In Gossaum, the term 'go' originates from otgoreum (the ribbon bow on a traditional Korean jacket) and refers to a knot tied in a long string to make a loop. Therefore, gossaum, a compound of go and "ssaum," which means fight, indicate a "match or fight against two teams pulling on knotted ropes." Traditionally, Gossaum has been a competitive team sport enjoyed by men. It was often played in the Jeollanam-do area around Jeongwol Daeboreum (the 15th of January according to the lunar calendar). Gossaum, which has been enjoyed for over 800 years, was designated National Intangible Cultural Asset No.33 in 1971. The Gwangju Gossaum Festival, a gala event for gossaum, was first held in 1982. It attracts more and more visitors each year and contributes to promoting the local economy.
At the Gossaum Festival, one of the longest-running folklore festivals in Korea, various folk activities originating from traditional Korean culture are performed. The folk customs have gained recognizable names and diverse events that are planned each year, including a celebration of the eve, a service to worship the god guarding the village, a village exorcism, gossaum demonstrations, folk play performances and activities for visitors to participate in, such as a Daeboreum food tasting and a plaza where one can experience traditional folk games.
On the eve of the festival, a wide range of events are organized for visitors including kite flying, a traditional costume exhibition with a chance to try them on, rope walking, Daeborum food tasting (rice balls, rice mixed with vegetables and seasoned herbs), and jumping over burning straw ropes to chase away one’s bad luck.
There are also many other attractive spectacles to take in including a gossaum nori photo exhibition, a traditional folklore contest, a Nanta (percussion) performance, fireworks, the burning of a very large daljip (a “moon house”), a village exorcism and saem gut (well exorcism) that goes on until dawn. A variety of programs are also lined up including a Daedong farm music performance consisting of about 300 musicians, gossaum demonstrations, Korean traditional martial art performances and a tug-of-war between two teams pulling a thick rope.
The greatest highlight of the Gwangju Gossaum Festival is the burning of a 20-meter high, 15-meter wide daljip, which translates literally to “moon house.” The daljip, a pile of branches, is the largest one in Korea and its flames can rise as high as 100 meters or more, inspiring awe among all viewers. Visitors can also enjoy the traditional cultural heritage of the Gwangju area since a number of cultural relics including General Go, Gyeong-myeong sites (Pochung Shrine and Samgangmun Gate) are located within one kilometer of the venue.
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