Shedding the 'Gimbap-less Festival' Stigma... Gimcheon City Announces Jadu and Norazo to Join This Year

"Shuttle buses increased from 10 to over 50"

Gimbap. Pixabay

Gimcheon City in North Gyeongsang Province will host the '2025 Gimcheon Gimbap Festival' from October 25 to 26 at Jikji Culture Park and Samyeongdaesa Park. Last year, the festival faced criticism as a 'gimbap-less festival' due to an early sell-out of prepared stock at its inaugural event. In response, the city has expanded the number of participating gimbap vendors from 8 to over 30 and increased the size of the festival venue by five times.

Park Mijeong, Head of Tourism Promotion at Gimcheon City, explained in an interview with YTN Radio's 'Wise Radio Life' on October 24, "Last year, far more visitors attended than expected, and all the gimbap was sold out early." She added, "This year, we have significantly increased supply by partnering with local gimbap factories capable of producing more than 10 rolls per day." She also noted, "We have increased the number of shuttle buses from 10 to over 50 to improve accessibility."

The festival will feature 30 vendors offering more than 50 varieties of gimbap, including 'Premium Local Gimbap,' 'Unique Gimbap from Across the Country,' and 'Gimbap Cooking Contest Winning Gimbap.' Gimbap inspired by the historical stories of Jikjisa Temple and Cheongamsa Temple, such as 'Patriotic Samyeongdaesa Gimbap' and 'Queen Inhyeon Gimbap,' will be available, as well as the Jirye Black Pork Gimbap showcased by actress Nam Bora on KBS's 'Fun-Staurant,' and the 'Eight Provinces Gimbap Series.' The 'Walnut Mayo Pork Gimbap,' which won the Gimbap Cooking Contest in August, created by a team from Daegu, will also be unveiled at the event for the first time.

The festival will forgo an opening ceremony and official protocols, instead focusing on performances and interactive experiences for visitors. Park stated, "We eliminated the commemorative ceremony and VIP introductions to make visitors the main characters of the festival." She added, "Performers will include Jadu, known for the 'Gimbap Song'; Standing Egg, whose name evokes the egg ingredient in gimbap; George, who released the 'Gimbap' album; and Norazo."

The festival also reflects the increase in demand from foreign visitors following the international popularity of the gimbap scene in the film 'K-Pop Demon Hunters.' Park said, "We have prepared the 'K-Pop Demon Hunters Photo Zone' and interactive events in collaboration with Nongshim, and will deploy staff who can speak foreign languages on site."

Gimcheon City is also expecting positive economic effects for the region. Park stated, "Last year, restaurants in the Jikji shopping district were so busy that they ran out of ingredients." She added, "This year, the Jikji Shopping District Association is voluntarily promoting local marketing, including a 1,000-won discount event for group set meals."