombia, India and Singapore have been invited to join the festival to serve as a cultural bridge. Harry Martin of Colombia, Jeeva Raghunath of India and Rani Kanna of Singapore will engage with their Korean counterparts.

Korean performances will feature reinterpretations of iconic Jeju Island myths such as "Woncheongang Bonpuri," "Seolmundae Halmang" and "Jacheongbi," offering a wellspring of inspiration for the storytelling community.

Kang Woo-hyun, head of the festival organizing committee, noted that the festival will serve as a precursor to the 2024 Jeju Storytelling Conference, which is expected to draw international storytellers from around the world.

Roger Jenkins, a Singaporean storyteller and founding director of the Federation of Asian Storytellers (FEAST), shared his anticipation, hoping that next year's conference might bring the myths and stories of Asia together.