Namgang Yudeung Festival Opens... Jinju City Council Chairperson Mikyung Park Honors Patriotic Martyrs

Tea Offering Ceremony Honoring the Fallen at Jinju Fortress
Reflecting on the Historical Significance of Namgang Lanterns at the Festival Opening
Lantern Lighting Ceremony Features Floating and Land Lanterns; Followed by Drone Show and Fireworks

Mikyung Park, Chairperson of Jinju City Council, attended the traditional ritual (Goyu-je) held on October 3 at the Imjin Battle Gyesa Shrine inside Jinju Fortress and performed a tea offering ceremony to honor the fallen patriotic martyrs.

This year’s ritual was organized to coincide with the opening of the 2026 Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival, to honor those who sacrificed their lives during the Battle of Jinju Fortress in the Imjin War, and to reflect on the historical significance of Namgang Yudeung (lanterns).

[Photo by Jinju City Council] Park Mikyung, Chairperson of Jinju City Council, is performing a memorial ceremony honoring the patriotic martyrs at the Imjin War Victory Ritual Altar held within Jinju Fortress.

The Namgang Yudeung festival is said to originate from the historical use of lanterns as military signal and communication tools during the Battle of Jinju Fortress in the Imjin War. Based on this history, Jinju City now hosts the Namgang Yudeung Festival.

This year’s festival, held under the theme “River of History, Embracing Peace,” opened on October 3 and will continue for 16 days until October 18, taking place in and around Jinju Fortress and along the Namgang River.

During the lantern lighting ceremony following the ritual, 165 sets of floating lanterns on Namgang River and approximately 1,200 land lanterns inside and around Jinju Fortress were lit.

The opening event also featured a light show using 1,300 drones and fireworks over the water.

Chairperson Park stated that the ritual serves as a meaningful opportunity to remember those who were sacrificed during the Battle of Jinju Fortress and to reflect on the historical significance embedded in the Namgang Yudeung lanterns.

Jinju City Council plans to participate throughout the festival period by promoting the historical background of the Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival and the origin of the lanterns.

The Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival is distinguished from other regional festivals in that it not only features nighttime scenery and performances but also incorporates the history of the Battle of Jinju Fortress and the story of the lanterns dating back to the Imjin War.

The traditional ritual held prior to the opening serves as an opportunity to look back at the origins of the festival. How to honor the fallen patriots, and convey to visitors the history and message of peace contained in the lanterns, is viewed as an important task for maintaining the identity of the festival.

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