Changwon Special City, "Making Jinhae Gunhangje a Festival Enjoyed by Both Tourists and Citizens"

Eradicating Overcharging, Promoting Safe Festivals
Building a Model Festival Image

Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam promised to make the 62nd Jinhae Gunhangje Festival a celebration enjoyed by both tourists and citizens.

On the 29th, the city announced that this year’s 62nd Jinhae Gunhangje Festival will be held for ten days from March 22, starting with the eve event, until April 1, centered around Jinhae-gu and throughout Changwon City.

The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau is holding a briefing related to the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival.

First, the festival grounds, which were previously dispersed around Jinhae-ro, will be concentrated around Jungwon Rotary this year. This will secure an efficient route for visitors to enjoy the Gunhangje Festival by walking from Yeojwacheon Stream to the Naval Academy, and it is expected to revitalize the local economy by attracting tourists to nearby commercial areas.

Additionally, the section from Jinhae Station to Jungwon Rotary will be developed into a showcase street for defense industry promotion. Compared to last year, the city plans to introduce richer defense industry content to actively promote the charm of Changwon as a global defense industry city to domestic and international tourists.

Breaking away from the traditional spectator-focused festival, various experiential and participatory events will be held to transform it into a festival where tourists can actively participate. Notably, as a special event during the opening ceremony, a ‘Proposal Stage’ is planned, where applications for love and friendship confessions from families, couples, friends, and others will be accepted, and one selected team will be given an unforgettable proposal opportunity.

Moreover, diverse events such as a cosplay street, Gunhang Song Festival, and Cherry Blossom EDM Festival will capture the attention of tourists. The festival will also be enriched by linking with local art events such as the Cherry Blossom Art Festival and the Changwon City Art Troupe’s original musical “Battle of Angolpo.”

Measures to eradicate overcharging at the traditional market, which could be controversial, will also be implemented. Mandatory disclosure of food prices, weights, and origins, along with publicizing the operating company names and representatives’ real names, will ensure transparency. At the same time, a reward system for reporting overcharging and a fee monitoring team will be operated to build a trustworthy and exemplary festival image.

To prevent safety accidents, all facilities within the festival grounds, including the Yeojwacheon deck road, a famous cherry blossom spot, will undergo pre-inspection and maintenance before the festival, aiming for “zero safety accidents” following last year, with thorough safety management for various situations.

The Jinhae Gyeonghwa Station landmark project will be completed by February to provide new attractions and experiences for visitors. Visitors can enjoy activities such as issuing wish tickets at the Gyeonghwa Station mini station and making wishes, taking memorable photos at the new photo zone, and enjoying nightscape lighting along the route from the station entrance to the fountain plaza, mini station, train exhibition hall, and train section, offering fun for visitors day and night.

A city official stated, “We will operate a dedicated festival organization with expertise and planning capabilities to develop the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival and Masan Chrysanthemum Festival, Changwon’s representative festivals, into world-renowned festivals beyond Korea’s premium festivals.” He added, “We will create a permanent chrysanthemum festival site to make it a landmark of Changwon tourism where festivals can be enjoyed year-round.”