"Roses in May"... 'Jungnang Seoul Rose Festival' Opens on the 18th

Jungnang-gu Declares Jungnang Rose Week from 18th to 25th This Month
209 Varieties, 10 Million Roses: 'All About Roses'

Along the 5.45km stretch of Jungnangcheon in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, there is the longest rose tunnel in Korea. The "2024 Jungnang Seoul Rose Festival" will be held from the 18th to the 25th of this month.

The ‘Rose Festival’ befitting the ‘Garden City’ Seoul will be held from the 18th to the 25th of this month along the Jungnangcheon area, from Mukdonggyo to Gyeomjaegyo Bridge.

Jungnang-gu, Seoul (Mayor Ryu Gyeong-gi) announced on the 7th that this period will be declared as ‘Jungnang Rose Week’ and that the ‘2024 Jungnang Seoul Rose Festival’ will be held during this time. Having grown from a small festival enjoyed by local residents to the most beautiful festival in Seoul and a representative festival of the city, the Jungnang Seoul Rose Festival is once again in full bloom this year, preparing to welcome visitors.

The festival features the longest rose tunnel in Korea stretching 5.45 km, 209 varieties with over 300,000 rose bushes, 10 million rose blossoms, a rose parade, and a wealth of attractions and participatory activities.

The Jungnang Seoul Rose Festival kicks off with the Residents’ Unity Walking Contest on the 17th, the day before the festival, followed by the Grand Rose Festival on the 18th and 19th, and concludes with the Jungnang Artist Festival on the 25th as a related event.

The rose parade, the festival’s opening event, starts on the 18th at Junghwa Sports Park. The parade features residents from 16 neighborhoods of Jungnang-gu, professional performance teams, and parade floats, offering a spectacular sight. The Rose Music Garden main stage will host a rose concert. On the 19th, the Rose Plogging event, which combines picking up trash, running, and cultural performances, will take place along with the Jungnang Residents Awards Ceremony and the Rose Song Festival (a singing contest for Jungnang residents).

At the Rose Art Garden, where visitors can learn about and experience 209 varieties and 10 million rose blossoms, there is a unique opportunity to enjoy the types and history of Korean roses, roses from around the world, and an exhibition of wild roses.

At the Jungnang Sharing Garden and Rose Road Market, various markets from the 16 neighborhoods will be open, offering food, experiences, crafts, and secondhand goods events. Visitors can also purchase excellent small and medium enterprise products and specialty goods from sister cities. Along the path from the park’s main gate (Taereung Entrance Station) to the main stage, food booths and eco-friendly caf? booths are set up to delight visitors’ palates.

Ahead of the '2024 Jungnang Seoul Rose Festival,' District Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi and staff conducted a safety inspection at the festival site. (Photo by Jungnang District Office)

Jungnang-gu expects about one million visitors during the eight-day Jungnang Rose Week this year. Last year’s Rose Festival attracted 2.6 million visitors over 23 days, with an estimated direct economic effect of 14.6 billion KRW. Although the official festival period is shortened to eight days this year, rose viewing and facility use will be available at all times. From this year, Jungnang-gu and the Jungnang Cultural Foundation have added ‘Jungnang’ to the event name to emphasize that the festival is created by the people of Jungnang, renaming it the ‘Jungnang Seoul Rose Festival.’

Mayor Ryu Gyeong-gi personally inspected the festival preparations by walking about 2.5 km along the Jungnangcheon area where the festival will be held on the 3rd with staff members. He paid particular attention to safety management measures. The district plans to deploy a total of 2,456 safety personnel throughout the festival site from the 15th of this month to the 2nd of next month to ensure safety management.

Mayor Ryu said, “We are making thorough preparations so that the Jungnang Seoul Rose Festival will raise pride among Jungnang residents and bring great joy to visitors,” adding, “We will do our utmost to create a safe festival.”