Around 60,000 Visitors Came by March 2
Final Day Events Canceled Due to Bad Weather
Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk, successfully concluded the ‘2025 Uljin Snow Crab and Red Snow Crab Festival’ held from February 28 to March 2 at Wangdolcho Square in Hupo Port.
This year, despite the schedule being shortened due to adverse weather, approximately 60,000 visitors came to the festival site to enjoy the true taste of Uljin Snow Crab and Red Snow Crab, thanks to the opening of the Donghae Line railway and the operation of various programs.
However, the schedule on the last day of the festival, March 3, was inevitably canceled due to unexpected severe weather. With forecasts of heavy snow accompanied by strong winds during the festival period, the organizers made this decision prioritizing the safety of visitors and participants.
The festival atmosphere was greatly elevated by the ‘KBS 2TV 1 Night 2 Days Uljin Edition’ variety show aired in mid-February just before the festival and the short-form content video of the crab festival, which recorded a historic high of 1.8 million views on Uljin-gun’s official Instagram posts. The festival offered a variety of attractions, starting with a performance by the local acoustic guitar club for community harmony, followed by performances by local singers, crab tug-of-war competitions between towns and townships, and a bubble magic show that was very popular among children.
In particular, the Uljin Snow Crab flash mob performance and congratulatory performances by popular singers Lee Chan-won and Punggeum heated up the atmosphere and received great responses from tourists.
Special experiences were provided daily through the Red Snow Crab fishing experience and Uljin Snow Crab auction programs, in which tourists could directly participate. Additionally, the seafood mutual discount coupon event and a 50% discount on premium steamed Red Snow Crab allowed many visitors to enjoy Uljin Snow Crab and Red Snow Crab at more reasonable prices.
Especially, the restaurants that many tourists visited during the festival period saw the prepared snow crab and red crab sold out day after day, which was evaluated as a significant contribution to revitalizing the local economy.
The representative program of the Uljin Snow Crab and Red Snow Crab Festival, the Crab Sauce Bibimbap performance, was sufficient to satisfy the eyes and palates of tourists by offering free tasting opportunities.
Another highlight of this year’s festival was the marine experience program. Tourists enjoyed special marine tourism through yacht boarding experiences and indoor tours of naval vessels.
Also, during the festival period, two additional trains stopped at Hupo Station, and the county operated shuttle buses running between Hupo Station, the festival site, and Hupo Marina Port to enhance visitor convenience.
Under the theme ‘The King of Crabs, Here Comes Uljin Snow Crab!’, the 2025 Uljin Snow Crab and Red Snow Crab Festival is expected to return next year with even more diverse programs and abundant attractions for tourists.
County Governor Son Byung-bok said, “This year’s festival attracted more tourists than expected due to improved accessibility with the railway opening, and it became a richer festival with various programs. Although it was regrettable that some schedules were canceled due to bad weather, we will continue to widely promote the reputation of Uljin Snow Crab and Red Snow Crab and develop the festival into one where tourists can enjoy their stay even more.”
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