You may be making plans for this weekend and dreaming of the dirty delights of the Boryeong Mud Festival, but I’m here to warn you of the sometimes deadly and despicable dangers that may be awaiting you down at Daecheon Beach.
Boryeong Mud Festival Dangers
Illness
What’s that rash on your back? Is it infectious? Have you succumbed to a deadly mud virus? No, probably not, but back in 2009 two hundred visitors had to head to the nearest hospital after contracting “dermatitis palaestrae limosae” – a skin condition that had those poor party goers itching after they indulged in some pre-mud festival events.
The mud from Boryeong is filled with minerals and all sorts of other goodies, but be prepared to get down and dirty, and if you feel the need to scratch you may need to see the doctor!
Exposure
Do you want muddy pictures of yourself plastered all over the internet? Have you always dreamed of sleazy shots of you in your skimpy beach outfit being published by the international press? If so, you’re in luck because the Boryeong Mud Festival has a horde of professional photographers, amateur photographers and most definitely not professional paparazzi wannabes waiting to take a photo of you in your sludge covered speedos or bikini.
Drunkies and Perverts
There are plenty of fun loving festival goers who enjoy a nice long soak in the mud and then a couple beers or a shot of soju, but sometimes a few too many drinks can lead to disaster. A while back, The Marmot’s Hole gathered details on booze fueled incidents including a less than sober US soldier inflicting damage on a car, a drunken US soldier’s wife inflicting damage on two Korean girls and a sozzled English teacher who thought throwing flower pots in a restaurant might be fun.
In the same report there was also mention of child molestation by a couple of Indians, and a Thai photographer who was focusing his camera on rather personal places. Fortunately, these cases are the exception, not the rule, but watch out for those who have imbibed too much and may turn muddy fun into muddy fighting or much much worse.
Giant Waves
Tsunami alert! Well… okay… maybe no tsunamis, but back in 2008, just a couple of months before the festival began Boryeong was hit by a giant wave. This several metre wave, came as a complete surprise and led to the deaths of nine people after it rushed to shore. There haven’t been any more freak waves reported since then, but if you do decide to go for a dip stay safe and make sure you’re in sight of those on shore.
So many dangers at what might seem to be an innocent celebration of muddy fun. If these six aren’t enough to scare you away from this weekend’s mud related festivities, then check out Gemma Wardle’s insightful piece on the 10 Do’s and Don’ts of the Boryeong Mud Festival.