Gimcheon gimbap festival draws huge crowds, doubling town’s population

Gimbap (seaweed rice rolls) are served during the gimbap festival in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, Sunday. Yonhap

What began as a playful idea has blossomed into a full-fledged phenomenon in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, as more than 150,000 visitors flocked over the weekend for the second edition of the gimbap festival —ballooning the city's usual population of 130,000.

The two-day festival, which ran Saturday and Sunday, transformed the quiet city into a bustling food hub celebrating Korea’s beloved seaweed rice roll. Over 30 vendors offered 50 varieties of gimbab, from trendy frozen rolls to regional specialties and award-winning competition creations. Local food company Daejung operated an open kitchen on-site, rolling out up to 1,000 gimbap per hour.

The city’s success traces back to a savvy approach to cultural branding.

When Gimcheon surveyed young Koreans in 2023 about the first thing that came to mind regarding the city, the top answer was gimbap — a nod to Gimbap Cheonguk (Gimbap Heaven), a nationwide chain often associated with Gimcheon. Rather than dismiss the connection, officials embraced it, using it as the foundation for their tourism campaign.

The festival’s debut last year quickly went viral and drew about 100,000 people. However, it also drew criticism as the "gimbapless gimbap festival" after the prepared rolls sold out in just three hours.

This year, organizers prepared 10 times more gimbap portions and expanded nearly every logistical category — from shuttle buses to parking lots — yet the crowds surged again and supplies once again vanished by late afternoon.

"We estimated 100,000 visitors, but over 150,000 showed up," a Gimcheon city official said. "Despite the challenges, visitors’ response was overwhelmingly positive."

The gimbap festival venue in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, crowds with visitors, Saturday. Yonhap

Meanwhile, visitors praised the event’s refreshing approach. Unlike most local festivals, Gimcheon’s celebration ditched traditional formalities: no opening ceremony, no speeches by local politicians, no inflated pricing.

Popular musicians and performers, including The Jadu, whose 2003 hit song "Gimbap" playfully uses the food as a metaphor for twists and turns of romance, added to the lively atmosphere.

As heavy foot traffic led to shortages and traffic jams, the city sent out real-time text alerts urging caution and restricting private vehicle access near the event venue. Still, for most attendees, the charm outweighed the chaos.

"I spent nearly 100,000 won on gimbap, but it was worth every bite. All of the gimbap was delicious," said Kim, 31, an office worker in Seoul. "The event was different from many other regional festivals that I've seen, which normally focus on formality and overpriced foods."

Song, a 27-year-old from Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, said she is willing to visit Gimcheon for the festival again.

"It took some time to wait in line to buy gimbap, but it was overall much more convenient and well-organized than what I heard about last year’s event," she said, adding that she hopes the festival will contribute to the region’s revitalization.

Officials said the city plans to extend the festival period and improve infrastructure next year, aiming to solidify its spot as Korea’s unofficial gimbap capital.