Jinhae Gunhangje Festival Concludes 10-Day Journey ... Painted in Cherry Blossoms

The Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, renowned nationwide, has concluded its 10-day journey.

On April 6, the Changwon Special City in South Gyeongsang Province announced that the 64th Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, Korea's representative cherry blossom festival, has come to a successful close.

The 64th Jinhae Gunhangje Festival dyed in cherry blossoms.

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This year, the festival was held at the peak of the cherry blossom season, attracting a large number of visitors to the festival grounds. In particular, a wide array of content harmonizing with the stunning cherry blossoms provided enjoyment for all generations and received an enthusiastic response from tourists. The Jinhae Gunhangje Festival has thus established itself as a comprehensive cultural and tourism festival, blending local economy and culture, going beyond simply viewing flowers.

One of the most notable changes this year was the transformation of the festival venue layout. The "Gunhang Village," set up at Jungwon Rotary, departed from the uniform marketplace food of previous years and introduced trendy menus tailored to the tastes of Millennials & Gen Z, successfully attracting younger visitors.

Additionally, the "Emotional Pub" near Sokcheon Port, which featured menus made with local specialties such as alcoholic beverages from local breweries, in a romantic nighttime seaside atmosphere, greatly contributed to increasing the amount of time festival visitors stayed at the event.

This has been evaluated as a successful turning point, shifting the festival from a "stop-by" event to one that encourages visitors to "stay and enjoy."

Furthermore, the highlight of the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, the "Military Band & Honor Guard Festival," was held on an even larger scale this year, filling every seat at each performance. Especially memorable was the National Defense Parade, where citizens joined the march, creating a spectacular scene and leaving unforgettable memories for both visitors and locals.

Organizers also devoted full efforts to safety management and cracking down on illegal business activities. By efficiently deploying safety personnel for each major event and establishing a real-time cooperation system with the police and fire departments, the festival was able to ensure "zero safety accidents" despite the largest crowds in its history.

To proactively address recurring issues such as illegal street vendors and price gouging at the festival site, dedicated task force teams were formed to monitor illegal business activities and excessive pricing. This proactive response once again demonstrated the festival's strong operational capabilities.

Jang Geumyong, acting mayor of Changwon Special City, stated, "This year's Gunhangje Festival elevated its competitiveness with new content and systematic, proactive on-site management." He added, "We will continue to pursue ongoing change and improvement to develop the festival into a global event that extends beyond Korea."

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