Original Musical "Queen, Janghwa" Debuts at Opening Ceremony
Song Gain and Kim Yongbin Headline Five-Day Festival
Mayor Yoon Byungtae: "A Festival to Delight All Senses with Agriculture, Flowers, and Gardens"
Mayor Yoon Byungtae is explaining the vision of the Yeongsan River Renaissance era in his commemorative speech for the 2025 Naju Yeongsan River Festival. Provided by Naju City
On the opening day of the 2025 Naju Yeongsan River Festival, a crowd of 150,000 people gathered, resulting in a tremendous success. The opening ceremony was filled with themed performances, celebratory shows, and a variety of hands-on experiences and attractions, captivating both citizens and tourists.
Naju City announced that more than 150,000 people flocked to the 2025 Naju Yeongsan River Festival, which opened at the Yeongsan River Garden on October 8, setting a record for the highest number of visitors at an opening event in the festival’s history.
Every corner of the event venue, including experience booths, event spaces, and the main stage seating area, was packed with people. Held under the slogan "A New Story of the Yeongsan River, Starting Again: Season 2," the festival is taking place at the Yeongsan River Garden for five days from October 8 to 12.
The Yeongsan River Theme Pavilion, newly established this year as a space where visitors can view the history, ecology, and culture of the Yeongsan River at a glance, saw a constant stream of citizens and tourists.
The various food trucks and the Yeongsan River Gourmet Hall, the festival’s main dining area set up on the expansive lawn of the Yeongsan River Garden, were essential stops for visitors, offering a variety of culinary delights.
The festival site became a photo zone with a grand display of 100 million cosmos flowers across a 280,000-square-meter (70-acre) flower field on the Yeongsan River embankment and Deulseom. The crossing bridge over the Yeongsan River, the two-way stepping stone path that allows visitors to walk across the water, and the lotus deck trail all provided unique and memorable experiences for citizens and tourists alike.
The opening ceremony, which began at 6:00 p.m. that day, proceeded in the following order: declaration of the opening by the festival organizing committee chair, a commemorative speech by Mayor Yoon Byungtae, congratulatory remarks, the opening ceremony, and a special themed performance.
The ceremony was attended by Yoon Byungtae, Mayor of Naju, Kim Youngrok, Governor of South Jeolla Province, Shin Jeonghun, National Assembly member, Kim Youngwoo, Director of the Yeongsan River Basin Environmental Office, Lee Jaenam, Chairman of the City Council, as well as local provincial and city council members and heads of various institutions and organizations.
Wearing a wireless microphone, Mayor Yoon Byungtae took the stage and, in his commemorative speech, explained the vision for the future of the Yeongsan River Garden and how this year’s festival marks a step forward toward a new Yeongsan River Renaissance era for Naju.
Mayor Yoon stated, "The transformation and innovation of the Yeongsan River Garden is ongoing," and added, "We will systematically promote the creation of a full-scale garden, ecological restoration, and improved accessibility as steps toward achieving national garden status for Korea."
He first explained that the Yeongsan River Garden, the venue for the Jeollanam-do Garden Festival, has been created with a variety of gardens designed by Korea’s top landscape architect Jeong Youngsun, citizens, and artists. He also shared plans to expand the garden to 150,000 pyeong (approximately 495,000 square meters), obtain designation as a local garden, and eventually challenge for national garden status.
He further emphasized, "Based on the budget secured through selection in the Ministry of Environment’s public contest, we will restore about 400,000 square meters (120,000 pyeong) of wetlands as ecological wetlands and create an aquatic garden. We will also improve accessibility by expanding and paving roads connecting the innovation city and the garden, constructing arterial roads, and building a pedestrian bridge (eco-bridge)."
Mayor Yoon said, "The Yeongsan River Garden will become the largest garden in Korea, spanning about 2.4 million square meters (730,000 pyeong), and will be a top tourist destination easily accessible to both citizens and tourists. We ask for your interest and support on our journey to achieve national garden designation."
He continued, "This Yeongsan River Festival is a festival that fully satisfies the senses, encapsulating the 2,000-year history, culture, and ecology of Naju. Through the Jeollanam-do Garden Festival, Naju Agriculture Festa, National Naju Marathon, and a variety of cultural performances and hands-on events, it will be an autumn festival where generations come together."
The excitement of the opening ceremony peaked with the main themed performance and celebratory concerts.
The themed performance, an original musical titled "Queen, Janghwa," which reinterpreted the stories of Queen Janghwa and King Taejo Wang Geon of Goryeo-historical figures from Naju-in a modern way, captivated the eyes and ears of the 150,000-strong crowd gathered at the festival site.
Following this, a drone and fireworks show lit up the autumn night sky over the Yeongsan River Garden, and celebratory performances by Song Gain and Kim Yongbin brought the opening ceremony to a spectacular climax.
The main stage, designed with a 360-degree island structure, allowed for performances to be viewed from any location, earning rave reviews from tourists who traveled from across the country.
On the second day of the festival, October 9, the excitement will continue with a performance of the region’s treasured local cultural heritage, "Donggang Bongchudeul Song," at 1:00 p.m., followed by the public institution band concert "Yeongsan River Muldeullak" at 3:00 p.m., a natural dyeing fashion show at 5:30 p.m., and a musical big show featuring Korea’s top musical actors at 7:00 p.m.
Meanwhile, the 2025 Naju Yeongsan River Festival will run until October 12, welcoming citizens and tourists to autumn in Naju with a variety of performances and hands-on events, including Naju Samseok Heritage Play, a K-pop concert, a national singing contest, world cultural performances, and a children’s sing-along show.
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