Paju to Host Six-Year-Old Ginseng Festival at DMZ... 'Paju Kaesong Ginseng Festival' Opens on the 17th

Paju City Hosts 'Paju Gaeseong Ginseng Festival' Connecting Health, Peace, and Economy
Held at Imjingak Square and Pyeonghwa Nuri Park Until the 18th
Jangdansambaek Cooking Contest, Health Marathon, and More Featured
Direct Trade Market Exp

A marketplace for six-year-old ginseng will be set up at Imjingak in Paju, a place where the scenery of peace and division coexist. This autumn festival allows visitors to purchase ginseng cultivated over a long period by local farmers, sample foods made from local agricultural products, and enjoy hands-on experiences with their families.

Paju City (Mayor Son Baichan) will hold the 21st Paju Gaeseong Ginseng Festival from the 17th to 18th at Imjingak Square and Pyeonghwa Nuri Park. Provided by Paju City

Paju City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Son Baichan) announced on October 3 that it will hold the 21st Paju Kaesong Ginseng Festival from the 17th to the 18th at Imjingak Plaza and the surrounding areas of Pyeonghwa Nuri Park. This event, which features Jangdan Sambaek (rice, soybeans, and ginseng)—the representative agricultural specialties of Paju—and six-year-old Paju Kaesong ginseng, is planned as a comprehensive cultural festival. It aims to combine health, the local economy, and DMZ peace tourism resources into a single celebration.

The theme of this year’s festival is “Run Together, Enjoy Together, Revitalize the Paju Kaesong Ginseng Festival.” The plan is to connect Jangdan Sambaek, Paju’s iconic agricultural products, with the peace tourism resources of Imjingak to create a festival where agriculture and tourism grow together.

The heart of the festival, “six-year-old Paju Kaesong ginseng,” has earned consumer trust thanks to Paju City’s rigorous management system overseeing every stage from cultivation to harvest, selection, and sealing. It is grown in the ideal climate areas of Jangdan-myeon and the Gamaksan Mountain region, characterized by cool summers and mild winters, which results in ginseng with a rich aroma and dense texture.

The direct sales market connects farming households and consumers. Each year during the festival, the city has facilitated the sale of a total of 10 tons of ginseng and specialty agricultural products at prices 15–20% lower than retail, working to expand sales channels for farmers and reduce the burden on consumers. This year, sales booths will again offer ginseng, ginseng products, and other Paju specialties. The “Find the Ginseng Master” program will select outstanding ginseng by grade and conduct live auctions on site.

Paju City (Mayor Son Baechan) will hold the "21st Paju Kaesong Ginseng Festival" from the 17th to the 18th at Imjingak Plaza and Peace Nuri Park. The photo shows a congratulatory performance at the 2025 Paju Kaesong Ginseng Festival. Provided by Paju City

The event will also expand programs that let visitors not only purchase ginseng but directly taste and enjoy it. The “Jangdan Sambaek Cooking National Competition” will bring together 25 teams from across the country to showcase dishes made using Jangdan soybeans, Kaesong ginseng, and premium Paju rice. It’s a stage where the versatility of these flagship Paju ingredients—rice, soybeans, and ginseng—can be experienced firsthand.

Participatory events such as “Making Ginseng Bibimbap” and the “Ginseng Health Marathon” are also planned for visitors. At the Paju Kaesong Ginseng Exhibition Hall and the Ginseng Culinary Development Exhibition Hall, the characteristics of ginseng and its diverse applications will be introduced. The food zone will feature ginseng dishes, local specialty products, and regional cuisine.

The new exhibition content “Heo Jun Herbal Medicine Village” will also draw attention. Two thatched-roofed houses will be recreated as a traditional pharmacy and a ginseng tea tasting area, introducing the history of the Donguibogam and Korea’s ginseng culture. Herbal processing will be demonstrated continuously, showing the process of preparing herbs into medicine.

After sunset, the “Moonlight Theater” will open against the evening scenery of Imjingak. Family-friendly movies will be screened and both street and stage performances will take place. The intention is to extend the time visitors spend at the festival by connecting the daytime marketplace and hands-on activities to evening cultural programs.

Event accessibility will also be improved. For families with strollers and seniors, a “Touring Car” service will operate along major points of the event site. With features such as low-speed operation and enhanced safety, this is intended to make it easy to navigate the expansive festival grounds.

2025 Paju Kaesong Ginseng Festival. Provided by Paju City

Song Hocheol, head of the Urban Agriculture Division of Paju City, stated, “The Paju Kaesong Ginseng Festival is not merely a venue for selling ginseng, but a place for sharing with citizens the fruits of six years of labor by our farmers. This year, with more hands-on programs, people of all ages can enjoy the festival and directly appreciate the value of Paju’s agricultural products.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.