Hampyeong Butterfly Festival 'Prioritizing Local Community and Resident Safety'... Canceled Again This Year

[Hampyeong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Chunsu] The Hampyeong Butterfly Festival, one of South Korea's representative spring festivals, has been canceled due to the prolonged impact of COVID-19.

On the 3rd, Hampyeong County announced the cancellation of the "23rd Hampyeong Butterfly Festival," which was scheduled to be held at the end of April.

The county made this decision as the spread of COVID-19 has not been contained, and following the third domestic wave, so-called "silent transmission" cases?where infection routes are unknown, including asymptomatic cases?have been continuously increasing.

Earlier, the county gathered opinions from both inside and outside the region regarding whether to hold this year's Hampyeong Butterfly Festival.

Some suggested limited admission combined with an online festival, but the majority opposed it due to the risk of infectious disease outbreaks and the minimal effectiveness of holding the event compared to the costs.

In particular, a survey conducted from January 18 to 22 targeting 500 local residents reportedly showed an overwhelming opposition to holding the festival.

Additionally, the government's vaccination plan influenced the cancellation decision.

While vaccinations for medical staff treating COVID-19 patients will begin next month, those aged 65 and older will start receiving vaccines in May, and the general adult population from July. Therefore, the county explained that holding the festival in April poses a significant practical risk.

County Governor Lee Sang-ik stated, "Although it is regrettable considering local businesses, we cannot proceed with the festival at the expense of the lives and safety of our residents. For now, we will focus all administrative efforts on blocking the regional spread of infectious diseases through vaccination and other measures, and actively consider reinvesting the existing festival budget into other tourism sectors or local projects such as the development of Hampyeong Cheonjigil."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.