Hansung Baekje Cultural Festival Captivates MZ Generation! ... 300,000 Visitors Over 3 Days, Majority in Their 20s and 30s

Songpa-gu, September 22-24 '23rd Hanseong Baekje Cultural Festival' Huge Success...From Traditional Culture to K-Drama, K-Game...Showcasing the Essence of K-Culture...Audience Amazed at Every Performance...Word of Mouth Draws Total 300,000 Visitors...About Half Are 126,000 in Their 20s and 30s...Over 3,000 Foreigners Also Attend

2023 Hansung Baekje Cultural Festival Opening Ceremony

From September 22 to 24, the ‘23rd Hanseong Baekje Cultural Festival’ held at the Peace Gate Plaza in Olympic Park saw the highest attendance from people in their 20s and 30s.

Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) announced on the 26th of last month that, based on an analysis of visitor big data and the organizer’s tally, approximately 300,000 people visited during the three-day festival period.

In particular, it was found that visitors in their 20s and 30s were overwhelmingly the majority, indicating that this year’s Hanseong Baekje Cultural Festival attracted significant interest from the MZ generation. With 63,754 visitors in their 20s and 63,342 in their 30s, these numbers are more than double compared to 33,988 visitors in their 50s and 25,220 in their 60s.

Moreover, while about 77,000 people visited on the opening day, the numbers surged to 113,000 and 99,000 on the second and final days respectively, as word spread about the high-quality performances and experience booths, drawing many visitors.

According to the organizer’s tally, foreign visitors also reached 3,000. Along with the delegation from Songpa’s sister city Christchurch, New Zealand, and over 130 private envoys from various countries, many foreign tourists visiting Songpa enjoyed the festival together.

A district official added, “Last year’s Hanseong Baekje Cultural Festival included the Seokchon Lake Light Festival, estimating visitor numbers at 300,000. However, considering that this year’s event was held at a single location, it marks the highest attendance ever.”

The district attributed the increased interest in this year’s Hanseong Baekje Cultural Festival to distinctive planning that reflected the characteristics of the Songpa-gu area.

Under the theme ‘The Power of Culture Crossing Rivers and Seas,’ the festival harmoniously showcased the great power of K-Culture, which started from Hanseong Baekje 2,000 years ago and has spread worldwide, through various high-quality performances beyond just the history and culture of Hanseong Baekje.

Beginning with a commemorative poem reading by Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, the festival featured ▲on the first day, Daegum flute performances by Lee Saeng-gang, Daebuk drum performances, and electronic live shows; ▲on the second day, the ‘Hanseong Cultural Concert’ presenting traditional Korean music such as Daechwita and Taepyeongmu, fusion gugak, and K-Trot; and most notably, ▲on the final day, a stage encompassing K-content including music, drama, film, games, and dance, combined with dazzling visuals on a 60-meter-long media facade, eliciting awe from the audience.

Philip Major, Mayor of Christchurch, New Zealand, part of the city’s delegation, remarked, “It was a fantastic performance rarely seen anywhere else in the world,” and added, “I was amazed throughout the entire show.”

Not only performances but also food markets participated in by residents from 23 neighborhoods, the Songpa-gu character ‘Haha Hoho’ promotional booth beloved by children, and experience booths such as Chiljido sword making and Hanseong100 attracted crowds of visitors every day.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, stated, “Through this Hanseong Baekje Cultural Festival, Songpa-gu has once again proven itself as the center of K-Culture,” and added, “Going forward, Songpa-gu will take the lead in ensuring that the enduring power of culture flows into K-Culture, crossing rivers and seas to reach the world.”