National Festival Jinhae Gunhangje ... Challenges Remain Such as Establishing Identity

Changwon Special City Holds Evaluation Meeting for Jinhae Gunhangje Festival

Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam, held a comprehensive evaluation meeting on the 62nd Jinhae Gunhangje Festival and the 2024 Jinhae Military Band Festival on the 30th at the Jinhae District Office's medium conference room.

Changwon Special City Holds Evaluation Meeting for Jinhae Gunhangje Festival.

Presided over by Deputy Mayor Jo Myeong-rae, about 30 people attended the evaluation meeting, including military and police-related agencies, the Yi Sun-sin Military Festival Committee, city council members, and city support department officials.

The evaluation results showed that this year's Jinhae Gunhangje Festival was successfully completed without any safety accidents, attracting 3.03 million visitors and generating 168.5 billion KRW in local economic effects.

In particular, compared to the previous year, the early opening of the Seokdong Tunnel helped disperse traffic volume, and the operation of weekend bus-only lanes and the introduction of shuttle buses greatly contributed to alleviating traffic congestion. The introduction of the Gunhangje application, which provided quick information on event guidance and traffic conditions, was also a notable change this year, receiving great responses from tourists.

Various cultural contents targeting all age groups also stood out. The band festival, EDM festival, and K-POP dance competition satisfied the cultural desires of tourists and citizens, and participatory communication contents such as the proposal event and family experience booths received positive responses.

This year's Jinhae Gunhangje Festival focused on eradicating "overcharging" and ensuring "safety" as key issues. To eliminate overcharging, efforts were made including establishing booth entry regulations, introducing a reporting and reward system, and strengthening crackdowns. A one-strike-out policy was implemented to strongly crack down on resale activities, and a resolution meeting to eradicate overcharging was held for booth entrants.

The evaluation meeting also discussed development tasks such as resolving residents' inconveniences and strengthening the identity of the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival. In particular, active discussions were held on measures to make the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival a globally representative brand festival.

Deputy Mayor Jo said, “I would like to thank everyone who cooperated and supported the successful hosting of the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival. Based on the discussions today, we will make further efforts to help the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival grow into a world-class festival.”