Nojaem City, in Search of Fun

Jo Wonhui, the People Power Party candidate for Yuseong District Mayor, stated, "This Daejeon mayoral election is about whether we will choose a true 'top performer' who works diligently or someone who is completely incapable. It is a crucial election that will determine whether Daejeon will move into 'Fun City Season 2' or continue as 'No-Fun City Season 2.' During his remarks at the opening ceremony of the People Power Party's campaign office for Daejeon mayoral candidate Lee Jangwoo on May 5, candidate Jo said, "There has never been a re-elected Daejeon mayor, but we will make Lee Jangwoo a two-term mayor. For the past 16 years, the Yuseong District Mayor has always been from the Democratic Party, but this time, I will change that." The opening ceremony was attended by National Assembly members Na Kyungwon and Park Deokheum, district and city council candidates, and key party officials, all showing their support. In her remarks, Assemblywoman Na said, "Re-electing candidate Lee Jang

Lee Jangwoo, Mayor of Daejeon, announced during a discussion with journalists at the city hall briefing room on April 30, "At around 5:50 p.m. today, I plan to register as a preliminary candidate for Mayor of Daejeon through a representative," adding, "Starting tomorrow, I will begin my official election campaign in earnest." Mayor Lee stated, "Regarding the election, the first group will be composed of 110 campaign committee chairpersons, about 100 policy advisory members, and approximately 700 people in total, including the campaign headquarters chief." Assessing the achievements of the 8th popularly elected administration, he commented, "The Defense Acquisition Program Administration, which has demonstrated the greatest influence in the national defense industry, is currently constructing its office building in the shortest time ever. This has marked a turning point in Daejeon's development." He continued, "The free bus fares for seniors aged 70 and over, and Daejeon ranking first i

The so-called "Bread Pilgrimage" trend—where people travel nationwide to try signature products from local bakeries—is continuing, and as a result, regional bakeries have rapidly scaled up. Increased sales have led to expanded hiring, and bakeries are now serving as important local hubs. As the Bread Pilgrimage trend is expected to persist for the time being, there are growing expectations that bakeries will play a key role in the restructuring of local economies. According to the electronic disclosure system on April 16, Rosso, the operator of Seongsimdang—a famous bakery in Daejeon—recently announced in its audit report that it recorded sales of 262.9 billion won last year. Sales increased by 318% over five years, rising from 62.9 billion won in 2021. Operating profit more than doubled, jumping from 1.7 billion won in 2021 to 3.7 billion won last year. In 2023, Seongsimdang became the first single-brand bakery, not part of a franchise, to surpass 100 billion won in sales, and it has

Park Seongho, chairman of the Changwon City Sports Council in Gyeongsangnam-do, has thrown his hat into the ring for the Changwon mayoral race in the 9th Nationwide Local Elections to be held on June 3. After completing his registration as a preliminary candidate on the morning of the 23rd, Park held a press conference at the press center of Changwon City Hall and declared, "I will make Changwon a city people want to return to, a city people want to live in, and a city where life is enjoyable." He said, "As of 2024, Changwon's fiscal self-reliance ratio is only about half the national average, and the size of its consolidated budget is also about 2 trillion won smaller than that of nearby metropolitan cities Daejeon and Ulsan," adding, "Citizens' concerns are growing over the surging consolidated debt and administrative vacuum, so field-oriented leadership is desperately needed." He then proposed the introduction of Universal Design, pledging, "I will create a 'Three-An' city where all

The "Daejeon 0 O’Clock Festival," one of the key factors that transformed Daejeon from a "boring city" into an "exciting city," ranked first in this year's list of the top 10 news stories selected by Daejeon citizens. Daejeon citizens chose "Daejeon 0 O’Clock Festival surpasses 2 million visitors for two consecutive years" as the top news story among Daejeon City’s 2025 news highlights. To mark the end of the year, Daejeon City conducted a vote for the "Top 10 Daejeon City News Stories of 2025," aiming to share various municipal achievements with citizens and gather their opinions. Out of a total of 9,441 participants in the online vote held from the 8th to the 17th, "Daejeon 0 O’Clock Festival surpasses 2 million visitors for two consecutive years" secured first place with 2,935 votes. The 2025 Daejeon 0 O’Clock Festival, held for nine days in the Jungang-ro area, attracted 2.16 million visitors this year, following 2 million in 2024, solidifying its status as Korea’s leading summer f

