[Arts & Culture] What’s ahead on Joseon Tongsinsa's first voyage in 261 years

Friday means it's time for our Arts and Culture segment.

Joining us is our culture correspondent Song Yoo-jin.

Welcome back to the studio!

It's great to be back!

What do you have for us today?

Last week, I brought you the story of Korea's historic Joseon Tongsinsa envoys, and how their centuries-old diplomatic mission to Japan is being recreated.

Today, I have the next chapter of that journey, this time from Busan, where the envoys once boarded ships, and where a restored Tongsinsa vessel is now making a symbolic voyage to Japan.

The final stop on Korean soil for the Joseon Tongsinsa, Korea's diplomatic missions to Japan during the 17th to 19th centuries, was the port city of Busan.

After arriving from Seoul, hundreds of envoys boarded ships bound for Japan.

Every year, this historic moment is revived through the Joseon Tongsinsa Festival.

Dressed in traditional Korean attire, hundreds of participants march through Busan, retracing the footsteps of the original envoys.

"It's my first time participating, but it really made me reflect more deeply on Korea's relationship with Japan, such as the colonial era."

"When I filled the form for this event, I did look it up, and it was like, it was a good historical piece that I got to know."

And completing the recreation, the Tongsinsa ship has also been meticulously brought back to life.

"This vessel, modeled after the original Tongsinsa ships, will set sail for Japan.

By mid-May, the vessel is set to arrive in Osaka."

This marks the first time in 261 years that the route to Osaka is being taken.

The man behind this reconstruction is Hong Sun-jae, who has spent a decade bringing the historic vessel back to life.

Since 2015, he's collected historical documents, studied ancient ship models, and traveled across the country to find the right timber.

The ship launched in 2018, made its first voyage to Japan in 2023, and this year, it's heading farther than ever before.

"This year marks 60 years since South Korea and Japan normalized diplomatic ties.

Our ship will hold an arrival ceremony in Osaka on May 13th, Korea Day at the Osaka World Expo.

Through this journey, we hope to promote peace and remind people that our two countries share a long history of connection, not just conflict."

Having departed from Busan on April 28th, the ship will visit multiple ports in Japan, hosting exhibitions and performances, just as the Joseon Tongsinsa envoys did centuries ago to share Korean culture.

Your report mentioned how the Tongsinsa ship will host exhibitions and performances during its stay in Japan.

Can you tell us more about how that will work?

Of course.

First, it's important to note that, unlike the original Tongsinsa missions, this time only the ship and its seven designated crew members are sailing to Japan.

The performers, who will be staging traditional Korean performances, will travel separately and join the ship at various ports based on the performance schedule.

Curator Hong says he wanted to create an onboard museum, so they filled the ship's interior with pictures and props telling the history of the Joseon Tongsinsa, such as how the ship was built.

A floating museum like this is incredibly rare.

That brings me to my next question: where can people in Japan see the ship, enjoy these performances, and experience the exhibitions?

According to the sailing schedule from the National Institute of Maritime Heritage, the ship is currently docked in Kaminoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Tomorrow, it's scheduled to sail to Kure, where the first major public events in Japan will take place on Monday, May 5th.

That day will feature a welcoming ceremony, the opening of the onboard exhibition, and a series of traditional Korean performances.

From there, the ship will continue along the route you're seeing on screen now.

After arriving in Osaka in mid-May, it will retrace its path back to Korea, and is expected to return to Busan on May 27th.

And as you've mentioned in both last week's and this week's reports, the ship's arrival in Osaka this year carries special significance.

It sounds like there's a full lineup of events planned when it gets there.

That's right.

The big day is May 13th, when a welcoming ceremony will be held in the morning with local residents of Osaka.

That will be followed by a marching procession, like the one featured in my report, this time through the grounds of the Osaka World Expo site.

I'll be on-site covering those events, so please stay tuned for that coverage!

We definitely will.

Thank you for your report today, Yoo-jin!

Always a pleasure.