The Cheorwon Labor Party Office in Gangwon Province will continue to convey the memories of division and the values of peace through light and video for the third consecutive year, following 2025 and this year. The Cheorwon County government has secured approximately 3 billion won ($30 million) in national and local funding after being selected for the National Heritage Media Art project.
According to Cheorwon County on September 15, the Labor Party Office has been officially selected for the National Heritage Media Art project for 2027 by the Cultural Heritage Administration.
The National Heritage Media Art initiative integrates light, video, and digital technology with historically significant national heritage sites for nighttime cultural heritage utilization.
For next year's project, 31 local governments across the country applied, with Cheorwon, Gyeongju, Buyeo, Seogwipo, Yeosu, Wonju, and Taebaek being selected among them. The Cultural Heritage Administration has officially announced the selection of seven projects for the National Heritage Media Art initiative.
Cheorwon first passed the application in 2025 with the theme 'Gathering Light: Clearing Clouds, Illuminating Peace.' This year, it was again selected with the theme 'Peace Rising: From Memory to Empathy, Beyond Healing to the Future!'
The theme for the 2027 event will be 'Peace Without Borders: There Are No Boundaries to Peace.' With this selection, Cheorwon County will secure an additional 1 billion won ($10 million) in national and local funding, bringing the total funding over three years to approximately 3 billion won.
The Labor Party Office, the venue for the event, is a building that served as the North Korean Labor Party's office in Cheorwon after the liberation. It bears traces of bullets and shells from the Korean War, showcasing the scars of division and is registered as a national cultural heritage site.
Notably, the Labor Party Office is adjacent to the civilian control line and the DMZ. The theme 'There Are No Boundaries to Peace' can be conveyed more realistically in this context. Cheorwon County plans to utilize this location, implementing light and video to transform the Labor Party Office into a central space for nighttime tourism.
A key focus will be connecting visits to the event with local consumption. The media art will take place in the evening, increasing the likelihood of overnight stays for visitors. By linking the Labor Party Office with Cheorwon Historical and Cultural Park, local restaurants, accommodations, and experiential businesses into a single route, there is significant potential to convert day visits into overnight stays.
Cheorwon County plans to analyze this year's event results and develop tourism packages involving accommodations, dining, and experiential businesses. This may include guidance on restaurants and experiential facilities available before and after the event, as well as combining discounts on accommodations, local gift certificates, and transportation convenience.
However, the tourism package is still in the planning stage. To achieve tangible economic benefits for the region, it will be necessary to clarify the participating businesses, sales methods, reservation systems, and nighttime transportation. It is also essential to measure not just visitor numbers but also accommodation rates, average stay duration, and spending at restaurants and shops.
This year's '2026 National Heritage Media Art Cheorwon Labor Party Office' opened on September 11 and will run until October 11 at the Labor Party Office and Cheorwon Historical and Cultural Park. The Cultural Heritage Promotion Institute is also promoting the event on the same schedule.
Cheorwon County plans to incorporate visitor flow, stay duration, and program preferences identified this year into next year's content and tourism product development. The challenge ahead will be to connect the success of being selected for three consecutive years to local income and job creation.
Cheorwon County Mayor Kim Dong-il stated, 'Being selected for three consecutive years is a recognition of the historical value of the Labor Party Office and the peace message of the DMZ on a national level. We will ensure that this project goes beyond being a mere spectacle and provides tangible benefits to the local community.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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