The Jinju Nongae Festival returns from May 2 to 5 with a stronger focus on hands-on visitor participation and newly introduced AI-based cultural experiences.

The four-day festival will take place at Jinju Fortress and Jinju Battle History Park under the slogan “Gyobang, Connecting Youth.”

This year’s edition is designed to move beyond passive viewing by turning Jinju’s traditional Gyobang performing arts culture into a mix of learning, play, and family participation.

Children and families will be able to join Gyobang-themed mission games, try on traditional costumes, and directly experience elements of the six traditional arts, including gayageum, folk singing, and the Jinju sword dance.

A new AI component has also been added, allowing visitors to create personalized Gyobang music based on poems they write, generate AI-produced themed portraits, and take part in an interactive personality-style “Gyobang type” test.

Festival organizers have also expanded entertainment offerings with a K-pop style Jinju sword dance flash mob featuring around 110 performers from multiple age groups, as well as circus shows, flea markets inside the fortress, and Namgang River kayaking experiences.

Held annually to honor the legacy of Nongae and the tens of thousands who died during the Jinju Fortress battle of the Imjin War, the festival continues to combine historical remembrance with Jinju’s unique local performing arts traditions.

Fleet Chinhae

USAG Daegu