Yeongju holds preparation review for 2026 Punggi Ginseng Festival

Yeongju City in North Gyeongsang Province held a preparation review meeting for the 2026 Punggi Ginseng Festival on Friday at the city hall auditorium, conducting a comprehensive check of the festival's readiness.

About 60 people attended the meeting, including Yeongju Mayor Hwang Byeong-jik, senior civil servants, Yeongju City Council Speaker Lee Sang-geun, provincial and city lawmakers, and officials from the Yeongju Culture and Tourism Foundation.

Attendees shared updates on the festival's progress and department-level support plans, and reviewed preparations across areas including program operations, venue setup, publicity, traffic and parking, safety management, and visitor amenities.

Running for nine days from Oct. 3 to Oct. 11 at Namwoncheon Stream and Punggi Ginseng Park in Punggi-eup, this year's festival will promote the quality and distinctive character of Punggi ginseng while expanding participation by local merchants and strengthening food offerings and hands-on, participatory content.

A range of programs and hands-on sales events highlighting the tradition and value of Punggi ginseng will also be held throughout the festival period.

Yeongju City said it will address any shortcomings identified at the meeting and continue on-site and safety inspections before the festival opens to ensure thorough preparation.

A separate evaluation report on the 2026 Yeongju Siwon Night Festa — a summer event held earlier this year — was also presented at the meeting. Officials agreed to incorporate lessons learned from that event into the management of the Punggi Ginseng Festival.

"The Punggi Ginseng Festival is Yeongju's signature festival," a city official said. "We will meticulously review preparations in every area — programs, transportation, safety and amenities — in the time remaining, so that both residents and tourists can enjoy the festival safely and pleasantly."