Goseong-gun in Gangwon Province, known as the home of pollock, will host the 26th Goseong Pollock Festival from Oct. 2 to 5 along the Geojin 11-ri beachfront.
Co-hosted by the Goseong Culture Foundation and the Goseong Pollock Festival Committee, this year's event carries the theme "25+1: A New Discovery," reimagining pollock — the county's defining cultural asset — through a contemporary lens while weaving in stories of local residents, the sea and the region. The festival is designed to encourage active community participation.
Invited performers include singers Kim Yeon-ja, Oh Yu-jin, Jaja and Sinseong, and fireworks displays over the night sea are scheduled for Oct. 3 and Oct. 5. Kim drew wide attention when BTS and other K-pop stars danced as backup performers during her rendition of "Amor Fati."
Performances will be spread across multiple stages throughout the festival grounds — including a mural stage, a main stage and a sea stage — so visitors arriving at any hour can enjoy shows and activities without timing their visit around a fixed schedule.
This year's festival moves away from a performance-heavy format, dividing the grounds into three zones — "Discovery of Pollock," "Discovery of Residents" and "Discovery of the Sea" — with food, performances and hands-on activities distributed across all three so visitors can enjoy a full experience whenever they arrive.
Opening and closing ceremonies will be streamlined, and the reliance on a single large main stage will give way to three separate stages, shifting the focus from formality to programming.
A pollock gastronomy zone and live chef cooking demonstrations will present pollock as a new food culture, with plans to connect festival menus to year-round offerings at local restaurants.
Local residents will take an active role as content creators through a pollock village radio station, a pollock memory storytelling competition, a local fishing song contest and community performances, bringing the stories and warmth of Goseong's people into the festival.
Activities ranging from bare-hand live fish catching and a seaside playground to an AI music festival and a silent DJ set will cater to families and young visitors alike. A sea bus to Baekseom island and a naval vessel tour will allow festival-goers to explore the broader Geojin area's tourism and commercial districts alongside the main venue.
The festival will expand its use of local businesses and workers, and reusable containers will be introduced at food booths to strengthen community cooperation and environmentally friendly operations.
Safety management plans covering traffic, parking, emergency medical care and severe weather will also be put in place, with a joint inspection before the event to ensure safe festival operations.
"This year's pollock festival marks the start of a new chapter after 25 editions, and we are preparing it as a chance to rediscover the familiar — pollock, our residents and the sea off Geojin," a Goseong Culture Foundation official said. "We will do our utmost until the very end to make this a festival where visitors can experience not just eating and enjoying pollock, but also the stories of Goseong's people and the culture of the region."
Pollock holds a place in the Korean cultural imagination beyond the dinner table — the art song "Pollock" famously describes it as the humble snack of a poor poet, embedding the fish in the lives, literature and music of those who have worked the sea.
abc@heraldcorp.com
