Hwasun County Wins Grand Prize in Culture and Tourism at Local Autonomy Content Awards

Hwasun Park Golf Course and Dolmen Autumn Flower Festival Receive High Praise

Hwasun County in South Jeolla Province received the Grand Prize in the Culture and Tourism category at the "2025 Local Autonomy Content Awards" ceremony held at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building on the 27th. This marks the county’s second win, following last year’s Grand Prize in the Welfare and Resident Participation category.

Gubokgyu, the governor of Hwasun County, poses for a group commemorative photo with the award recipients at the Local Autonomy Content Awards ceremony held on the 27th. Provided by Hwasun County

According to the county on the 28th, the Local Autonomy Content Awards are hosted by Local Autonomy TV and sponsored by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee, the National Assembly’s Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee, among others. The awards aim to promote the development of local governments by discovering and recognizing outstanding policies and innovative content from municipalities nationwide.

The awards ceremony was attended by 36 organizations selected as Grand Prize winners in 16 fields, including AI and digital, education and youth, women and seniors, and regional development. Notable attendees included Hwasun County, Gwangyang City, Nam-gu of Gwangju, Dong-gu of Gwangju, Anyang City, Jecheon City, and others.

In particular, prominent award presenters from the National Assembly and government, such as Shin Junghoon, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee, attended the event, underscoring the scale and significance of the Local Autonomy Content Awards ceremony.

In the Culture and Tourism category, the county was highly praised for its contributions, including: the nation’s largest Hwasun Park Golf Course; the "Hwasun Dolmen Autumn Flower Festival," which has won the Festival Content Grand Prize for two consecutive years; the creation of a nighttime scenic belt connecting the Flower River Music Fountain, Gaemisan Observatory, and Namsan Light Park; and the establishment of new cultural tourism infrastructure through Hwasaro and Hwasun.

To attract new residents and expand tourism infrastructure, the county operates the Hwasun Park Golf Course, the largest in the country with 87 holes. Since its opening on October 11 last year, the course has become a popular destination for recreational sports, drawing an average of about 550 visitors per day and reaching a cumulative total of approximately 130,000 visitors.

The "Hwasun Dolmen Autumn Flower Festival," held at the Hwasun Dolmen Site-a UNESCO World Heritage Site-has solidified its status as a signature regional tourism festival. By linking the dolmen site with vibrant autumn flower displays, the festival creates a unique space that has received enthusiastic responses from tourists.

Recognized for its creative planning and excellent on-site management, the festival has won the Korea Festival Content Grand Prize, hosted by the Korea Festival Content Association, for two consecutive years (the 12th and 13th editions), further establishing the prestige of the "Hwasun Dolmen Autumn Flower Festival."

This year’s festival, themed "Autumn in Full Bloom," featured a spectacular display of flowers around the dolmen site, including dwarf cosmos, yellow cosmos, angelonia, and chrysanthemum sculptures. Experiential programs such as "Prehistoric & Bronze Age Costume Rental" and "Bronze Age Name Creation" reinforced the dolmen’s identity, while four moving dinosaurs and a pink water dragon, installed under the concept "Came to Play from Seoyuri," captivated visitors of all ages.

The county has established a new nighttime tourism route, creating a tourism belt that connects the Flower River Music Fountain, Gaemisan Observatory, and Namsan Light Park, allowing visitors to stay and enjoy attractions even after dark.

By utilizing the Local Extinction Response Fund, the county implemented a strategy to turn the Flower River Music Fountain and Gaemisan Observatory into nighttime attractions, encouraging visitors to enjoy music fountain performances from the observatory and thereby increasing their length of stay. Resident participation has also been encouraged through music fountain proposal events and improved operating hours based on community feedback, resulting in an average of about 300 daily visitors.

Governor Gubokgyu stated, "Winning the Grand Prize in the Culture and Tourism category is an objective recognition of the county’s efforts to expand tourism infrastructure and revitalize the region. We will further strengthen Hwasun’s unique tourism policies, which have been highly praised, to make Hwasun a city where visitors want to stay and return to."