Sancheong County Invites You to Enjoy Winter Delicacy Sancheong Dried Persimmons at Jirisan

19th Jirisan Sancheong Gotgam Festival
Celebratory Performances by Singers Kim Yongbin, An Seonghun, and More

This festival is the very place where you can enjoy the "Jirisan Sancheong Premium Gotgam," made from Sancheong Gojongsi persimmons, which have been selected as Korea's representative fruit for ten consecutive years-a remarkable achievement.

Sancheong County in South Gyeongsang Province announced on January 7 that it will host the 19th Jirisan Sancheong Gotgam Festival from January 8 to 11, where visitors can experience premium Sancheong dried persimmons.

Now in its 19th year, the Jirisan Sancheong Gotgam Festival offers a variety of programs for visitors. Before delving into this year's festivities, let's explore the unique appeal of the Jirisan Sancheong Gotgam Festival, which has already been honored with the Korea Festival Content Grand Prize a total of nine times.

◆ Diverse Hands-on Experiences for Visitors

This 19th Jirisan Sancheong Gotgam Festival is designed to help visitors create cherished memories of the start of the Year of the Blue Dragon, with a wide range of programs and hands-on experiences.

Especially this year, the festival venue will offer dried persimmons of exceptional quality, thanks to the clear, cold weather and low humidity at the foot of Jirisan Mountain.

The festival will begin on January 8 with a ceremonial ritual at the Gojongsi tree-believed to be the original tree of Sancheong dried persimmons and the oldest in Korea at 641 years old-located in Namsa Yedam Village, Danseong-myeon, to wish for the festival's success.

Scene from the Sancheong Gotgam Festival.

The opening ceremony will feature a celebratory performance by popular singer Miss Kim, followed by a singing contest for dried persimmon farmers with An Seonghun on January 10, and a national housewives' singing contest (finals) with a congratulatory stage by Kim Yongbin on January 11, all promising to entertain visitors.

During the festival, there will also be an exhibition of Sancheong dried persimmons made from Sancheong Gojongsi, which has won the top prize as Korea's representative fruit for ten consecutive years. Other events include a Sancheong dried persimmon cooking competition and a Jirisan photography exhibition.

◆ Premium Quality Recognized at Home and Abroad

In January 2010, as part of efforts to globalize the Sancheong dried persimmon brand, Sancheong County sent Sancheong dried persimmons to the Queen of England along with an official letter.

About ten days after sending the persimmons, Sancheong County received a letter from the Royal Household Manager, stating that the Queen had shown great interest in the long tradition of Sancheong dried persimmons and expressing her gratitude.

In January 2015, the Presidential Secretariat at the Blue House prepared traditional liquors and specialty products from across Korea as gifts for both underprivileged groups and prominent figures for the Lunar New Year holiday.

At that time, the gift sets included Jirisan Sancheong dried persimmons, Igangju from Jeonju in North Jeolla Province, jujubes from Gyeongsan in North Gyeongsang Province, pine nuts from Pyeongchang in Gangwon Province, and walnuts from Hwanggan in North Chungcheong Province.

In 2017, when the President of Sri Lanka made a state visit to Korea, and in 2018, when Ivanka Trump and the U.S. presidential delegation attended the closing ceremony of the Pyeongchang Olympics, dried persimmons stuffed with walnuts from Sancheong were served as dessert at official banquets.

In this way, Sancheong dried persimmons, once a royal tribute during the Joseon Dynasty, have earned a reputation in modern times as a premium gift for distinguished guests.

◆ Sancheong Dried Persimmons: Rich Tradition, Uniqueness, and Superior Quality

Sancheong has a long history of dried persimmon production, with many village names originating from persimmon trees.

Place names related to persimmons can be found throughout Sancheong County. Among them, Dorisikiron in Saengbiryang-myeon, meaning "from the persimmon tree," was once part of Danseong-hyeon and is known as the origin of Sancheong Danseong persimmons.

Historical records such as the Annals of King Sejong, the New Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam, and Lee Jung-hwan's Taekriji contain numerous references to high-quality persimmons as local specialties and tributes from the Sancheong region.

It is widely known that Sancheong Gojongsi persimmons (the astringent persimmons used for dried persimmons), which have been selected as Korea's representative fruit for ten consecutive years, were presented as tribute to King Gojong during the Joseon Dynasty.

County Governor Lee Seunghwa stated, "We plan to offer visitors a wealth of hands-on activities and attractions to experience Sancheong dried persimmons. We hope you will visit the Jirisan Sancheong Gotgam Festival and taste the premium Sancheong dried persimmons, renowned nationwide for their exceptional flavor, imbued with the pure and clean energy of Jirisan Mountain."