'2026 Peace Nuri Picnic Festival' draws 12,000 visitors

The 2026 Peace Nuri Picnic Festival, part of Gyeonggi Province's "Autumn" cultural season program, wrapped up successfully, drawing about 12,000 visitors.

The three-day event ran from Friday through Sunday at Imjingak Peace Nuri in Paju, combining live music performances, camping and wellness experiences into what organizers described as a comprehensive cultural gathering for enjoying the autumn season.

On Friday, an acoustic busking performance set an intimate mood at the Peace Nuri campsite. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, wellness programs including yoga and singing bowl meditation were held on the campsite lawn, offering visitors a chance to fully unwind. Scattered throughout the festival grounds, photo zones and a Gyeonggi Province DMZ exhibition booth rounded out the program, drawing families and couples alike.

The highlight was a live outdoor concert on the main stage Saturday, with the newly introduced "Peace Special Stage" drawing an enthusiastic response from the crowd.

Musical actor Min Woo-hyuk said he felt that "the very peacefulness of spreading out a mat on an open lawn and listening to music is what peace looks like," adding, "I hope the melodies that drifted on the breeze will linger in your hearts as warm comfort and a sense of ease."

Top-tier musicians then took the stage in turn — modern rock act Nell, emotive vocalist 10CM and singer Sunwoo Jung-a, whose distinctive voice is in a class of its own — lighting up the autumn evening as the sun set over Peace Nuri and bringing the festival to a rousing close.