"When Chamoe Flowers Bloom, Awakening the Life of Seongju"
Four Days from May 14 to 17 in Seongbak Forest and Seongju-eup
Seongju County in North Gyeongsang Province announced that on Thursday, February 5, the kick-off briefing for the 2026 Seongju Chamoe & Life Culture Festival was held under the auspices of the Festival Promotion Committee, marking the start of full-scale preparations for a successful event.
The kick-off briefing was attended by members of the Promotion Committee, subcommittee members, and experts from the consulting firm. During the session, a wide range of strategies were discussed to create a high-quality festival that can satisfy both local residents and visitors by addressing shortcomings identified in the previous festival’s operation and significantly enhancing the content.
In particular, the upcoming festival will be developed under the theme "When Chamoe Flowers Bloom," with the aim of further strengthening Seongju’s unique life culture identity. The direction presented is to evolve the festival into one that contributes to revitalizing the local economy by expanding citizen participation and promoting stay-type tourism.
Kickoff briefing for the 2026 Seongju Chamoe & Life Culture Festival hosted by the Festival Promotion Committee - On site/Reporter Kim Ihwan
Among the major content elements that will be noticeably different this year, the reenactment of the Taebongan procession will be expanded from a viewing-oriented program into a participatory parade in which residents of towns and townships take part directly. It will be operated as a community participation program in connection with citizen unity programs.
In addition, the Life Proclamation Ceremony held at the Royal Tomb of the Crown Prince’s Placenta of King Sejong will adopt a multi-channel broadcasting system that connects the main stage and online channels in real time. This will be promoted as an interactive program that shares the meaning of life culture not only with on-site visitors but also with viewers nationwide.
Life culture experience content for children and family visitors will also be significantly strengthened. Spaces such as "Seed Island," a life-themed pavilion, and a life promenade will be created to translate the value of the birth and cycle of life into hands-on experiences, thereby building a festival environment that combines education, experience, and play.
In preparation for the May weather, plans were also shared to improve visitor convenience facilities by installing a large big tent over the main stage seating area and expanding shade structures and rest areas. At the same time, a concept was presented to create a "Life Bridge" space connecting Seongbak Forest, the pedestrian bridge, and the area along the Icheon Stream, thereby establishing a new festival circulation route that can be enjoyed both day and night. Starting with this kick-off briefing, the county plans to continuously gather opinions from residents and experts throughout the entire festival promotion process and to create a high-quality festival through phased preparations.
An official from Seongju County stated, "We will actively incorporate the various opinions presented through this kick-off briefing to create a refined spring festival that satisfies both local residents and tourists," adding, "We will do our utmost to enhance the brand value of Seongju chamoe and to spread life culture so that this festival can firmly establish itself as a leading Korean festival that people want to visit again."
Meanwhile, the 2026 Seongju Chamoe & Life Culture Festival will be held over four days from May 14 to 17 in Seongbak Forest and across Seongju-eup.
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