Travel
Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival selected as Korea’s ‘Global Festival’ by Culture Ministry
haps Magazine Korea
March 16, 2026
Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival (Photo by Gyeongnam province/courtesy of haps Magazine Korea)
The Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival has been selected for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Global Festival support program, marking a significant step toward developing the event into a globally recognized cultural attraction.
With the designation, the festival joins events such as the Boryeong Mud Festival and the Andong International Mask Dance Festival as one of Korea’s officially supported global festivals.
Under the program, the Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival will receive a total of 2.4 billion won in government funding over three years from 2026 to 2028.
Gyeongnam Province and Jinju City plan to use the support to strengthen signature festival content, improve facilities and services for international visitors, and expand overseas marketing tailored to key tourism markets.
Officials also plan to connect the festival with other regional attractions to enhance tourism in the province.
Potential collaborations include events such as Haman’s Nak-hwa Nori fireworks festival and the Hwangmaesan Silver Grass Festival in Hapcheon, with the goal of encouraging longer stays and greater spending by international visitors.
The Tongyeong Hansan Battle Festival, which passed the initial screening but was not selected in the final round, has been designated a “Gyeongnam Global Festival.”
The province will provide 100 million won in funding to support international promotion and marketing, with the aim of helping the festival compete again for national global festival status in 2027.