"Kimbap Filled Mostly with Rice"... Festivals at Center of 'Overpricing Controversy' Fail to Qualify as Jeju Designated Festivals

Controversy Over Gimbap With Few Fillings and Six-Piece Sundae Priced Over 20,000 Won
Point Deduction Criteria for Excessive Pricing Significantly Strengthened

The Tamna Cultural Festival and the Jeonnong-ro King Cherry Blossom Festival, both of which stirred controversy last year over excessive pricing, failed to be selected as designated festivals in Jeju Province this year.

According to Jeju Province on March 6, the Provincial Festival Promotion Committee conducted a first-round evaluation of 28 festivals within the province (10 metropolitan and 18 local festivals) and selected 11 festivals (3 metropolitan, 8 local) as this year's designated festivals. The evaluation covered events held last year.

Controversial Substandard Kimbap. Photo by Yonhap News, captured from Bobae Dream.

The three metropolitan-level festivals selected are: Seogwipo Canola Flower Festival, Seongsan Sunrise Festival, and Tamnagun Ipchun Gut. The eight local festivals are: Gomaro Horse Culture Festival, Geumneung Wondam Festival, Bomok Jari-dom Festival, Sanjicheon Festival, Udo Sea Snail Festival, Iho Tewoo Festival, Chujado Chamgulbi Festival, and Hallasan Clean Bracken Festival.

These 11 selected festivals will receive a fixed budget allocation (with a 100% subsidy rate) from the 2027 fiscal year. The Festival Promotion Committee plans to conduct a second-round evaluation of these festivals in May to determine their ratings (Best, Excellent, or Promising). Incentives will be provided based on the rating: 20 million won for Best, 10 million won for Excellent, and 5 million won for Promising.

In contrast, the Tamna Cultural Festival (formerly a metropolitan Excellent festival) and Jeonnong-ro King Cherry Blossom Festival (formerly a local Promising festival), both designated festivals last year, were eliminated in this year's evaluation.

At the Tamna Cultural Festival, a roll of kimbap containing mostly rice and lacking other ingredients was sold for 4,000 won, while at the Jeonnong-ro King Cherry Blossom Festival, stir-fried soondae with only six pieces of soondae was sold for 25,000 won, sparking controversy over excessive pricing. Due to being eliminated from the evaluation, the Jeonnong-ro King Cherry Blossom Festival will see its subsidy rate for next year's budget reduced from the previous 100% to 70% and will not receive any incentives. For the privately commissioned Tamna Cultural Festival, there will be no budget reduction, but incentives will be withdrawn.

Previously, in February, Jeju Province significantly strengthened its criteria for designating festivals. Festivals that damage the region's tourism image due to social controversies such as excessive pricing are immediately excluded from that year's selection evaluation. Even if a festival is removed from the designated list, it can still apply for budget support; however, the maximum subsidy rate is restricted to 50% as a penalty. Additionally, festivals that are subjected to immediate removal will be excluded from re-selection evaluations for three years from the decision date.

The deduction criteria have also been revised. The maximum deduction, previously capped at 3 points, has been raised to 15 points. The detailed deduction categories are as follows: up to 7 points for social controversies such as excessive pricing, up to 4 points for excessive spending such as celebrity invitations, and up to 4 points for indiscriminate programs that undermine the identity of the festival.

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