Jangsaengpo Whale Culture Zone to host Liberation Day holiday events

Ulsan's Nam-gu district and the Nam-gu Urban Management Corporation will run a series of special events and patriotic programs at the Jangsaengpo Whale Culture Zone over the four-day Liberation Day holiday from Friday through Monday.

The sixth Jangsaengpo Horror Festival, a summer scare event, will run Friday through Sunday, starting at 7:20 p.m. each evening for two hours at the Whale Culture Village and the plaza in front of the Whale Museum. Set against the backdrop of the old Jangsaengpo village, the festival features immersive experiences including "Horror Mission Village," where visitors complete missions alongside costumed performers, and "Cursed Trail," a spine-chilling walk through the Whale Culture Village.

A special outdoor stage will host horror performances, dance and magic shows, and an electronic dance music set by popular DJ "New Jins-nim." At the Whale Museum plaza, visitors can try on frightening makeup and costumes, pose at a photo wall, and browse food trucks.

At the Whale Museum on Liberation Day, Saturday, visitors can join a three-time chant of "Long live Korean independence" followed by a magic show. On Saturday and Sunday, a hands-on outdoor program called "Liberation! Loving Our Country with Whales" will offer Taegukgi-themed craft activities. A fireworks display will light up the sky over Jangsaengpo at 8 p.m. Saturday.

In the indoor children's activity room, free first-come, first-served craft sessions will be held — orca hat-making on Saturday and Taegukgi keyring-making on Sunday. A "Family Mini Car Race" will also take place Sunday for 20 families who register in advance. A Liberation Day photo zone will operate at the observation deck on the third floor of the Whale Ecology Experience Center throughout the holiday. Aboard the ROKS Ulsan, visitors on Saturday can try on children's naval uniforms, and 30 model ship kits will be given away to independence merit holders.

At Welly Kids Land, a Taegukgi pinwheel-making session will be held Saturday, and a "Hit 8.15 Seconds" timer challenge will run Saturday and Sunday. From Friday through Monday, participants in the "Long Live Korean Independence — Shout to the Sky" program who exceed 130 decibels will receive free admission.

The Wales Cart monorail at the Whale Culture Village will run extended hours until 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday. The daytime top speed will be reduced from 40 kilometers per hour to 22 kilometers per hour so riders can safely take in the sunset over the sea and the nighttime scenery of Jangsaengpo.

"For this Liberation Day holiday, we have prepared a range of programs — from patriotic experiences that reflect on the meaning of liberation to family-friendly activities everyone can enjoy together," an official from the Nam-gu Urban Management Corporation said.