Participation under the Theme "The Taste of Namdo and the Power of Jeonnam's Small Giants"
Promoting Content at Industrial, Tourism, Specialty Products, and Hometown Love Halls
Governor Kim Yungrok Highlights Jeonnam as the "Holy Land of Local Hip for the MZ Generation"
Jeollanam-do Governor Kim Youngrok is taking a commemorative photo with key guests at the Jeonnam Promotion Hall during the '2025 Local Content Festa' held at BEXCO in Busan on the 25th. Provided by Jeonnam Province
On July 25, Jeollanam-do participated in the 2025 Local Content Festa held at BEXCO in Busan, presenting local content under the theme "The Taste of Namdo and the Power of Jeonnam's Small Giants," and introduced its global vision for Jeonnam with the message, "The most Jeonnam-like is the most global."
The Local Content Festa, now in its fourth year, runs for three days until July 27 to promote new Jeonnam branding through Namdo cuisine, small and medium enterprises, youth entrepreneurship, and cultural content. Four metropolitan governments?Jeollanam-do, Gwangju Metropolitan City, Gyeonggi-do, and Busan Metropolitan City?as well as 25 basic local governments are participating, and a large number of visitors, including Jeonnam natives living in the Seoul metropolitan area, are expected to attend.
At the opening ceremony on July 25, Governor Kim Yungrok stated in his congratulatory speech, "A new cultural trend called 'Local Hip' (Local+Hip) is spreading, especially among the MZ generation. University students are enjoying 'Chonkangs' by wearing baggy pants and exploring traditional markets, and office workers are practicing the 'Odoichon' lifestyle by spending five days in the city and two days in the countryside. The true local era has arrived, and Jeonnam is truly the holy land of 'Local Hip.'"
He especially highlighted: ▲ Jeonnam's food ingredients, which are globally recognized to the extent that companies like Nongshim and McDonald's have chosen them; ▲ cultural assets that have grown into global brands, such as the Aeyangdan, which brings the beauty of Korea to the heart of New York by modeling after Gurye Jukhobarame and Damyang Soswaewon, which were chosen by Disney; ▲ Jeonnam's unique policy innovations, such as the Energy Basic Income; and ▲ unique local content such as the Gourmet Expo and Island Expo. Through these examples, he emphasized that Jeonnam is fully prepared for globalization.
Jeollanam-do also widely promoted its outstanding local content by operating a Policy Promotion Hall, Industry Promotion Hall, Tourism Promotion Hall, Agricultural and Marine Specialty Products Promotion Hall, and Hometown Love Donation Promotion Hall.
In the Policy Promotion Hall, in celebration of 30 years of local autonomy this year, Jeonnam's excellent policies from the 1st to the 8th popularly elected administrations, which have led Korea, were showcased. Major policies that have changed residents' daily lives, such as the Sun and Wind Pension, 1,000-Won Ferry, 10,000-Won Housing, and 100-Won Taxi, were introduced in the form of character models for a friendly presentation. Thirty exemplary Jeonnam-style policies were selected, and interactive games were used to enhance understanding and encourage visitor participation.
The Industry Promotion Hall served as a space to highlight Jeonnam's leading industries that drive future growth, widely publicizing the competitiveness of local industries and presenting a blueprint for the region's economic future through various content. Ten of Jeonnam's representative small but strong companies participated, showcasing products that combined outstanding technology and creativity, demonstrating the tangible achievements and potential of Jeonnam's industrial ecosystem.
In the Tourism Promotion Hall, major local festivals in Jeonnam were promoted, including the Jeonnam International Ink Biennale and the Myeongnyang Battle Festival in September, as well as the Namdo International Gourmet Industry Expo in October and other large-scale events.
The Agricultural and Specialty Products Promotion Hall focused on Jeonnam's representative foods and specialty products, featuring five themed brand zones (Namdo Market Zone, Jeonnam Nonghyup Zone, Young Farmers Zone, Master Zone, Top 10 Brand Rice Zone) to spotlight the taste and brand value of Namdo. The 'Local Food Market,' with participation from 21 cities and counties in Jeonnam, received a great response from visitors.
A citizen from Busan who visited the event said, "Through the exhibition, I was able to see Jeonnam companies' products, local food, and various policies all in one place, and I discovered many new charms of Jeonnam."
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