Park In-hwan’s Birth Centenary: 2026 Park In-hwan Literature Festival to Open in Inje on the 11th

【Financial News Inje County=Kim Ki-seop】The 2026 Park In-hwan Literature Festival, marking the 100th anniversary of poet Park In-hwan’s birth, will take place from the 11th to the 13th around the Park In-hwan Literature Museum in Inje.
According to Inje County on the 3rd, this year’s festival will be held under the theme “The Code That Unlocks Romance: 1926 Park In-hwan.” The year of the poet’s birth, 1926, is presented as a symbolic code leading into his literature and romantic world. Under the slogan “A place where a single poem becomes a festival,” the event will bring together poetry and books, music, art, performances, and hands-on activities. This year, organizers have expanded visitor-participation content and nighttime programs. They have also added spaces for visitors to stay, including a lawn library and rest areas, turning the event into a stay-oriented festival where people can spend more time experiencing literature.
Academic and lecture programs include a special conversation titled “Beside the Poet, Behind the Poet,” featuring poet Park Se-hyeong, the eldest son of Park In-hwan, and poet Na Hee-deok. A special lecture by guest speaker Jeong Ho-seung, a lecture by writer Lee Su-yeon, and meetings with authors open to everyone from young children to adults will also be held. The performance lineup is equally rich. On the evening of the 12th, the outdoor stage will host the Ieum Concert, combining fusion Korean traditional music, a cappella, a fire show, and a laser show. Before the Park In-hwan Prize ceremony, sand artist Ryu Hee will present a special performance depicting the story of the poet’s birth centenary through sand and light.
A book fair featuring 15 publishers and independent bookstores from across the country will be held in the piloti area of the Inje Mountain Village Folk Museum. It will offer book exhibitions and sales, book talks, autograph sessions, and a reading room. Visitor-participation contests are also planned. The “Impromptu Poetry Jangwon” contest, in which participants compose a poem within five minutes based on an on-site prompt, has increased its total prize money to 2 million won this year. The “Inje Adventure,” a nighttime walk following Park In-hwan’s sensibility, and a nationwide writing contest will also take place.
In addition, permanent activities will be available throughout the festival grounds, including making accessories using lines from poems, creating personalized book stamps, caricature drawing, and a slow mailbox. The “Code That Unlocks Romance Event” is also drawing attention. Visitors who tour the activity booths and collect all seven code cards—“1, 9, 2, 6, Park, In, Hwan”—can take part in a spinning-wheel event and receive commemorative merchandise.
Kim Oh-jeong, head of the Cultural Policy Team at the Inje Cultural Foundation, said, “From special conversations and lectures to the impromptu poetry contest and code-card event, we focused on encouraging direct participation across generations.” Kim added, “I hope visitors stay longer at the festival grounds, designed as a stay-oriented event, and discover their own sense of romance.”

[email protected] Kim Ki-seop Reporter