'Seoul's Most Beautiful Festival' Proven Again... Showcasing 10 Million Roses of 209 Varieties and Over 310,000 Plants
Efforts Made to Create a Safe, Friendly, and Clean Festival
Jungnang-gu (District Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) successfully concluded the 2024 Jungnang Seoul Rose Festival, which beautifully adorned the Jungnangcheon area with roses, on the 25th with the Jungnang Artist Festival.
The number of visitors who came to see the beautiful ten million roses at the Jungnangcheon Rose Park reached 3.03 million, an increase of 430,000 compared to the previous year.
This year’s Rose Festival focused even more on the roses, the main attraction of the festival, living up to its reputation as “the prettiest festival in Seoul.” In addition to planting 8,000 more rose bushes, the festival introduced the ‘Mangu Rose,’ a new rose variety unique to Jungnang-gu, for the first time. Especially impressive was the 5.45 km-long rose tunnel, the largest in Korea, showcasing 209 varieties and over 310,000 rose bushes from around the world, drawing admiration from visitors. Alongside the roses, a newly created ‘Charming Garden’ featuring a variety of colorful flowers provided a special visual treat.
The festival highlighted the active participation of local residents as key contributors. They were involved not only in creating promotional materials such as posters but also in programs like the Rose Parade and Rose Plogging, as well as operating sharing booths and volunteering, helping to make the festival a community effort.
In particular, the district put great effort into safety management to ensure a secure festival. Over 2,800 safety personnel from the Jungnang Cultural Foundation, Jungnang District Office, police, and fire departments were deployed throughout the festival site, and safety facilities such as safety fences were expanded to prevent crowd congestion.
Efforts to enhance visitor convenience were also notable.
To allow visitors to enjoy the festival comfortably, the number of stroller and wheelchair rental stations and nursing rooms was doubled, expanding convenience facilities. Additionally, all food booths accepted card payments and displayed menu prices in advance, while a report center for overcharging was operated to help visitors enjoy the festival pleasantly.
Moreover, a ‘Jungnang Rose Park Rose Distribution Map’ was created to help visitors easily find the beautiful roses they wanted to see, further improving convenience.
The festival also revitalized the local economy.
Visitors flocked to booths set up for local merchants and small businesses to sell food and products while promoting themselves. About 40 restaurants in Jungnang-gu participated as discounted venues during Jungnang Rose Week, offering a 10% discount on all menu items. These were selected as ‘Rose Michelin’ restaurants, and a social media event for visit certification received great response.
Furthermore, special efforts were made to maintain cleanliness at the festival. A total of 642 cleaning staff were deployed for street cleaning, road washing, and maintaining cleanliness around the venue. Compared to last year, three additional restrooms were installed inside the festival area, and eight portable toilets were added along with separated recycling bins, public restrooms, and privately opened restrooms around the venue. A special mobile team managed restroom cleanliness throughout the festival period, contributing to a pleasant and clean festival environment.
Yu Kyung-ae, CEO of the Jungnang Cultural Foundation, said, “I hope everyone who visited ‘the prettiest festival in Seoul’ had a chance to fully experience the charm of Jungnang. I also want to express my gratitude to the volunteers and related agency staff who worked hard to ensure a safe and comfortable festival.”
Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, said, “We paid special attention to safety management to make this Rose Festival a safe, friendly, and clean event. We also expanded convenience facilities to assist visitors and put extra effort into environmental maintenance at the festival site. I thank the residents and officials who helped make this Rose Festival a success, and especially the many visitors who cooperated with orderly viewing to conclude the festival well. We will continue to do our best to develop the Rose Festival further so that it becomes a source of pride for our residents.”
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