MBC원주 Riverside Concert and Announcement for 2018 Really Big, Five Ringed Flag, International Cold Weather Sporting Event Hopes

On Thursday night, my host family informed me that I’d have to leave TKD early on Friday night so that I could eat at the beauty shop at 7:00 pm. Why was I eating at the beauty shop at 7:00 pm? It turns out that there was going to be a concert by the river sponsored by MBC원주. (SIDE NOTE: It has frustrated me to no end that the local news stations are run by MBC. Everytime I hear announcements about programming on it, I always think NBC. For all I know, what with America being globally influential, there actually is an NBC station running in South Korea.) The concert was some sort of contest for up and coming trot singers, trot being akin to American country music in terms of social stigma but stylistically more like lounge lizard music.

The concert itself was entertaining enough. I couldn’t understand any of the lyrics, of course, except for the ubiquitous 사랑 (love) that permeated every song. What was more entertaining was the light and pyrotechnic displays that would accompany these songs. I kid you not—not only fireworks, but great balls of fire. Plumes, even, that burst from the stage floor as background dancers shook and shimmied and backup singers moved their arms in coordinated splendor. Really though. Fire? For trot?

It was cool to see some of my students and TKD buddies at the event though. They either blushed or said enthusiastic “Hello”s.

The other big event at this concert was an announcement concerning the 2018 Really Big, Five Ringed Flag, International Cold Sporting Event. (I’ve changed the name for the sake of not revealing my location. Figure out what it means.) Apparently, my hamlet is ready to try its hand at attracting this event for the third time in a row.

I’ve a couple of discussions with locals and concerned ATEs about whether hosting this event would be good or bad for the economy/environment of the area. I think in the short term it would be good, but in the long term… it’s debatable. The economy boost would certainly be considerable in the short term as the area’s tourism would skyrocket and so would the facilities and infrastructure necessary to host that tourism, but I worry about this area damaging its rustic qualities (which it trades heavily on) to such a degree as to make them laughable. I also worry about the area building so many hotels that it essentially becomes a ghost town. After all, once the event leaves, who will come here besides those who have always come? There are already plenty of hotels to house these.