The 15th Gokseong World Rose Festival Opens in Spectacular Fashion

A Day Colored by Roses, All Day Rose
Ten Days of Performances and Events Until the 25th

On the night of the 16th, the opening ceremony of the 15th Gokseong World Rose Festival was held at Gokseong-gun Seomjingang Train Village. Photo by Gokseong-gun

On May 17, Gokseong County in South Jeolla Province announced that the 15th Gokseong World Rose Festival had opened in spectacular fashion at the Gokseong Seomjingang Train Village starting on the 16th. This year’s festival theme is “A Day Colored by Roses, All Day Rose,” which means being fully immersed in the charm of roses that are beautiful both day and night.

The festival began with the “All Day Rose Parade with Local Residents,” featuring five local art troupes, the Life Improvement Association, and more than 200 professional performers, each showcasing their unique talents to open the festivities.

Despite the rainy weather, members of the county youth orchestra, who performed at the festival’s opening celebration, demonstrated the results of their consistent practice and once again proved themselves as a source of pride for Gokseong. In addition, Harmonize, the first show choir in Korea and a World Choir Games champion, moved the audience with a reinterpretation of “Rocinante” as the opening theme performance.

County Governor Cho Sangrae said, “I sincerely welcome everyone who has come to the festival,” adding, “Our rose festival offers not only roses but also a variety of performances and experiences, so I hope you enjoy the charm of Gokseong and create special memories.”

Currently, the Train Village boasts 1,004 varieties of vibrant roses, the pride of the Gokseong World Rose Festival, all blooming at once. As of the opening day on May 16, the rose blooming rate was about 35%.

A festival official emphasized, “Gokseong Rose Park is a place where tens of millions of roses bloom across 75,000 square meters. We expect to show you the most beautiful roses in Korea.”

One visitor commented, “This is my first time visiting the Gokseong World Rose Festival in the rain. Of all the roses I have seen so far, the roses and the rose park today, glistening with raindrops, were the most beautiful and fragrant.”

At the central stage of the Seomjingang Train Village in Gokseong County, County Governor Cho Sangrae and event officials are announcing the opening of the 15th Gokseong World Rose Festival. Provided by Gokseong County

In particular, this year’s festival features the introduction of the Gokseong Rose Festival character “Lozy Friends,” created through a Korea Tourism Organization contest, at a pop-up store, drawing attention from visitors. There is also a “Where Are You, Lozy?” event, where visitors can search for hidden Lozy Friends within the rose park and receive a free photo booth experience.

This year, the Gokseong World Rose Festival will showcase the talents of about 800 people from 45 teams in the “Gokseong Pungnyu” section. In addition, local organizations such as the Saemaeul Association, the Life Improvement Association, the Junior Chamber, the Livestock Cooperative, and the Agricultural Cooperative will participate by leading the opening parade, cleaning the festival grounds, and operating various promotional booths.

To ensure a safe festival, the county has completed prior consultations with the Gokseong Police Station and Gokseong Fire Station, as well as the County Safety Management Review Committee. For crowd management, the county has joined a real-time crowd statistics management system to receive and monitor data instantly, and has also completed enrollment in a festival safety insurance policy that includes food liability coverage.

Every morning during the festival period, the on-site integrated situation room will bring together police, fire, administrative staff, agencies, and private security services to communicate about festival safety and address any deficiencies.

Meanwhile, Gokseong Seomjingang Train Village is the only place in Korea where visitors can see 1,004 varieties of roses from around the world at a glance, along with attractions such as the rose park, ecological center, Dreamland, and a steam locomotive.