Finnish Santa, Winter Kingdom, and Ice Rink
A Complete Seasonal Festival Created by "Midwinter Buncheon"
Bonghwa Buncheon Santa Village, now recognized as a symbol of winter travel in South Korea, opened its doors for 58 days from December 20, 2025, to February 15, 2026, under the theme "A Winter Story with Santa." This year's festival has been praised as a "complete winter festival," with the entire village transformed into a Christmas-themed space that offers a balanced combination of experiences, leisure sports, and performances.
The biggest attraction is the opportunity to meet an officially certified Santa Claus from the Finnish government. Returning to Korea for the third time, Santa will host a commemorative photo program at the "Santa Claus Studio" from December 20 to 25. For 10,000 won, visitors receive a framed photo, a printed copy, and the original digital file, making it a highly popular program every year. On December 23, a special "Santa's Secret Christmas Party" will be held for local children, adding to Buncheon's warm winter spirit.
The newly established "Winter Kingdom" this year has been designed as a family-friendly winter leisure space. The area features a year-round sledding hill, a tree observatory, and both indoor and outdoor playgrounds. For the first time, a 20m x 40m "Snowflake Ice Rink" has been set up over the stream. With an affordable entrance fee of 3,000 won and sled rental at 5,000 won, accessibility has been improved. Interactive events such as a human curling competition and an ice sled relay race are held regularly.
The "Santa Center Piece" in the Winter Kingdom Plaza is a popular photo spot both day and night. Around the large tree and sculptures, free activities such as face painting and Santa Pierrot performances are offered, while visitor participation programs like "Santa's Happy Post Office" and the "Wishing Tree of Dreams" are also available. The mobile "Santa Sled (Bicycle)" experience, operated by local residents, has been well received as a way to enjoy Buncheon's scenery up close.
The lineup of performances around Christmas has also been enhanced. At the opening ceremony on December 20, the "Lenno and Friends Marching Band Parade," along with performances by Nam Gyuri of SeeYa and Jamgol Bus, will take place. On December 24, musical performances featuring Kim Yuha and Ryusiol will be held. On Christmas Day, the popular children's show "Pororo Singalong" will be performed twice, and on December 27, a New Year’s music concert will follow.
Bonghwa County and the Bonghwa Festival Tourism Foundation are putting special emphasis on safety management. They are strengthening facility inspections and cooperation with related organizations, and working with the local merchants’ association to implement price labeling and hygiene management, striving to operate a "trusted winter festival."
Park Hyunkook, Chairman of the Bonghwa Festival Tourism Foundation (and Bonghwa County Governor), said, "This year, Buncheon Santa Village has been prepared as an even richer festival with the addition of the Finnish-certified Santa and the ice rink, among various other experiences. We hope every visitor enjoys a warm and special winter."
"This year's Buncheon Santa Village goes beyond a simple seasonal program to show how a regionally led winter tourism model can be further developed. The overall quality has clearly improved, from the density of experiences and spatial design to the level of performances."
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