The small city of Gimcheon in North Gyeongsang Province experienced an extraordinary transformation over the weekend as more than 150,000 visitors descended upon the town for its second annual gimbap festival, more than doubling the city's usual population of 130,000 residents. What started as a creative cultural branding experiment has evolved into a full-scale phenomenon, establishing Gimcheon as Korea's unofficial gimbap capital.
The two-day festival, held Saturday and Sunday, completely transformed the quiet provincial city into a bustling culinary destination celebrating Korea's beloved seaweed rice rolls. Over 30 vendors participated in the event, offering an impressive variety of 50 different types of gimbap ranging from trendy frozen rolls to unique regional specialties and award-winning competition creations. Local food company Daejung operated a massive open kitchen on-site, churning out up to 1,000 gimbap rolls per hour to meet the overwhelming demand from festival-goers.
The city's remarkable success story traces back to an innovative approach to cultural branding and tourism marketing. In 2023, when Gimcheon officials surveyed young Koreans asking what first came to mind when they thought of their city, the overwhelming response was "gimbap." This association stemmed from the popular nationwide restaurant chain Gimbap Cheonguk (Gimbap Heaven), which many people connected with Gimcheon. Rather than dismissing this unexpected connection, city officials cleverly embraced it and used it as the cornerstone of their tourism campaign strategy.
Last year's inaugural festival quickly went viral on social media and attracted approximately 100,000 visitors, but it also faced significant criticism when it became known as the "gimbapless gimbap festival" after all the prepared rolls sold out within just three hours. Learning from these challenges, organizers this year prepared ten times more gimbap portions and dramatically expanded nearly every logistical aspect of the event, from increasing the number of shuttle buses to expanding parking facilities.
Despite these extensive preparations, the crowds surged beyond all expectations, and supplies once again disappeared by late afternoon. "We estimated 100,000 visitors based on last year's attendance, but over 150,000 people showed up," explained a Gimcheon city official. "Despite the logistical challenges we faced, the visitors' response was overwhelmingly positive, and people seemed to genuinely enjoy the experience."
What set this festival apart from typical regional events was its refreshingly unconventional approach to organization and presentation. Unlike most local festivals across Korea, Gimcheon's gimbap celebration deliberately eliminated traditional formalities that often characterize such events. There was no opening ceremony, no lengthy speeches by local politicians, and most importantly, no inflated pricing that typically drives up costs at festival venues.
The festival's entertainment lineup added significant energy to the lively atmosphere. Popular musicians and performers took the stage throughout the weekend, including The Jadu, whose 2003 hit song "Gimbap" playfully uses the popular food item as a metaphor for the twists and turns of romantic relationships. This musical connection perfectly captured the festival's fun and lighthearted spirit.
As the massive crowds created inevitable challenges, including food shortages and severe traffic congestion, city officials responded proactively by sending real-time text message alerts to attendees. These messages urged caution and announced restrictions on private vehicle access near the event venue to manage the flow of people and vehicles more effectively.
Despite the logistical difficulties, most festival attendees felt that the unique charm and authentic experience far outweighed any inconveniences they encountered. Kim, a 31-year-old office worker from Seoul, expressed her satisfaction with the event: "I spent nearly 100,000 won on gimbap throughout the festival, but it was absolutely worth every bite. All of the gimbap varieties were delicious and unique." She particularly appreciated how different this festival was from other regional events, noting, "The event was refreshingly different from many other regional festivals that I've attended, which normally focus too much on formality and feature overpriced foods that don't justify their cost."
Song, a 27-year-old visitor from Suwon in Gyeonggi Province, shared similar positive sentiments about her festival experience. "It took some time to wait in line to buy gimbap, but the event was overall much more convenient and well-organized than what I had heard about last year's event," she said. She also expressed her willingness to return next year and added that she hopes the festival will contribute significantly to the region's economic revitalization and cultural development.
Looking ahead to future editions, Gimcheon city officials announced plans to extend the festival period and make substantial improvements to infrastructure to better accommodate the growing crowds. Their goal is to solidify Gimcheon's position as Korea's unofficial gimbap capital while creating a sustainable and enjoyable experience for the hundreds of thousands of visitors who are expected to attend future festivals.
