Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Festival held together with the people

The 2016 Ground Forces Festival and Gyeryong Military Cultural Festival was held on the emergency landing strip, Gyeryongdae, in and around Gyeryong-si, Chungcheongnam-do.

Under the slogans, ‘Strong Army, With People!’ and ‘Communicating military culture, Enjoy Gyeryong!’ This festival invited people to participate in fun and novel events. As such, there was a variety of interesting attractions that people could see, feel, and experience in person, and through various programs, they were able to create different experiences that they would likely not normally encounter. In particular, visitors could enjoy various events that inspired a feeling of gratitude toward those who served and have been devoted to Korea, and the people were able to bolster their trust in the Army on the field.

First, the army’s story corner consisted of the army's history hall, military uniform exhibit hall, military barracks, the U.S. Army in Korea promotion hall, recruitment promotion hall, and scientific training hall, which exhibited our army’s past, present, and future at a glance.

At the outdoor exhibition for weapons and equipment, there were also 155 pieces of advanced equipment such as the Apache helicopter, the K2 Black Panther, a K9 self-propelled gun, a striker tank, and so on, where visitors were able to see both the splendor of the ground forces and the strong united strength of the Korea-U.S. military.

At the main stage, which was installed at the emergency landing strip, Gyeryongdae, various attractions were shown twice a day, filled with music, a military band performance, an honor guard demonstration, martial arts, etc. Also, fringe and busking performances allowed people to witness the army's charm at the event site. This is a place of harmony, as it featured a joint civil-military performance that was set in a location where all audience members were able to enjoy the experience together.

Performances from entertainer-soldiers, including Private first class Lee Seung-gi; singer and actor, Corporal Jung Yun-ho; Yuno Yunho of Dong Bang Shin Ki; Private first class Lee Hyuk-jae; Eunhyuk of Super Junior, Corporal Lee Sung-min; Sungmin of Super Junior, Corporal Shin Dong-hee; and Shindong of Super Junior were held. Honorary ambassadors for the military, Girls' Day, Red Velvet, and Mr. Choi Bul-am also attended the event and lifted up the atmosphere.

By Seung-Hoi, Ahn < seung@dema.mil.kr >
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