The Gimbap and Sun Salt Festival, celebrating Jeonnam Gwangju's representative seafood products, will take place in Yeosu from October 9 to 11. The Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City announced that the festival will be held at the Yeosu Expo Convention Center over three days.
This event aims to showcase gimbap and sun salt as more than just seafood, combining food, experiences, and performances. Programs will introduce the production, processing, and export of gimbap, as well as the history, production process, and nutritional value of sun salt.
The festival will feature themed zones, including a gimbap zone, sun salt zone, performance zone, market zone, and healing zone. Activities will include art gimbap making, exhibitions on the history of gimbap and sun salt, local seafood sales, cooking classes, and performances, all designed for family participation.
On the first day, a live broadcast of the TV program '6 o'clock in My Hometown' will introduce the festival. Calligraphy performances by artist Kim So-young and a special performance by trot singer Park Ji-hyun are also scheduled.
On October 10, history storyteller Sun Kim will host a 'Salt Concert' to explore the history and value of salt. There will also be interactive programs where visitors can participate using gimbap and sun salt.
Cooking Class with Chef Jeong Ho-young and Discounts for Expo Visitors
On the final day, October 11, a cooking class with Chef Jeong Ho-young will be held at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., with 20 teams accepted on a first-come, first-served basis for each session.
Participants will cook using local ingredients from Jeonnam Gwangju, allowing them to experience regional seafood and produce.
Additionally, visitors with tickets to the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo will receive a 10% discount on sun salt purchases at the festival.
The export volume of gimbap from Jeonnam Gwangju has increased nearly ninefold, from $50 million in 2015 to $447 million this year. The Integrated Special City plans to enhance the quality grading system for dried seaweed, improve export packaging technology, and strengthen overseas promotion in line with the expanding gimbap export market.
Park Young-chae, head of the Marine and Fisheries Bureau of Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City, stated, “This festival is an opportunity for families to see, make, and taste gimbap and sun salt, experiencing the sea and seafood of Jeonnam Gwangju. We will prepare a rich program to ensure that the joy felt at the festival translates into interest and consumption of Jeonnam Gwangju seafood.”
Meanwhile, the Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City plans to use this festival as a platform to promote the consumption of local seafood products, including gimbap and sun salt, and to enhance the high value-added nature of the gimbap industry and expand exports. The festival will be organized to allow visitors to directly experience local seafood through family-friendly activities, food, performances, and sales.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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