Mokpo Port Festival's First Online Event: "Let's Definitely Meet On-site Next Year"

Positive Response to Various Programs in Participatory, Viewing, and Event Formats

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jeong Seunghyun] The Mokpo Port Festival, a representative festival of Mokpo City, Jeollanam-do, was held online from the 14th to the 17th.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the festival was held non-face-to-face and was broadcast through Mokpo City's official YouTube, Facebook, and other SNS channels, as well as the Mokpo Culture and Tourism website. The Port Festival consisted of various programs including participatory programs, viewing programs, and events, receiving great responses from participants.

The online auction event was popular as participants could purchase local specialties at affordable prices through real-time online participation. Additionally, live commerce and TV home shopping contributed to revitalizing the local economy by selling regional specialties.

Along with this, the Mokpo Pasi Quiz, designed to promote Mokpo, and performances by local art groups whose stages had been limited due to the prolonged COVID-19 situation were also held.

Online programs such as ‘Online Busking’ produced by the Mokpo City Art Troupe and at Mokpo’s tourist attractions, ‘Mokpo Online Tour’ which explores Mokpo’s date courses with a famous travel YouTuber, and ‘Mokpo Taste, Cook!’ which provides cooking videos using local specialties by chefs from famous Mokpo restaurants, are being used as materials to promote Mokpo’s tourism resources.

This year’s festival is considered meaningful as it continued the legacy of last year’s festival, which was canceled due to COVID-19, and comforted weary daily lives. Along with this, Mokpo City’s YouTube subscribers increased by more than 38%, opening new possibilities for online festivals beyond spatial limitations.

Kim Jongsik, Mayor of Mokpo City, said, “Thanks to the enthusiastic participation of viewers, we successfully concluded the non-face-to-face online festival,” and added, “I hope that next year we can present a festival full of excitement and interest where people can feel the unique charm of Mokpo on-site without worries about COVID-19.”