Jinju Holds "October Festival" Departmental Progress Report Meeting

Comprehensive Review of Safety, Transportation, Convenience, and Publicity
in Preparation for the Extended Holiday

The city of Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, announced on the 23rd that it held the "October 2025 Festival Departmental Progress Report Meeting" at the Citizen Hall on the second floor of City Hall, with over 60 participants including representatives from festival-related organizations, relevant associations, and public officials from related departments.

This meeting was convened ahead of Jinju’s major autumn festivals opening in October, including the 2025 Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival, the 74th Gaecheon Art Festival, and the 2025 Korea Drama Festival. The purpose was to conduct a detailed review across all areas such as transportation, safety, convenience, and publicity, and to strengthen the cooperation system among the various organizations involved.

The city plans to enhance its preparations with a focus on strengthening safety management, alleviating traffic congestion, eradicating price gouging, and improving content competitiveness, as this year’s festivals are expected to attract more visitors than last year due to the long Chuseok holiday period overlapping with the events.

Mayor Cho Gyuil is conducting a departmental progress report meeting for the "October 2025 Festival."

In the area of safety, the city will introduce a real-time congestion analysis system for the first time this year, enabling close monitoring of visitor movement routes and providing an overview of crowded areas. Through this, the city aims to establish a proactive response system by delivering prompt public announcements and deploying safety personnel in case of emergencies.

Additionally, the city will further advance the operation of the integrated situation room, which serves as the control tower for the three major festivals, to maintain a constant joint response system with relevant organizations such as the police, fire department, and medical services. By expanding CCTV monitoring and linking with the disaster safety communication network, the city will further strengthen on-site response capabilities in crisis situations and thoroughly prevent safety accidents.

To eradicate price gouging, all booths within the festival grounds will be required to display price tags, and each festival will operate its own inspection team as well as a joint public-private inspection team to conduct continuous monitoring. Furthermore, a price gouging reporting center will be set up within the festival grounds, and any vendors found violating regulations will be subject to immediate expulsion under a "one-strike-out" policy, with strict enforcement measures in place.

To alleviate traffic congestion, the city will secure 38 temporary parking lots with a total of 13,266 spaces, an increase of about 12% compared to last year. During periods when high visitor numbers are expected, such as public holidays and weekends (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), shuttle buses will be operated. This year, the city will also run the "Hamo Call Bus," which circulates around five bus stops near the event venues, to help disperse traffic congestion around the festival area.

In terms of content, the city will increase the number of new lanterns and introduce innovative attractions such as "3D hologram lanterns" and "moving lanterns," which combine advanced technology with the traditional beauty of lanterns. A "Citizen Participation Lantern Zone" will also be created, where public institutions and companies in Jinju will participate in making and displaying lanterns, allowing citizens to take part directly in the festival.

Mayor Cho Gyuil stated, "Safety is the top priority in preparing for the festival, and we will thoroughly address transportation, convenience, and hygiene to ensure that both citizens and visitors can enjoy the festival with peace of mind. As we have prepared a variety of new content this year, I hope that visitors will come to the festival and create unforgettable memories."

Meanwhile, Jinju’s autumn festivals this year will commence with the Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival on October 4, followed by the 74th Gaecheon Art Festival on October 10, and the 2025 Korea Drama Festival, all of which will illuminate the nights of Jinju in spectacular fashion until October 19.