Kim Sat-gat Cultural Festival

The Kim Satgat Cultural Festival is held in Yeongwol to honor the life and literary value of Nango Kim Byeong-yeon (Kim Satgat), a wandering poet of the late Joseon Dynasty. Kim Satgat is known for traveling the country wearing a bamboo hat (satgat), satirizing the authority and hypocrisy of society at the time, and humorously expressing the lives and sorrows of the common people. Started in 1998, the festival is held every autumn around the historical sites in Kim Satgat-myeon, Yeongwol-gun, where his tomb, residence, and the Nango Kim Satgat Memorial Hall are located. The main programs include a memorial service for Kim Satgat, the Kim Satgat Literary Award ceremony, national-level writing and calligraphy contests, a Joseon Dynasty state examination reenactment, and literary academic events. In addition, various performances, exhibitions, and hands-on programs themed around Kim Satgat's wandering, humor, and appreciation of the arts are offered. The festival aims to highlight Kim Satgat's life and literary legacy and to modernly inherit the meaning of satire and humor found in his poetry.