Bonghwa County, North Gyeongsang Province, announced on the 5th that it is recruiting participants for the "1st National Yi Mong-ryong Selection Contest," the finals of which will be held during the Bonghwa Songi (Pine Mushroom) Festival in October.

This event is organized to select talented individuals who will inherit the spirit and mettle of Yi Mong-ryong from the classic Korean folktale Chunhyangjeon in a modern context. Bonghwa County is sponsoring the event, and the World Confucian Culture Foundation is in charge of its organization.

The real-life model for Yi Mong-ryong is known to be Seong I-seong (1595-1664), who hailed from the Gyesodang Jongtaek (head family residence) in Mulya-myeon, Bonghwa County. Seong I-seong was the son of Seong An-ui, who served as the magistrate of Namwon. He passed the civil service examination in 1627 (the 5th year of King Injo's reign) and held key positions in the Censorate and the Office of Special Advisors, being dispatched as a secret royal inspector (Amhaengeosa) four times.

Bonghwa County explained that during the writing of Chunhyangjeon, it was difficult to directly use the name of a nobleman due to the social context of the time. Therefore, the surname "Seong" was changed to "Yi" for the male protagonist, while the surname "Seong" was instead given to Chunhyang.

Eligible participants are unmarried Korean males born between 1990 and 2009 who have at least a high school education. Applicants must submit a self-introduction video and an application form via the World Confucian Culture Foundation website by August 3rd.

The finals will be held on a special stage during the Songi Festival. Winners will be decided through stage performances by the 20 finalists and on-site voting for "Bonghwa promotional videos" produced by the participants themselves.

A total of 14 million KRW in prize money will be awarded, with the grand prize winner, the "Mong-ryong," receiving 7 million KRW. The grand prize winner will also be appointed as a Bonghwa County public relations ambassador, engaging in various activities such as promoting local specialties and appearing in tourism-related programs.

More details can be found on the official website of the World Confucian Culture Foundation. An official from Bonghwa County stated, "We hope that this contest will establish itself as a unique cultural content of our region."

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