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Korea launches campaign to crack down on price gouging at major festivals
Attendees enjoy the 29th Boryeong Mud Festival at Daecheon Beach in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, July 24. Yonhap
By Lee Kyung-min
Korea is rolling out a nationwide campaign to curb food price gouging and improve hospitality at its largest festivals, beginning with the Boryeong Mud Festival, as the government seeks to make regional events more appealing to international visitors.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Friday it is joining the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Korea Tourism Organization to launch the 2026 Global Festa Check-In campaign during the peak summer festival season.
The campaign officially begins at the Boryeong Mud Festival and will expand later this year to other government-designated Global Festivals, including the Andong Mask Dance Festival, the Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival, the Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival and the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival.
The culture ministry said the campaign is part of a broader tourism movement to promote fair pricing and friendly service so regional festivals become destinations that international travelers can enjoy with confidence and want to visit again.
“This campaign is part of a nationwide initiative to promote the fair pricing and hospitality that tourists value most, ensuring our festivals are places people want to return to,” said Vice Culture Minister Kim Dae-hyun. “Starting with the Boryeong Mud Festival, we will carry this campaign through all our flagship global events to develop local festivals into premier attractions that international visitors can enjoy with total peace of mind.”
The campaign promotes three core goals: fair prices, warm hospitality and memorable experiences.
The government said the Check-In name reflects its effort to check food prices and visitor services while welcoming foreign tourists to Korea's signature festivals.
Officials also plan to encourage visitor participation through a relay stamp tour featuring the popular "Where's Wally?" character and a food price verification event in which festivalgoers can confirm and share menu prices.
Participants will receive festival-themed souvenirs, including keycaps and key rings, as well as food vouchers that can be used at the Boryeong Mud Festival.
The ministries said they will inspect the festival site Thursday before holding a joint declaration ceremony with local governments that operate Global Festivals.
The Boryeong Mud Festival has expanded its visitor services this year by opening a new outdoor K-beauty experience zone and extending mud activities into nighttime programs.
The festival also increased the number of storage lockers and introduced a mobility platform for foreign visitors along with a simplified payment system to improve convenience.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.