Yangsan City Holds 'Yangsan Woongsang Hoeya Festival' Evaluation Meeting

Diagnosis and Evaluation of the Festival, Suggesting Future Directions
Anticipation for Growth as a Leading Local Festival

On July 8, the city of Yangsan in South Gyeongsang Province held the '2025 Yangsan Woongsang Hoeya Festival Evaluation Meeting' at the multipurpose hall of the Woongsang Branch Office. During the meeting, participants conducted a comprehensive analysis of this year's festival achievements and areas for improvement, and discussed future directions for development.

The meeting was chaired by Mayor Na Dongyeon, who also serves as the chairman of the Yangsan Woongsang Hoeya Festival Promotion Committee. About 40 committee members and related personnel attended the event, which included a screening of the festival highlight video, budget and settlement reports, analysis of floating population, presentation of festival evaluation service results, and a Q&A and feedback session.

The 2025 Yangsan Woongsang Hoeya Festival, held under the theme 'Woongsang Sinpung (New Wind), A Fresh Breeze,' took place successfully over two days from June 7 to June 8 at the Woongsang Sports Park. The event attracted a total of 50,495 visitors, marking an increase of approximately 5.5% compared to the previous year.

In particular, the Water Gun Festival and Woongsang Sinpung Water Festa received enthusiastic responses, leading to a noticeable increase in participation among people in their 20s to 40s. The festival also saw a broader demographic range of visitors, and thanks to strengthened SNS campaigns, there was a significant rise in the number of visitors from neighboring regions such as Busan, Ulsan, and Gimhae.

This year's Hoeya Festival was praised for enhancing participatory and experiential programs, as well as for improving eco-friendly operations by using reusable containers in the food village, thereby raising the overall quality of the local festival.

According to the festival evaluation service conducted by Youngsan University, the overall satisfaction score was 4.45 out of 5. The score for "a festival everyone can enjoy" was 4.51, and "appropriateness of festival management" received 4.42, with most categories showing higher ratings than the previous year.

The average stay per person was found to be about three hours, and the average spending was 30,095 won, confirming a positive ripple effect on the local economy.

Committee members who attended the meeting suggested practical improvements such as displaying symbolic objects using the Yangsan tourism character, changing the name of the Joseon Tongsinsa Parade, and creating a festive atmosphere through pungmulpae (traditional percussion troupe) performances. There was consensus that next year's Hoeya Festival should be held at Woongsang Sports Park, as it was this year, to ensure operational stability and convenience, rather than at Jujin Bulbit Park, which has not yet been fully developed.

Mayor Na Dongyeon stated, "The new challenges and changes we attempted this year have laid the foundation for enhancing the festival's quality. We will thoroughly prepare so that the Yangsan Woongsang Hoeya Festival can become a leading festival nationwide, reflecting the diverse opinions gathered at this evaluation meeting."