Cultural foundations offer the clearest window into the arts and culture of their respective cities and counties. As public culture and arts developers, they shape each city's identity and ultimately drive the evolution of Korean culture.
With all 165 of South Korea's cultural foundations converging on Sokcho in Gangwon Province for a joint festival, the event promises a level of creativity, originality and aesthetic richness that few other festivals can match. Gangwon Cultural Foundation laid the groundwork.
The "2026 Regional Co-prosperity and Cultural Companionship Festa," produced by public culture professionals from across the country, runs Wednesday through Saturday at the Expo Tower plaza in Sokcho.
The event is hosted by the Korea Regional Cultural Foundations Federation and co-organized by Gangwon Cultural Foundation and Sokcho Culture and Tourism Foundation as a nationwide cultural exchange gathering.
Gangwon Province was selected as the host last year after the collaborative operating model proposed by Gangwon Cultural Foundation and Sokcho Culture and Tourism Foundation — centered on cooperation between local and provincial foundations — received high marks in a competitive bid. The selection has since served as a catalyst for spreading the values of inter-regional cultural cooperation and mutual growth.
The event will draw cultural foundation officials, local artists, residents and tourists alike. The opening ceremony kicks off with a performance by the Gangwon Provincial Theater Company, followed by an awards ceremony recognizing outstanding regional cultural initiatives, with exhibitions of selected projects on display at the venue. The Gangwon Pavilion will highlight key projects by cultural foundations across the province and showcase the diverse appeal of regional culture.
A special outdoor stage on the Expo lawn will screen the film "The King's Warden" alongside a range of other cultural and arts programs, adding to the festival atmosphere for residents and tourists to enjoy together.
Throughout the festival, programs will include a knowledge-sharing forum, a companion content show, a regional co-prosperity market, a cultural arts tour and cultural companionship busking performances. The knowledge-sharing forum will feature discussions on regional cultural policy and foundation management case studies, while the companion content show and cultural arts tour will introduce regional cultural content. The busking performances and co-prosperity market are designed as participatory events for both residents and tourists.
"This festa is a meaningful occasion for cultural foundations across the country to share the achievements of regional culture and spread the values of mutual growth and cooperation," said Shin Hyeon-sang, chief executive of Gangwon Cultural Foundation. "We hope that the many visitors coming to Gangwon and Sokcho will experience the appeal of regional culture through diverse programs, and that this becomes an opportunity to further strengthen cooperation among regional cultural foundations."
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