Gimpo City to Host Nation’s Only Axe Festival, "Gimpo City Dadam Festival," on the 27th

Held at Gimpo Art Village, the Festival Draws Huge Interest Even Before Registration
A Variety of Attractions Including the K-Jungbong Cosplay Street Parade and the Aegibong Gala Show

The "Gimpo City Dadam Festival," renowned as the nation’s only axe-themed festival, will be held at Art Village on the 27th. Gaining popularity through word of mouth since last year as a festival where participants can showcase their own unique axes, this year's Dadam Festival will feature, for the first time in Korea, a "K-Jungbong Cosplay" street parade. In this parade, participants dressed in Confucian scholar attire and wearing traditional hats will carry axe bundles and march through the streets.

Dadam Festival Promotional Poster. Provided by Gimpo City

The "K-Jungbong Cosplay" street parade is a modern reinterpretation of the historic proclamation "Jibusangso" by Jungbong Jo Heon. From 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., participants will present their own unique axe-themed "Jibusangso," followed by a 450-meter parade from the entrance of Art Village to the Art Center Square. The event will conclude with a traditional "pot-breaking" competition.

This year’s Dadam Festival, which runs from 11 a.m. until the evening, offers over 70 different hands-on experiences and side events. Visitors can enjoy an axe-throwing challenge, axe crafting, face painting, as well as sample Yangtang (Western-style soup) and participate in an axe-themed dalgona candy challenge. There will also be traditional games such as jegichagi, ring toss, spinning plates, and ttakji, along with a Training Command Stamp Tour, a Zero Gravity Human performance, and a Sato (local magistrate) quiz competition. In addition, there will be a special lecture by renowned historian Choi Taesung on "Jungbong Jo Heon and the History of Gimpo," as well as traditional folk art performances.

Furthermore, the festival will feature a gala show of the Gimpo City original musical "Aegibong" (with Yang Kyungwon, Lee Seok, Shin Goeun, and others), a media art nightscape show to enjoy the autumn evening, and performances by invited singer Weena and the VVS Boy Group, promising a vibrant festival atmosphere perfect for enjoying the fall night.

The Gimpo City Dadam Festival is a comprehensive event that includes the Jungbong Cultural Festival honoring Jo Heon, as well as Gimpo’s arts festival and traditional performances. Since last year, it has gained popularity by branding itself with the axe theme. This year, advance registration for the main program, the K-Jungbong Cosplay street parade, quickly reached its 200-participant limit, drawing significant attention. For more information, inquiries can be made to the Arts Team of the Department of Culture and Arts.