Mayor Kim Donggeun: "When Citizens Enjoy Themselves, Local Businesses Thrive... We Will Grow It Into a City Festival"

Uijeongbu City Links River Marathon and Dong-o Masil Festa
A Virtuous Cycle of "Exercise → Festival → Spending"
A Resident-Driven City Festival Model Created by Local Merchants and Citizens

Under the clear October sky, the footsteps of runners along Buyongcheon and Jungnangcheon marked the start of the morning, while laughter and music filled the streets of Dong-o Village in the afternoon.

Mayor Kim Donggeun is taking a commemorative photo with participants from the Sports Council and City Council at the "2025 Uijeongbu City River Marathon National Competition" on the 25th. Provided by Uijeongbu City

According to Uijeongbu City (Mayor Kim Donggeun) on October 27, the city hosted the "2025 Uijeongbu City River Marathon National Competition" and the "2025 Dong-o Masil Festa" back-to-back on the 25th, creating a day where urban nature and local businesses came together as one. The scene, blending sports, consumption, and community, showcased Uijeongbu’s vision for a city festival model built on mutual growth.

This year’s event was scaled up to a national level, building on the success of last year’s first-ever river marathon in Uijeongbu, the "Dong-o Masil Run."

Last year, about 1,000 citizens participated, completing the city’s inaugural river marathon by running two courses: the Daily Route (6 km) and the Health Route (10 km).

Seventy-five percent of finishers dined in nearby Dong-o Village, boosting local business sales. This experimental initiative, created by both citizens and merchants, drew nationwide attention.

This year, leveraging that success, the event more than doubled in scale, attracting around 2,000 runners from across the country.

Scenes from the "2025 Uijeongbu City River Marathon National Competition" held on the 25th around Buyongcheon and Jungnangcheon. Provided by Uijeongbu City

The course along Buyongcheon and Jungnangcheon featured three distances-half marathon (21.0975 km), 10 km, and 5 km-allowing participants to choose based on their ability and preference.

Before the race, a professional instructor led warm-up exercises, and safety personnel and medical staff were stationed throughout the course to ensure participants’ safety.

As runners made their way along the autumn-colored paths of Buyongcheon and Jungnangcheon, everyone from families and running crews to enthusiasts from all over the country enjoyed the fall atmosphere at their own pace.

All finishers received a 10,000-won gift certificate, naturally guiding participants toward the Dong-o Masil Festa venue.

The day, which began with exercise, transitioned into local spending, creating a virtuous cycle where sports and the economy were closely linked.

In particular, a local currency payback event was held for marathon participants and visitors.

On the day of the festival, the first 150 citizens who spent 30,000 won or more at participating Dong-o Village businesses received a 10,000-won local currency voucher, while 100 marathon finishers who met the same spending condition received a 20,000-won local currency voucher as a festival-linked benefit.

Kim Donggeun, the mayor, greeted citizens at the 8th Dongo Village Festival, '2025 Dongo Masil Festa,' held on the 25th. Provided by Uijeongbu City.

The city plans to quantitatively verify this festival model-where sports and local businesses grow together-by analyzing payment data and coupon redemption rates.

The 8th Dong-o Village Festival, "2025 Dong-o Masil Festa," held at the Dong-o Village Food Town, was jointly organized by the Uijeongbu Urban Corporation Commercial Promotion Center and the Dong-o Village Merchants Association.

The streets were lined with booths offering a variety of foods, including snacks, side dishes, and Japanese cuisine, drawing a steady stream of citizens. The aroma of food throughout the area further enhanced the festive atmosphere.

Citizens enjoyed leisurely autumn afternoons, dining at outdoor tables while watching stage performances.

Children flocked to popular experience booths, where activities like making initial keyrings, caricatures, and face painting were a hit.

In addition, a lucky ball event and a local currency payback promotion-both accessible by submitting purchase receipts-added to the fun of the festival.

The connection between the marathon and the festival is helping to establish a city structure where citizens not only visit but also spend time and money locally, moving beyond a one-day event.

The city will analyze payment records, coupon redemption rates, and visitor movement patterns to verify the actual impact on local business recovery, and plans to expand this integrated model to other commercial districts in the future.

Mayor Donggeun Kim is taking a commemorative photo with participants at the 8th Dong-o Village Festival '2025 Dong-o Masil Festa' on the 25th. Provided by Uijeongbu City

On this day, Mayor Kim Donggeun completed the 5 km course with marathon participants, then visited the Dong-o Masil Festa site to engage with citizens and share in the excitement of the festival.

Mayor Kim Donggeun said, "The marathon, which began last year thanks to citizens’ enthusiastic response, has grown to a national scale and, together with the festival, has become a venue for mutual growth. With the belief that when citizens enjoy themselves, local businesses thrive, we will continue to develop city festivals where sports, culture, and commerce grow together."

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