Fresh Ginseng at Half Price, Hanwoo Up to 50% Off... Hongcheon Ginseng & Hanwoo Myeongpum Festival Opens on the 8th

[Financial News, Hongcheon—Kim Ki-seop] Hongcheon's autumn food festival, where shoppers can fill their carts with fresh ginseng at half price and Hongcheon Neulpureum Hanwoo at up to 50% off, will open next week.
According to Hongcheon County and the Hongcheon Cultural Foundation on the 4th, the 24th Hongcheon Ginseng & Hanwoo Myeongpum Festival will be held for four days from the 8th through the 11th in and around Tori Forest, an urban forest park in Hongcheon. Held under the slogan "Healthy Ginseng! Excellent Hanwoo!" this year's festival will highlight the value of six-year-grown ginseng and Neulpureum Hanwoo while giving farmers and visitors an opportunity to share the joy of the harvest.
The biggest draw is the discount sale. Six-year-grown ginseng will be sold at discounts of at least 21%, depending on the product, while No. 4 and No. 5 fresh ginseng will be available at half price. Hanwoo will be discounted by 15% or more depending on the cut and product, with discounts on some items reaching as much as 50%. Visitors who spend at least 50,000 won on ginseng or Hanwoo can receive a lucky-draw ticket at the point of purchase. A drawing will be held at 6 p.m. on the final day, the 11th, with red ginseng and Hanwoo gift sets sent to the winners.


The festival grounds will feature the event's signature attraction, "Hanwoo Soup Bones: Happiness for 10,000 Won," along with hands-on programs such as a traditional Korean medicine experience for pain relief and a ginseng-Hanwoo snack workshop. An Alkkagi tournament will also be held. Visitors can learn about the characteristics of local agricultural and livestock products at the Hongcheon Neulpureum Hanwoo and Gangwon Ginseng Agricultural Cooperative promotional halls, as well as the ginseng and Hanwoo promotion and experience hall.
There will also be plenty of food and shopping opportunities. Ready-to-eat items and local dishes, including handmade fried foods, chicken skewers, myeongi hot dogs and Hongchongtteok, will be available, along with a tasting booth for regional specialty liquors. At the agricultural and specialty products market, visitors can choose from Hongcheon-grown shiitake mushrooms, honey, kabocha squash, apples and jujubes, as well as processed foods such as doenjang.
The festival is also taking steps to ease concerns about inflated prices. Menus, prices and weights will be disclosed in advance through "Meokgeori Allio" on the Korea Travel & Tourism Guide, and an on-site verification event will allow visitors to check for themselves whether the actual items sold match the published information. The effort is aimed at creating a festival food culture that visitors can enjoy with confidence.
After sunset, the special stage at Tori Forest will turn into a concert venue. Nighttime performances will run from 7 to 10 p.m. daily from the 8th through the 10th. On the first day, residents from Hongcheon's 10 towns and townships will compete in the Hongcheon River Song Festival, with Kimmi, Hong Ji-ho and Lee Sang-beon appearing as guest singers. Performances by local singers and club members donating their talents will include the Love Sharing Concert, the Hongcheon Comprehensive Arts Festival and the One Heart Concert. Kim Soo-hee and Jeon Young Rok will also take the stage, creating an autumn night for audiences of all generations.


Visitor convenience has also been taken into account. During the festival, shuttle buses circulating through downtown Hongcheon will run more than 20 times a day, promoting a car-free event and reducing reliance on private vehicles. A pet rest area has been set up at the gateball court next to the Hanwoo self-service restaurant to accommodate pet owners while maintaining restaurant hygiene. A souvenir giveaway event will also be held.
Shin Young-jae, governor of Hongcheon County, said, "I hope this festival, where visitors can taste ginseng and Hanwoo firsthand and even make snacks, will serve as a springboard for Hongcheon's agricultural and livestock products to enter the global market," adding, "We will widely promote the true value of the ginseng cultivated with six years of care and Neulpureum Hanwoo both at home and abroad."
Jeon Myeong-jun, chairman of the Hongcheon Cultural Foundation, said, "In addition to selling fresh ginseng at half price and offering discounts on Hanwoo, we have worked hard to create a festival that visitors can enjoy with confidence, including by disclosing food prices," adding, "I hope you will savor ginseng and Hanwoo at Tori Forest, enjoy the autumn-night performances, and fully experience Hongcheon's generous autumn with your loved ones."

[email protected] Kim Ki-seop Reporter