Gwangyang Maehwa Festival to Be Held for Ten Days Starting March 7 Next Year

Outside the Tent: Seomjingang, Life-Shot Photo Zones, and More

Gwangyang City, Jeollanam-do announced on the 30th that the Gwangyang Maehwa Festival Promotion Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Committee) was held on the 27th at the Gwangyang City Tourism Collaboration Center conference room to ensure the successful hosting of the 24th Gwangyang Maehwa Festival.

The meeting, presided over by Kim Jongho, Chairman of the Gwangyang Maehwa Festival Promotion Committee, was attended by around 20 committee members and related officials. They listened to the draft of the basic festival plan and discussed the festival period, expansion of content, and the festival's name.

The Gwangyang Maehwa Festival Promotion Committee has confirmed the 24th Gwangyang Maehwa Festival period to be ten days, from March 7 to 16 next year. Provided by Gwangyang City

The Committee confirmed that the 24th Gwangyang Maehwa Festival will be held for ten days from March 7 to 16 next year.

Additionally, they decided to introduce a variety of innovative content such as "Outside the Tent is Seomjingang" and "Earth Marble Gwangyang Travel." Sensory art photo zones will be installed throughout the festival venue, allowing visitors to capture unforgettable life shots against the backdrop of the beautiful Gwangyang Maehwa Village.

Next year's festival admission fee will remain at 5,000 won, the same amount as this year when it was first introduced. The collected admission fees will be fully refunded as festival vouchers to stimulate the local economy.

Furthermore, the city plans to minimize visitor inconvenience and create a pleasant, safe, and eco-friendly festival venue by improving the transportation system, expanding resident participation, and establishing a festival free of disposable products, thereby enhancing sustainability.

To address transportation system and congestion issues, discussions were held on operating paid shuttle buses in the Gwangyang-eup and Jungma areas, expanding and improving the shuttle bus system within the festival site, and increasing riverside parking lots.

To strengthen resident participation and cooperation and prevent illegal activities such as unauthorized land rentals and night markets, the festival will have designated resident and vehicle control zones and provide booths for self-employed individuals. From the planning stage, residents and social organizations will be involved in programs that reflect Gwangyang's identity, such as "Gwangyang Dama Maesil Dosirak" and "Maesil Highball," ensuring reasonable prices and reinforcing the festival's image as free from price gouging.

Meanwhile, regarding the proposal to include the highly recognizable "Seomjingang" in the festival name, opinions converged on maintaining the existing "Gwangyang Maehwa Festival" name, which already boasts strong brand value.

Kim Jongho, Committee Chairman, emphasized, "The Gwangyang Maehwa Festival has firmly established itself as a spring festival in Korea, attracting over a million spring visitors every year and elevating the status of Gwangyang City. We must do our best to develop it into a festival where local residents participate voluntarily and maximize economic benefits."

Yang Junseok, Director of the Tourism, Culture, and Environment Bureau, stated, "We will develop the Gwangyang Maehwa Festival into a cultural tourism festival that attracts global attention by expanding killer content unique to the festival, increasing local resident participation programs, introducing eco-friendly initiatives, and improving the transportation system."

Meanwhile, Gwangyang City plans to finalize the festival program and detailed implementation plans through working-level meetings with related departments and make every effort to ensure a pleasant and safe festival environment and tourism readiness.