Hongcheon Seoseok Cosmos Festival to Open on the 3rd; Entire Township to Become Festival Venue

【Financial News Hongcheon = Reporter Kim Ki-seop】This year, the autumn celebration in Seoseok-myeon, Hongcheon, where visitors walk along pink cosmos paths and catch golden catfish with their bare hands, has expanded beyond the village boundaries into a township-wide festival.
According to Hongcheon County on the 30th, the ninth Seoseok Cosmos Festival will be held from October 3 to 5 at the Seoseok-myeon Sports Park and along the surrounding cosmos paths. This year's theme is "Memories of Cosmos and Golden Catfish."
This is the only one of Hongcheon County's small-scale rural festivals being held at the township level this year. Residents and village heads from each community, local clubs and cultural groups, farmers, and merchants will directly oversee the performances, hands-on activities, and sales programs, while tourists and local authorities will lend their support. The festival is significant because it expands across the entire township the spirit of small-scale rural festivals, which prioritize community leadership and the use of local resources over size.
The planning process was supported by the Hongcheon Rural Culture Terminal and expert consulting. The organizers preserved the festival's community-driven character while refining its programs, publicity, and hands-on and sales content to improve its overall quality.


The festival site will feature cosmos paths, photo zones, and outdoor poetry and photo exhibitions. Other programs include a bare-handed golden catfish-catching activity, a traditional games event, a singing contest for residents and tourists, and an autumn concert by local clubs. Admission to the festival site and access to the cosmos paths are free, while the golden catfish-catching activity costs 15,000 won per person.
On the opening day, October 3, visitors will be welcomed by the opening ceremony, a walk along the cosmos paths, and an autumn concert. Traditional games, golden catfish catching, and a coin karaoke contest will take place on October 4. On the final day, October 5, residents from each village will join a community unity event, followed by performances by local singers, a singing contest, and the closing ceremony.
In particular, the festival will be linked with the Seoseok Five-Day Market on October 4 to encourage tourists to visit both the traditional market and local shops. An agricultural and local specialty market centered on producers from the Seoseok area, along with local food booths, will also operate at the festival site to promote consumption of regional foods and farm products.
An official from the Seoseok Cosmos Festival said, "As residents and village heads from across the township, along with farmers and merchants, have directly taken charge of preparing the performances, activities, and sales programs beyond the village level, this will be a stage that demonstrates Seoseok's strength." The official added, "We will carefully plan the visitor routes so that tourists who begin at the cosmos paths naturally continue on to the Seoseok Five-Day Market, neighborhood shops, and the agricultural and local specialty market on the 4th."

[email protected] Kim Ki-seop Reporter