Spring Flavors Bloom in Geumgangsong Mountain Village... Jeongok-ri Durup Festival Kicks Off

Direct Purchase of Durup, Wild Vegetable Experiences, and Forest Trail Trekking

A Spring Mountain Village Festival in Uljin Targeting Family Tourists

The Uljin Geumgangsong Mountain Village is welcoming spring tourists with the seasonal aroma of durup (Aralia elata). Uljin-gun announced that the “5th Jeongok-ri Durup Festival” will be held for three days from April 30 to May 2 in the Jeongok-ri area of Geumgangsong-myeon.

Uljin-gun Jeongok-ri Deureup Festival Poster [Photo by Uljin-gun]

This festival, co-organized by the Jeongok-ri Village Residents’ Association and the Uljin Branch of the Gyeongsangbuk-do Forest Interpreter Association, and sponsored by Uljin-gun and the Hanul Nuclear Power Headquarters, is being held under the slogan “The Tastiest Spring, Right Now in Jeongok-ri!” It is designed as a mountain village-style event that combines the promotion of local agricultural products with hands-on rural experiences.

During the festival, visitors can purchase fresh local agricultural products, including durup, a representative wild vegetable of spring, directly from producers. There will also be food programs such as wild vegetable bibimbap making and tasting, and rice cake making, allowing guests to enjoy the flavors of Jeongok-ri’s mountain village spring on site.

A variety of hands-on activities for families will be available. In addition to forest trail walking and traditional games, cultural programs such as singing contests, small concerts, and saxophone and harmonica performances will add to the festive atmosphere.

There will also be programs where both residents and tourists can participate, such as local specialty auctions, straw rope-making competitions, and jegichagi (Korean shuttlecock kicking), offering a sense of community and the authentic feel of a rural festival.

In particular, this year’s festival goes beyond simply selling agricultural products and is operated as a stay-type mountain village tourism content, where visitors can enjoy food, experiences, and cultural performances in nature. Uljin-gun expects the festival will not only boost consumption of seasonal agricultural products but also help revitalize tourism in the Geumgangsong-myeon area.

For the convenience of visitors, a shuttle bus will run from in front of the Uljin-eup Forestry Cooperative to the Jeongok-ri festival venue during the event period. The shuttle will depart from Uljin-eup at 9:30 a.m. and return from the Jeongok-ri venue at 5:00 p.m. each day.

An official from Uljin-gun stated, “We hope for much interest and many visitors to this festival, where you can enjoy the taste of seasonal durup along with a variety of experiences. We expect it will also contribute to promoting the consumption of local agricultural products and revitalizing tourism.”

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