Kim Satgat Cultural Festival

The Kim Sat-gat Cultural Festival is a celebration held in Yeongwol to commemorate the life and literary value of Nanggo Kim Byeong-yeon (Kim Sat-gat), a wandering poet of the late Joseon Dynasty. Kim Sat-gat was a figure who wandered across the country wearing a conical hat, satirizing the authority and hypocrisy of his time and humorously expressing the lives and sorrows of ordinary people. Started in 1998, the festival is held every autumn centered around the historic site in Kim Sat-gat-myeon, Yeongwol-gun, which includes Kim Sat-gat's grave, former residence, and the Nanggo Kim Sat-gat Literature Museum. Key programs include memorial rites honoring Kim Sat-gat, the Kim Sat-gat Literature Award ceremony, nationwide writing and calligraphy contests, a reenactment of the Joseon Dynasty civil service examination, and academic events related to literature. In addition, performance, exhibition, and experiential programs themed around Kim Sat-gat's wandering, humor, and refined taste are offered. The festival aims to shed light on Kim Sat-gat's life and literary legacy, and to carry on the meaning of satire and humor found in his poetry in a modern context.