The 2026 Gimcheon Kimbap Festival, which has established itself as North Gyeongsang Province's signature food festival, is expanding its Kakao T Shuttle service to bring visitors from more cities directly to the venue without transfers.
Gimcheon city said Wednesday the shuttle service will cover Daejeon, Daegu, Gwangju and Busan — in addition to Seoul — during the festival, which runs Oct. 23-25 at Jikji Culture Park and Samyeongdaesa Park.
The direct shuttle service was introduced to spare visitors the inconvenience of taking KTX trains or intercity buses to reach the festival grounds and to ease traffic congestion caused by private vehicles.
Shuttles from Seoul will depart from Jamsil Station, Sadang Station and Seoul Station. The newly added routes will run nonstop to the festival grounds from Daejeon City Hall Station, Daegu Banwoldang Station, Gwangju Central Bus Terminal and Busan Seomyeon Station.
Reservations can be made through the Kakao T app by selecting "Shuttle" and choosing a preferred date and departure point. All passengers will receive two Kkodari merchandise items and one roll of kimbap.
"This year's festival, now in its third edition, is expected to draw more visitors from across the country," Gimcheon Mayor Bae Nak-ho said. "Through our partnership with Kakao Mobility, we hope tourists from all over can travel to the festival quickly and conveniently and enjoy it to the fullest."
The 2026 Gimcheon Kimbap Festival will offer more than 60 varieties of kimbap, including rolls from a kimbap factory, regional specialty kimbap from across the country and award-winning creations from the Kimbap Cooking Competition. Visitors can also look forward to kimbap art exhibitions and hands-on experiences, a kimbap train ride and a Kkodari merchandise shop.
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