Boryeong- AMC International Motor Festival Draws 140,000 on Opening Day, Eyes Asian Expansion

"Honestly, I came because I love cars. Seeing two race cars drifting together gave me a huge adrenaline rush," said Yosep, 26, from Puerto Rico, who attended the 2026 Boryeong·AMC International Motor Festival.

On May 2, the area around the Mud Expo Plaza in Boryeong, South Chungcheong province, filled early with engine noise and cheers. At the gymkhana and drifting venues, the sound of tires scraping the pavement rarely let up. Spectators packed the stands for a gymkhana exchange event featuring national team-level drivers from South Korea, Thailand, Singapore and Taiwan. Each time a driver threaded cones and obstacles at speed, the crowd erupted.

Drivers competed under the same conditions in Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles. Fans also raised smartphones to record drift demonstrations by popular drivers including Choi Jun. The festival’s biggest shift this year was toward hands-on participation. Instead of focusing mainly on watching cars, organizers expanded opportunities for visitors to get in and experience them. The 73,430-square-meter (about 22,000-pyeong) Mud Expo Plaza was lined with vehicles ranging from the latest sports cars to tuned cars and camper vans. Visitors climbed inside and examined interiors.

"It was great to be able to ride in cars you don’t usually get to see," said Kim Si-ho, 17, from Seongnam, Gyeonggi province. "I’m studying in an auto-related field, and I think it will help with my career path."

At the Toyota Gazoo Racing (GR) booth in the center of the venue, motorsports fans gathered around display models including the GR86 and GR Supra stock car. Some visitors also tried a simulator set up to experience sports-car performance. At experience booths for advance reservation holders, tire noise continued throughout the day. Toyota Korea ran slalom, lane-change and drifting programs.

In a drift ride-along with a professional driver, participants felt the car’s limits. As speed increased, the vehicle showed understeer, pushing outward. When the rear wheels broke loose into oversteer, the car began to rotate. Thanks to the GR86’s low center of gravity, it could spin repeatedly in place while remaining stable, the report said.

Launched in 2011 as an on-campus event at Ajou Motor College, the Boryeong·AMC International Motor Festival has grown into a major local attraction alongside the Boryeong Mud Festival. Now in its fifth year near Boryeong Beach, it has established itself as a signature event for the city. Organizers said more than 140,000 people attended on the first day, including the opening ceremony. Ajou Motor College and the city of Boryeong said they aim to expand the festival globally. Park Sang-hyeon, a professor in the college’s motorsports major, said the event is increasing exchanges with overseas drivers centered on key disciplines such as gymkhana and drifting. "The goal is to gradually expand the scale and grow it beyond Korea into the No. 1 motor festival in Asia," he said.

In this year’s gymkhana Asia top-eight exchange event, many drivers from Asian countries including Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan took part, including participants active in an organization under the International Automobile Federation, the report said. Organizers said they plan to strengthen the event’s international character through a broader global network.

Discussions are also underway to bring in global brands beyond Toyota. Organizers expect participation by major automakers to expand experience programs and raise the event’s industrial value.

Park said the festival has grown to a global scale with support for grassroots motorsports from Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda. He added that the number of domestic and overseas manufacturers seeking to participate continues to rise, increasing the likelihood the event will be larger next year.

Boryeong also said it wants to make the festival a core local attraction. Mayor Kim Dong-il said about 200,000 people visited last year’s event, generating an estimated 19 billion won in production-inducing effects. He said the city will develop it into one of its two flagship festivals alongside the Mud Festival. According to the city, the Mud Festival that opened last July ran for 17 days, drew about 1.69 million visitors and generated an estimated 94 billion won in production-inducing effects. By impact relative to its duration, the AMC International Motor Festival produced similar results, the city said.

The college said it is emphasizing its role linking education and industry. Han Myeong-seok, president of Ajou Motor College, said students took part in planning and operating the event from start to finish. "We will grow the event into a platform that connects industry, the region and talent," he said.



* This article has been translated by AI.

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