Discover the Excitement: 1st Yeoncheon Singing Contest Kicks Off Prehistoric Festival!

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On the afternoon of May 1, a day before the 33rd Yeoncheon Paleolithic Festival opened, Yeoncheon County thrummed with anticipation.

The 1st Yeoncheon County Residents’ Singing Contest began at 6 p.m. on the temporary stage in Jeongok Station plaza. Hosted by Yeoncheon County, organized by the Yeoncheon branch of the Federation of Korean Artistic & Cultural Organizations, and sponsored by Gyeonggi Ilbo, the event served as a curtain-raiser for the Paleolithic Festival.

To turn the contest into a community celebration, preliminaries were held April 3–17 at administrative welfare centers and community centers across the county’s 10 towns and townships. 10 contestants advanced to the final and took the stage for the main competition.

Contestants displayed the skills they’d been honing, and cheers from supporters — along with applause from passersby around Jeongok Station — helped build the evening’s momentum.

Guest artists raised the energy even higher. Jeon Ha-yeon, known for the hit \”Saranghae Babo-ya,\” joined Lee Jae-gwan, Jeong Su-jeong and Moon Hee-ok for celebratory performances that animated the area around Jeongok Station.

After close deliberation, the top prize went to Han Kwon-sang (Yeoncheon-eup) for his rendition of Kim Yong-im’s \”Hweol Hweol Hweol.\” The judges also awarded the Excellence Award to Jang Yoon-ho (Jeongok-eup), the Encouragement Award to Yoo Kyung-hwa (Jung-myeon), and the Popularity Award to Lee Hwan-woo (Gunnam-myeon).

All 10 finalists, including the winners, received a 2 kg Hanwoo beef set donated by Gyeonggi Ilbo.

A Yeoncheon County official said, \”Held as a prelude to the Paleolithic Festival, this singing contest marked the official start of the celebrations for both locals and visitors. The residents’ enthusiastic participation rallied support for the festival’s success and helped reinforce community ties.\”