Ulsan's Eonyang Hanu Bulgogi Festival to Return After 10 Years

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[Financial News Ulsan = Choi Su-sang] The Eonyang Hanu Bulgogi Festival will resume after a decade in Eonyang-eup, Ulju County, Ulsan, the country's only Korean beef bulgogi special zone.
Ulju County said on the 2nd that the 2026 Eonyang Hanu Bulgogi Festival is in the final stages of preparations to welcome visitors ahead of its opening on the 9th.
The festival began in 2009 to commemorate the designation in 2006 of Eonyang-eup in Ulju County and Bonggye-ri in Dudong-myeon as the country's only Korean beef bulgogi special zones, as well as to expand the local commercial districts. The festival was held alternately each year in Eonyang-eup and Bonggye-ri, but the Eonyang-eup festival was suspended around 2016 due to internal issues within the merchants' association. This year's event marks its return after 10 years.
According to Ulju County, the Eoeum-ri area of Eonyang has long been home to the nationally renowned Eonyang Cattle Market and a slaughterhouse. Eonyang Bulgogi, made with fresh Korean beef produced in the area, is prepared by aging marinated meat before grilling it over a wire grate. It is prized for its tender texture and clean, delicate flavor.
The dish became famous nationwide through word of mouth among workers who took part in the construction of the Gyeongbu Expressway in the 1960s. Residents of Eonyang and Samnam, who had relatively ample funds thanks to the development of nearby amethyst mines, where mining was then in full swing, also enjoyed it frequently. As a result, local bulgogi restaurants flourished. Restaurants selling Eonyang-style bulgogi later increased in the Nambu-ri and Seobu-ri areas of Eonyang-eup, transforming the area into what is now Eonyang Bulgogi Street.
This year's festival will be held from the 9th to the 11th at the event site next to UECO in Gyodong-ri, Samnam-eup, Ulju County. It will offer a wide range of programs, including Korean beef dishes, hands-on activities, performances, and initiatives promoting shared growth with the local community. Korean beef tastings and sales, a large grilling area, and participatory programs such as a live Korean beef auction are also planned.
An official from the Eonyang Hanu Bulgogi Festival said, "As this is the festival's return after 10 years, we are preparing not only food that will allow visitors to fully experience the taste of Eonyang Korean beef, but also a variety of activities, including performances, hands-on experiences, and shopping." The official added, "We will do our utmost in the final preparations to make this a festival that visitors and the local community can enjoy together and that promotes shared growth."
[email protected] Choi Su-sang Reporter