Yeongju City Kicks Off Punggi Ginseng Festival and Yeongju Market Day Agricultural Specialty Festival

Ginseng Experiences, Song Festivals, and National Singing Contest
Yeongju Transforms into a Festival Venue for Nine Days

As the autumn landscape turns golden, Yeongju City is preparing to welcome tourists with a variety of festival programs.

Yeongju City announced that it will host the "2025 Gyeongbuk Yeongju Punggi Ginseng Festival" and the "2025 Yeongju Market Day Agricultural Specialty Festival" together for nine days from October 18 to October 26, 2025, in the areas around Namwoncheon in Punggi-eup and the Ginseng Culture Popup Park.

Both festivals will be held at the same time and in the same location, allowing visitors to enjoy the excellence of Punggi ginseng and the appeal of Yeongju’s local agricultural specialties all in one place. The combination of the two festivals is expected to offer a richer array of sights, food, and entertainment.

This year’s Punggi Ginseng Festival will be held under the theme “Millennial Health Punggi Ginseng, Found in Punggi.” On the first day, the festival will feature the traditional Ginseng Harvest Ritual, a reenactment of Governor Jusebung’s parade, a premium ginseng selection contest, and the Ginseng Grand Ritual. The opening celebration will be energized by performances from singers including Ahn Seonghun, Park Guyoon, and Yoon Taehwa.

At the festival grounds, hands-on programs will be held daily for all ages, including making ginseng-infused liquor, a ginseng peeling contest, a golden ginseng treasure hunt, pounding ginseng rice cakes, and ginseng cooking activities.

There will also be a variety of cultural performances, such as the Dendong Mother Flower Field Play, local artist performances, the National Powerful Dance Festival, and the township folk music competition.

In particular, on October 20, the KBS live broadcast of “My Hometown at 6 PM,” and on October 21, the recording of “KBS National Singing Contest” will take place at the festival site, delivering the charm of Punggi ginseng to viewers nationwide in real time.

During the same period, the “Yeongju Market Day Agricultural Specialty Festival” will be held at the Ginseng Culture Popup Park and the lawn plaza at Buseoksa Temple. The festival will feature a promotional hall for local agricultural specialties, the Farm-Farm Market, a home garden produce event, and time-sale events, all designed to attract and engage visitors.

At the Buseoksa Temple lawn plaza, the Yeongju Apple Promotion Hall and a special sales event will be held, further promoting Yeongju’s reputation as a leading apple-producing region.

Yu Jeonggeun, Acting Mayor of Yeongju City, stated, “By holding these two festivals together, we can widely promote not only Punggi ginseng but also Yeongju’s diverse agricultural specialties,” adding, “We will make it a vibrant festival where visitors can taste and enjoy both ginseng and local specialties.”

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