Goyang City: "GoyangCon Has Set the Standard for Performance Hub Cities in a Short Time"

Goyang Successfully Hosts "2025 Goyang Culture and Arts Policy Forum"
Over 70 Experts and Citizens Attend... Discussing the Next Phase for "GoyangCon"

Goyang Special City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Donghwan) held the "2025 Goyang Culture and Arts Policy Forum" on the 20th floor of the Baekseok Annex conference room on the 15th, sharing the city's accumulated experience and achievements in attracting large-scale performances with citizens and experts.

Goyang Special City (Mayor Lee Donghwan) held the "2025 Goyang Culture and Arts Policy Forum" on the 20th floor conference room of Baekseok Annex on the 15th. Provided by Goyang Special City

The forum was attended by cultural and arts professionals, citizens, and researchers, demonstrating strong interest in the current status and future direction of GoyangCon.

The venue quickly filled up even before the forum began, and throughout the presentations and discussions, citizens continued to ask questions and take notes, maintaining an atmosphere that was both serious and lively. Beyond simply sharing achievements, citizens’ perceptions and questions about how performances have changed the city and daily life naturally permeated the entire discussion.

Chaerin Ahn, a professor at Sookmyung Women's University's Department of Culture, Tourism and Food Service, delivered the first presentation, diagnosing Goyang's current situation as a "window of policy opportunity" and emphasizing the need to structure the achievements made so far.

Professor Ahn stated, "The current achievements can only be sustained if we move beyond a hardware model centered on venue rentals to a structure where audience stays and consumption expand throughout the city." She proposed a stay-type and experience-oriented urban strategy as the next step for GoyangCon. She further evaluated, "Goyang can be regarded as one of the cities that has secured the most strategic position amid structural changes in the global performance market."

Voices from the global performance industry were also heard. Yoonsoon Choi, Director at Live Nation Korea, explained Goyang's strengths based on her actual experience hosting performances, resonating with the audience. Choi said, "Goyang Sports Complex has now become a must-consider venue for global tours, not just in Korea," and added, "A clear administrative contact point and a one-stop support system connecting police and fire departments have been decisive competitive advantages in attracting global artists."

She also remarked, "I believe Goyang is already competing on the stage of the Asian performance market," prompting nods of agreement from the audience.

In the subsequent presentation, data-driven achievements were presented, further focusing the audience’s attention. Shinhee Yoon, a research fellow at the Goyang Research Institute, explained, "GoyangCon is a city event whose effectiveness is confirmed not just by perception but by data," based on big data analysis results.

During the comprehensive discussion session, questions and opinions based on the presentations deepened the debate. Citizens and stakeholders exchanged views on the conditions and administrative roles necessary to ensure that the changes brought by performances do not remain temporary phenomena.

Jihoon Yang, Associate Research Fellow at the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, who participated as a panelist, said, "The GoyangCon case shows the changes possible when a local government treats performances not as 'events' but as 'urban strategies.' It is a rare example where collaboration among administration, the private sector, and the local community actually worked in the process of attracting performances." He added, "Even with the experience and know-how accumulated in a short period, Goyang is already close to a standard model that other local governments can refer to."

Based on the citizens' interests and experts' suggestions raised at this forum, Goyang plans to gradually implement policies that expand the achievements of attracting large-scale performances into citywide stay, consumption, and brand value. The city intends to reflect voices from the field in its policies so that performances can positively permeate all aspects of daily life, industry, and urban space.