Chilgok Nakdong River Peace Festival draws 5,000 attendees

North Gyeongsang Province jointly held the 13th Chilgok Nakdong River Peace Festival and the 17th Nakdong River Battle Victory Commemoration, honoring the history of the Nakdong River defense line and the sacrifices of boy soldiers who fought there.

The opening ceremony, held Friday at Chilgok Weir Ecological Park, drew about 5,000 attendees, including provincial and Chilgok-gun officials, military units, veterans' organizations and local residents.

The festival ran from Thursday through Sunday at Chilgok Weir Ecological Park and the adjacent auto-camping grounds.

Themed "Boys Becoming Boy Soldiers," the event highlighted the dedication of underage soldiers deployed along the Nakdong River defense line and the values of freedom and peace they helped preserve.

The opening ceremony began with a procession carrying the South Korean and UN flags, the flags of 22 nations that participated in the war — including the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada — and 100 war veterans.

A tribute video for the veterans was followed by a themed performance, a laser show, celebratory performances and a fireworks display.

Throughout the festival, military equipment exhibitions tracing the course and outcome of the Nakdong River battles were on display, along with a performance by the Defense Ministry's traditional honor guard.

This year, organizers introduced an "AI Smart Come-In Program" to support visitors with parking updates, activity and food reservations, and child safety services, operating the venue as an AI-powered smart festival site.

North Gyeongsang Province Governor Lee Cheol-woo said the province would continue to share the history of national defense with future generations, honor the sacrifices of war veterans, and work to spread the values of peace and coexistence.