Lee Jangwoo, Mayor of Daejeon, announced, "By investing 330 billion won by 2031, we will introduce killer content that can attract customers of all ages to O-World, expand the interactive safari, and carry out a comprehensive facility upgrade to transform it into the best leisure destination." On the 23rd, during a press conference at City Hall's briefing room, Mayor Lee unveiled the "O-World Recreation Project" as part of the "Treasure Mountain Project." ◆ Number of visitors halved due to aging facilities and demographic changes With the feasibility review for the O-World Recreation Project now complete, the full-scale renewal will proceed in earnest. O-World, which opened in 2002, has become a popular tourist attraction, drawing over 1 million visitors annually, with a cumulative attendance of 25 million. However, in recent years, the number of visitors has dropped significantly, with the expected number for this year falling to around 680,000?half of its peak?and the annual operatin

On the 21st, Daejeon Mayor Lee Jangwoo held a press conference in the city hall briefing room, emphasizing, "Through the Daejeon Midnight Festival, we have shed the label of 'boring city' and transformed Daejeon into the hottest city in the country, now known as the 'fun city,' 'complete fun city,' and the 'city of waiting lines.' He continued, "The Daejeon Midnight Festival is now ready to leap beyond being Korea's representative festival and onto the global stage. We will not be satisfied with this year's achievements and will strive to deliver even greater inspiration and results next year through new content and bold challenges." He added, "We will further grow the festival together with citizens so that Daejeon can establish itself as a festival city that attracts attention not just in Korea, but around the world." The festival was held from August 8 to 16 in the original downtown area, drawing a total of approximately 2.16 million visitors and firmly establishing itself as Korea'

"I will elevate the 'Daejeon Zero Hour Festival' to the ranks of the world's top four festivals. By harnessing the infinite potential of 'zero,' we will create a festival enjoyed by people from around the globe, attracting both people and capital, and transforming Daejeon's image from a 'boring city' to a 'fun city.'" This is a statement from Lee Jangwoo, mayor of Daejeon. On February 4, 2023, during his visit to the Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan to benchmark the event, just one year after taking office in 2022, Mayor Lee shared this vision for the 'Daejeon Zero Hour Festival.' Now, two and a half years later, his pledge is becoming a reality. Daejeon has shed its reputation as a boring city and has transformed into a vibrant and exciting destination. This turning point can be traced back to the launch of the 'Daejeon Zero Hour Festival' in 2023. ◆ Jam-Jam City, City of Waiting, Dreamdori Travel Destination Daejeon is now known as 'Jam-Jam City,' 'the City of Waiting,' and 'Dreamdori

Daejeon has shed its long-standing image as a "boring city" and firmly established itself as a vibrant city full of excitement and a destination where people are willing to wait in line. This transformation is credited to the growth spurred by the "Daejeon 0 O'Clock Festival," which has been held for two consecutive years in 2023 and 2024. This year, the "2025 Daejeon 0 O'Clock Festival," which promises to fill the hot summer nights with memories, romance, and love, opened on August 8. The 0 O'Clock Festival kicked off this year with a calligraphy performance wishing for a successful festival, an air show by the Air Force’s special flight team Black Eagles, and a commitment to the "three no's": no safety accidents, no litter, and no price gouging. The opening ceremony featured a spectacular 90-minute time-travel parade through the Past Zone, Present Zone, and Future Zone, including a traditional marching band, a foreign performers group, Kkumdori robots and Kkumssi characters, honored

Seongsimdang, Daejeon's iconic bakery that has become a local landmark by attracting over 10 million visitors annually, was featured on Japanese television, drawing significant attention from local viewers. The broadcast focused on Seongsimdang's signature menu item, 'Twigim Soboro,' which received rave reviews such as "a taste never experienced in Japan." On June 24 (local time), Japan's STV (Hokkaido Broadcasting) program 'Dosanko Wide' introduced Daejeon as a travel destination under the theme "Hidden Gems of Korea to Enjoy with Family." On this episode, Seongsimdang's DCC branch was highlighted as one of Daejeon's tourist attractions. The Japanese reporter on site shared Seongsimdang's immense popularity, noting, "Even now, this crowd is considered small," as she walked past people lining up early in the morning. The reporter explained that Seongsimdang's signature 'Twigim Soboro' is so popular that some people take the KTX from Seoul just to try it, with daily sales reaching as m