"Snow, Sledding, Mini Train: Winter Travel to Bonghwa 'Santa Village'... Opening of Korea's Version of 'Frozen'"

From the 21st of this month until February 16th next year, Gyeongbuk Province will operate the ‘2024?2025 Buncheon Midwinter Santa Village’ for 58 days at Buncheon Station in Bonghwa.

Buncheon Santa Village is a representative winter travel destination in Gyeongbuk, attracting over 100,000 visitors annually. It has been selected as a recommended travel destination for December by the Korea Tourism Organization. Utilizing winter themes such as Santa Claus, Christmas, and snow, the village is decorated with various experiential events and tourism content.

The opening ceremony of Bonghwa Buncheon Santa Village is taking place.

On the opening day, the 21st, the Buncheon Midwinter Santa Village opening ceremony was held, attended by Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province; Lim Jong-sik, Superintendent of Gyeongbuk Office of Education; Park Seong-man, Chairperson of Gyeongbuk Provincial Council; Park Hyun-guk, Mayor of Bonghwa County; Lim Jong-deuk, Member of the National Assembly; Son Myeong-cheol, Head of Korail Gyeongbuk Headquarters; as well as provincial and county council members, local residents, and about 3,000 tourists. The event featured various celebratory performances and a Santa parade, creating a lively festival atmosphere.

This event welcomes tourists with diverse Christmas activities, including ‘Christmas with Visiting Santa,’ where an officially certified Santa from Rovaniemi City, Finland?the home of Santa Claus?visits Buncheon Santa Village, and the ‘Santa Claus Studio,’ where visitors can take photos with the certified Santa.

On Christmas Eve, the 24th, a special performance featuring the children’s choir Monster Factory and famous musicians such as Nilo and Hwang Garam is scheduled to enhance the Christmas Eve atmosphere.

Additionally, the village offers Santa-themed experiences such as renting Santa capes and costumes to visitors, allowing them to immerse themselves in the Christmas spirit. Various attractions and activities are also available, including making Santa character products, Santa sled rides, the Santa observatory, and the Santa mini train.

From the 27th to the 29th, a winter Santa village pet culture festival will be held, featuring events like the Santa Dog Contest and a pet walking competition, providing unique enjoyment for families with pets.

Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, stated, “Buncheon Santa Village has established itself as a representative winter tourist destination enjoyed by all generations by utilizing themes of Santa, snow, and Christmas. I hope many tourists visit this winter to help revitalize the local economy, which has been sluggish.”

Meanwhile, considering the difficult situation the entire country is facing due to various domestic and international circumstances, Gyeongbuk Province plans to focus on recovering the people’s livelihood economy. In particular, the province intends to actively promote the recovery of the livelihood economy through the revitalization of cultural tourism, including local festivals that play an important role in regional economic activation. The opening ceremony of this Buncheon Midwinter Santa Village is expected to be the first signal for the recovery of people’s livelihoods.