The Jeonju Cultural Heritage Foundation (Representative Director Choi Rak-gi) will officially launch a hanji art project for the elderly in Heukseokgol, Seoseo-hakdong, Jeonju City starting from the 23rd.

The 'Heukseokgol Elderly Hanji Art Activity' is a program planned by the Jeonju Millennium Hanji Museum in collaboration with local artists, where elderly residents aged 60 and above in Heukseokgol express their memories of themselves, their families, and the village through hanji, thereby discovering and expanding new local cultural resources through a participatory project.

The program will kick off with a small-scale play titled 'When Spring Comes Again.' The elderly participants will then reflect on their lives and create writings and drawings on the theme of 'Me, My Family, My Home, My Village.'

Particularly noteworthy is the inclusion of peers as instructors, creating a natural and emotional rapport to immerse the participants in the creative activities. The creative outcomes will be shared with the local residents through an exhibition scheduled for August.

Seoseo-hakdong has the highest proportion of elderly population in Wansan-gu, Jeonju City, with the population aged 60 and above accounting for 45.3% as of February this year. Heukseokgol, in particular, was once a vibrant area known as 'Hanji Gol' due to its active hanji industry, and even today, many elderly residents with memories related to hanji reside there.

The Jeonju Millennium Hanji Museum has been fostering exchanges with local elderly residents through various activities such as the annual December event of recreating 'Dakmuji.' This project is expected to serve as a foundation for the formation of a hanji cultural community, including the future creation of a 'K-Hanji Village.'

Applications for the program can be made by visiting or calling the Jeonju Millennium Hanji Museum, and participation is free of charge.

Choi Rak-gi, the representative director of the Jeonju Cultural Heritage Foundation, stated, "This program aims to transcend mere hanji experiences and transform the memories and emotions of the elderly into art," adding, "Through this, we hope to alleviate the social isolation of the elderly and create a platform for intergenerational exchanges."