Gimpo City Successfully Hosts Korea’s First Naval Shipboard Dining at Sunset Festa
Premium Dining Experience Draws Popularity, Elevating Gimpo as a Unique Festival Destination
Daemyeong Port and Hamsang Park Break Away from Security Tourism, Ush
Gimpo City in Gyeonggi Province has strengthened its status as a festival city with innovative content, as the "2025 Gimpo Sunset Festa with Local Food Dining"-the first-ever naval shipboard dining event in Korea-received an explosive response from visitors.
Gimpo City is holding the "2025 Gimpo Sunset Festa with Local Food Dining" event on the 25th at Gimpo Seaside Park and the Daemyeong Port area. Photo by Gimpo City
This year's festival especially drew attention for raising the profile of Daemyeong Port and Hamsang Park with a fresh concept, breaking the traditional mold of security tourism, and presenting new possibilities for tourism in the western region by combining scenic views with gourmet culture.
Hosted by Gimpo City and co-organized with the Korea Tourism Organization, the festival took place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Gimpo Hamsang Park and the Daemyeong Port area.
On this day, families, couples, foreign influencers, and creators visited to enjoy local gourmet experiences such as naval ship dining and self-barbecue, as well as the sunset scenery.
The festival’s main event, the onboard dining, was held on the deck of a naval ship.
Fifty pre-registered guests enjoyed premium catering against the backdrop of a beautiful sunset, and had an unforgettable experience watching high-quality performances, including a fusion ensemble by Pit Jung, a show by ambassador Youngji, and a musical gala show.
Kim Byungsoo, Mayor of Gimpo City, is delivering a greeting at the '2025 Gimpo Sunset Festa with Local Food Dining' event held on the 25th at Gimpo Hamsang Park and the Daemyeong Port area. Provided by Gimpo City
Visitors to Hamsang Park expressed their satisfaction, saying, "I didn't know there was a place in Gimpo where you could enjoy such a beautiful sunset. I'm happy to have discovered a new hotspot for the perfect sunset photo," and, "I will never forget the time I enjoyed premium dining while watching the sunset."
Foreign influencers and creators also enjoyed the event by watching performances and taking photos as they admired the sunset from the naval ship.
On the day of the event, Mayor Kim Byungsoo stated, "Dining events that allow people to enjoy sunsets from onboard ships are held around the world, and now, here in Gimpo, we can enjoy this special content of a beautiful sunset and dining on a naval ship. From now on, Daemyeong Port will become another special place in Gimpo where people can enjoy not only seafood sales but also sunsets and evening experiences."
Mayor Kim added, "Following Aegibong, we are turning resources like Daemyeong Port and Sinan-ri into valuable assets. The spaces that people can enjoy in Gimpo will become another source of competitiveness for the city."
The head of the Gyeongin branch of the Korea Tourism Organization said, "Following Aegibong, which is one of Korea's representative tourist destinations, Hamsang Park is also expected to grow significantly. The festival held today marks the first step in that direction."
Visitors who were unable to reserve the onboard dining enjoyed the festival by grilling seasonal seafood, local food, Korean beef, and pork themselves at the self-barbecue zone inside Hamsang Park. Charcoal grills and tables were provided free of charge, and a variety of programs-including prize events, cocktail shows, and busking performances-added to the lively atmosphere. Family participants also enjoyed interactive programs such as a virtual reality-based escape game set on the naval ship, and hands-on activities like making marine-themed keyrings and ship models.
Meanwhile, Gimpo Hamsang Park implemented free admission for all visitors starting in July this year, resulting in a 263% increase in visitors compared to the same month last year. The city is preparing a variety of tourism content to ensure that this surge in visitors is not just a temporary phenomenon, and is accelerating the development of gourmet tourism content that links Daemyeong Port's seafood with key local experience hubs.
Gimpo City plans to hold the "2025 Gimpo Marine Corps Cultural Festival" on November 1 at Gimpo Hamsang Park and the Daemyeong Port area, featuring a demonstration of a Marine Corps amphibious landing operation and an opportunity to experience riding an amphibious assault vehicle.
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