"This Is True K-POP"... Korean Folk Arts Festival Held in Gumi

31 National Youth and General Teams, City and Provincial Folk Contest Representatives

Celebratory Performances by Song Gain, Park Aeri, Poppin Hyunjoon, Song Sohee and More

Gumi City, North Gyeongsang Province, will host the 65th Korean Folk Arts Festival from October 11 to 13 at the auxiliary stadium of Gumi Civic Stadium.

Poster of the 65th Korean Folk Arts Festival.

This event is organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, North Gyeongsang Province, and Gumi City, and co-hosted by the Foundation for the Promotion of Traditional Performing Arts, Gumi City, and Gumi Cultural Foundation.

With the aim of preserving and passing down folk arts, representative folk arts teams from all over the country will gather in one place to compete.

Starting with the opening ceremony for the youth division on the 11th, a total of 10 youth teams and 21 general teams will participate over three days, presenting passionate folk performances.

On the 12th, a celebratory concert featuring popular gugak artists such as Song Gain, Park Aeri, Poppin Hyunjoon, and Song Sohee will be held, drawing much anticipation from the audience.

In addition, performances by more than 50 local art groups will take place in the Culture Zone, while a traditional folk experience zone and food zone will offer a variety of attractions and activities.

Mayor Kim Jangho said, "I hope this Korean Folk Arts Festival will serve as an important opportunity to preserve and pass down the folk arts of each region," adding, "We look forward to this being a festival of unity that not only Gumi citizens but also all visitors can enjoy."

The Korean Folk Arts Festival, which began in 1958, is a leading national folk arts competition that tours metropolitan cities and provinces across the country every year, bringing together the folk arts of 17 provinces and the five northern provinces.

So far, more than 700 types of folk arts have been discovered, many of which have been inscribed as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage or listed as intangible heritage.