Two food festivals drawing national attention will run simultaneously for three days starting Oct. 23: the Wonju Mandu Festival and the Gimcheon Kimbap Festival.
In the lead-up to both events, a wave of dad jokes has been making the rounds — and Wonju has added an extra twist, with its deputy mayor shedding all official dignity to star in a physical comedy routine.
The Gimcheon gag goes like this: "What's the English word for kimbap?" After a pause, the answer comes — "Bobby Kim." The punchline plays on the Korean phrase "bap i gim," meaning rice wrapped in seaweed.
Wonju fired back with its own: "What's the English word for fried mandu?" A beat of silence, then the answer: "Service." The joke lands because Korean Chinese restaurants routinely throw in a free plate of fried mandu when customers order multiple dishes — announcing it with a cheerful "Service!" meaning it's on the house.
The bit goes one step further: "What's the English word for water?" The instant reply: "Self." A nod to the ubiquitous sign in Korean eateries reading "Water is self-service."
The setup then pays off: "So what's the English word for steamed mandu?" By now, most people get it — combining the two answers, the crowd shouts "Self-service." That, the joke concludes, is the English word for mul mandu.
Wonju city leaned into the humor by putting its deputy mayor front and center.
The promotional video for the 2026 Wonju Mandu Festival parodies a French music video. Unlike the original, which features a group of performers dancing together, this version stars the deputy mayor dancing alone — an audacious directorial choice that draws laughs throughout.
The deadpan expressions of city hall staff standing in the background, set against the deputy mayor's exuberant dancing, add an unexpected comic effect.
The video also weaves in mandu — the festival's signature food — naturally throughout, so viewers can enjoy the clip while building interest in the Wonju Mandu Festival.
"We designed the video so that people could have fun watching it and at the same time develop an interest in the Wonju Mandu Festival," said Song Myeong-sun, head of Wonju city's public communications office. "We will continue to promote the charm of Wonju through fresh and approachable content."
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