GIMCHEON, Oct. 30 (Korea Bizwire) – Local food festivals across South Korea have seen record-breaking attendance this October, with some events having to close early due to overwhelming crowds amid the season’s pleasant autumn weather.
The inaugural Gimcheon Kimbap Festival, held on October 26-27 at Samyeongdaesa Park and the Eco Park, became an unexpected sensation, drawing nearly 100,000 visitors – five times more than the anticipated 20,000 attendees.
The festival was conceived after surveys showed young South Koreans strongly associated Gimcheon with Kimbap Cheonguk (“Kimbap Heaven” – a popular Korean fast-food chain known for its kimbap), prompting city officials to capitalize on this connection by creating a festival celebrating the rolled rice dish.
“This is unprecedented for Gimcheon, a city of just 150,000 residents,” posted a local resident on social media. Festival organizers had prepared 10,000 rolls of kimbap, the popular Korean rice rolls, but by 1 p.m. on the first day, half of the seven kimbap stalls had already sold out. By 2 p.m. the following day, all vendors had exhausted their supplies.
The festival featured a number of specialty varieties, while the event’s mascot character Kkodali, designed to resemble a kimbap roll, became an unexpected hit with visitors.
Festival organizers had to post notices on their official Instagram account when vendors began closing due to depleted supplies.
“While we prepared sufficient quantities, the time-consuming nature of kimbap preparation means that even serving those currently in line will likely take us until closing time,” festival officials explained in their notice to visitors.
The event garnered particular praise for its innovative eco-friendly approach, serving kimbap on puffed rice crackers instead of disposable containers.
“The use of puffed rice crackers and reusable containers instead of disposable packaging was impressive,” noted one visitor on X. “It’s a fresh and commendable idea,” another commented.
Despite some visitors expressing disappointment at being unable to try the kimbap due to early closures, social media feedback remained overwhelmingly positive.
“Even though we couldn’t try all the kimbap varieties due to the crowds, it was still enjoyable,” wrote one visitor on X. Another commented, “You could really feel how much effort went into the preparation. Hope they come back next year better prepared.”
The Gimcheon website was flooded with supportive messages. “Despite the unexpected crowds, managing to complete the event without any casualties is itself a significant achievement,” one comment read.
Another praised the festival for helping revitalize regional tourism: “While it’s been sad to see regional areas losing vitality as most festivals and attractions concentrate in Seoul, we’re grateful to the Gimcheon Kimbap Festival organizers for providing diverse experiences to citizens.”
Image credit: Yonhap, Gimcheon City / photonews@koreabizwire.com
