Yeongwol's Danjong score becomes French president's walk-on, walk-off music; typeface, film go global

Yang Bang-ean's “Rebirth” captivates France — the secret behind Yeongwol's K-content success in three countries

Global achievements include the theme song for the Danjong Culture Festival's 60th anniversary in 2027 and the “Yeongwol Typeface,” which swept design awards in Taiwan and Japan

Music, a public typeface and a feature film inspired by the history and natural landscapes of “Yeongwol”, Gangwon province, have made successive debuts on international stages, including a French summit, demonstrating the extraordinary strength of local cultural content.

A tragic king's lament echoes at French summit and captivates the world

Yeongwol County said Monday that musician Yang Bang-ean's “Rebirth”, a work about “Danjong,” the ill-fated king of Joseon, was recently selected as the music played for presidential arrivals and departures at the Lumière Summit in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France. The event, co-chaired by the presidents of South Korea and France and attended by top figures from the global film, video and cultural industries, marked an unusual achievement for local content, which served as its main theme.

“Rebirth” is the theme song that “Yeongwol” County created in collaboration with Yang Bang-ean to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Danjong Culture Festival. Rather than confining the tragedy of “Danjong,” who died young, to simple sorrow, the song reinterprets it as a message of hope, combining traditional instruments with the melodies of a Western orchestra and piano. Its official music video, in particular, was recognized as a work of global caliber after winning the top designation, “Platinum Winner,” at the 2026 MUSE Creative Awards.

The public typeface “Yeongwol Typeface,” which captures the aesthetics of nature in the Korean alphabet, has also achieved a landmark success on the international design stage. Reflecting the graceful curves of the Donggang and Seogang rivers and the sculptural features of Seondol and Yoseonam in its letterforms, the “Yeongwol Typeface” won both the 2026 Taiwan Golden Pin Design Award and Japan's Good Design Award. The typeface, which has already swept domestic K-Design awards, is now used at major official government events, including national vision proclamation ceremonies, further showcasing its value.

History reborn on screen targets theaters across North America and Europe

The feature film “The Man Who Lives With the King,” which brings the stories of “Yeongwol” and “Danjong” to the screen, is also making rapid progress overseas. Building on solid box-office performance in South Korea, the film is aggressively expanding its distribution into major theaters and video markets worldwide, including North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania.

Building on these wide-ranging achievements, “Yeongwol” County plans to further develop its distinctive historical and cultural resources into high-value cultural content in design, music and video, in conjunction with the 60th Danjong Culture Festival in 2027.

Jeon Gil-ja, director of the county's Culture and Tourism Division, said, “Letters born from nature have earned recognition on Asia's most prestigious design stage, while music rooted in history has echoed on the international stage in France.” She added, “We will expand the region's stories into diverse global content and establish them as an irreplaceable regional brand asset.”