Hongcheon Ginseng and Hanwoo Festival returns with deep discounts, star performers

The Hongcheon Ginseng and Hanwoo Premium Festival will run for four days from Thursday through Sunday at Tori Forest in Hongcheon Urban Forest Park, Hongcheon-gun, Gangwon Province. The event's slogan is "Healthy Ginseng! Excellent Beef!"

This year, six-year-old ginseng roots will be discounted by more than 21 percent depending on the product, while No. 4 and No. 5 fresh ginseng will be sold at half price.

Hanwoo beef will be discounted by about 15 percent or more depending on the cut and product, with select items marked down by as much as 50 percent.

Visitors who spend 50,000 won ($37) or more on ginseng or hanwoo will receive a lucky-draw ticket. A prize draw on the final day, Sunday, at 6 p.m. will award winners a red ginseng set or a hanwoo set delivered to their door.

Hongcheon-gun County Chief Shin Young-jae said the festival aims to showcase the quality of six-year-old ginseng and Neulpureum hanwoo beef and raise Hongcheon-gun's profile in more countries around the world.

Performances will run nightly from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. throughout the festival. On Thursday, invited singers including Kimmi, Hong Ji-ho and Lee Sang-beon will perform, followed by the "Hongcheon River Song Contest," a singing competition open to local residents.

Throughout the festival, local singers and community groups will also take the stage for charity performances as part of events including a "Love Sharing Concert," the Hongcheon General Arts Festival and a "One Heart Concert."

Kim Su-hee, a cross-generational star known for the ballad "At the Crossroads of Love," and Jeon Young-rok, famous for songs including "Jongi Hak" ("A Paper Crane"), will perform at the festival, offering visitors and residents a nostalgic autumn evening.

Signature events include the "Hanwoo Bone Broth 10,000-Won Happiness" experience, alongside activity booths such as traditional Korean medicine pain-relief sessions and a ginseng-and-hanwoo confectionery workshop. A marble-flicking tournament and a local specialty liquor tasting booth will also be on offer.

Promotional pavilions run by Hongcheon Neulpureum Hanwoo and Gangwon Ginseng Agricultural Cooperative will let visitors learn about local livestock and agricultural products. Booths offering information on tourism, rural migration and youth entrepreneurship, as well as booths run by local organizations including the Hongcheon chapter of the Korea Photographers Association, will also be set up.

Food offerings will include handmade fried snacks, chicken skewers, wild garlic hot dogs, Hongcheon rice cakes and local traditional dishes. Agricultural and specialty products on sale will include shiitake mushrooms, honey, kabocha squash, apples, jujubes and artisan processed foods.

To prevent price gouging, menu items, prices and portion sizes will be disclosed in advance through the Korea Tourism Organization's "Allio" food information service on its "Corners of Korea" platform. A shuttle bus will circulate within Hongcheon-gun more than 20 times a day during the festival.

A pet rest area will be set up at a gateball court near the hanwoo self-service restaurant, providing a space that balances the convenience of visitors with pets and the hygiene and safety of the dining area. Souvenir giveaways will also be held at the rest area.

Meanwhile, a 2026 civilian-military harmony folk event will be held Thursday along the main road near Kkotmoe Park. On Friday, diplomatic delegations from more than 10 countries, including Venezuela and Kenya, will visit the festival grounds to take part in ginseng-and-hanwoo confectionery-making sessions, food tastings and a tour of the Hongcheon Art Museum.

Jeon Myeong-jun, chairman of the Hongcheon Culture Foundation, said the foundation is working to properly showcase the quality of the ginseng and hanwoo that local farmers have raised with care, and to make the festival a boost to the local economy. "We hope you will come to Tori Forest, savor the finest flavors, and take home the colors of Hongcheon's autumn with your family, friends and loved ones," he said.