Running Friday through Oct. 11 under 'Forever Young' theme, Gov. Park Soo-hyun calls Geumsan 'undisputed world capital of ginseng'
The 44th Geumsan World Ginseng Festival, one of South Korea's leading industry-themed festivals, opened Friday and runs through Oct. 11 at Geumsan Insam Hall Plaza and the surrounding Ginseng and Herb Street, under the theme "Forever Young!"
South Chungcheong Province Governor Park Soo-hyun attended the opening ceremony at Geumsan Insam Hall Plaza on Friday, marking the start of the festival and highlighting the value of Geumsan ginseng.
This year's festival aims to boost the local economy and establish the event as a world-class health festival. Organizers expanded the range of ginseng-related activities and strengthened hands-on, participatory content. They also broadened nighttime programming and events for foreign tourists while placing greater emphasis on eco-friendly practices and safety management.
Key programs are designed to let visitors experience the benefits and value of ginseng firsthand — highlights include ginseng digging, red ginseng foot baths, and red ginseng auricular and traditional herbal medicine experiences. A dedicated K-Insam Beauty pavilion explores ginseng's potential in cosmetics, featuring AI skin diagnostics, red ginseng sheet masks and ginseng mist workshops.
Large-scale drone light shows depicting the history and traditions of Geumsan ginseng will be staged around the opening and closing ceremonies. Organizers have linked the shows to nighttime scenery and other after-dark content across the festival grounds to encourage longer stays and significantly expand evening entertainment options.
South Chungcheong Province and Geumsan-gun said they will continue working together to grow the Geumsan World Ginseng Festival into a globally recognized event that raises the industrial value of ginseng and draws domestic and international tourists by connecting with the region's history, culture and natural attractions.
"Geumsan is the undisputed world capital of ginseng," Park said. "Geumsan ginseng is South Korea's signature specialty product, carrying on 1,500 years of Baekje ginseng tradition, and 'Geumsan Traditional Ginseng Agriculture' was inscribed on the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems in 2018, earning worldwide recognition for its value."
He added that bringing together Geumsan's many ideas — including a ginseng and herb theme park — "will become a new dream for Geumsan," and pledged to "further elevate the value of ginseng and medicinal herbs, revitalize outstanding natural assets like Jeokbyeokgang, and carry Geumsan's pride forward into its future."
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
