Lanterns Light Up Jinju’s Autumn Night... Over 185,000 Visitors on Opening Day

According to Jinju City, Opening Day Attendance Up by 10,000 from Last Year
Nighttime Attractions Include 70,000 Lanterns and 1,300 Drones
Festival Runs Until the 18th at Jinju Fortress and Along the Namgang River
Gaecheon Arts Festival and Korea Drama Festival Begin on the 9th

The 2026 Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival, which kicked off on October 3, attracted approximately 185,000 visitors on its opening day.

According to the Jinju City Government, about 185,000 people visited the festival venues—including Jinju Fortress, the Namgang River, and the Jinju Battle Historical Park—on October 3, the opening day. This represents an increase of about 10,000 visitors compared to the first day of the festival last year.

This year’s festival, held under the theme “River of History, Embracing Peace,” runs for 16 days until October 18. Lantern installations cover the Namgang River and Jinju Fortress areas, and a range of programs—including drone light shows, firework displays, exhibitions, hands-on experiences, and performances—are featured.

[Photo by Jinju City] On the opening day of the 2026 Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival, a drone light show featuring 1,300 drones is being held in the night sky over the Namgang River area in Jinju.

At 6:30 p.m. on the opening day, the “Townships and Neighborhoods Symbolic Lantern Parade” started from Cheonsu Bridge and passed through Gongbukmun Gate, Jinju Bridge, and Mangyeong-dong’s Historical Street. Participants put on a street performance using lanterns representing 30 townships and neighborhoods, along with LED costumes and props.

At 7:30 p.m., the ceremonial lighting of the first lantern took place on a special stage in Mangyeong-dong. Lanterns installed along the Namgang River and around Jinju Fortress were lit, and at 8:00 p.m., a drone light show featuring 1,300 drones and a water fireworks display took place.

This year, 165 sets of floating lanterns were installed on the Namgang River, an increase of 30 sets from last year's 135. Over 1,200 sets of land lanterns were also set up inside and outside Jinju Fortress, on the riverside of Sinan-dong, and at the Railway Culture Park.

The scale of the drone light show also grew from 950 drones last year to 1,300 this year. In addition to the opening day event, drone shows are scheduled for October 10 and 17, while water fireworks are set for 8:00 p.m. on October 9 and 17. On October 10, designated as Citizen’s Day, a letter-themed mini drone show with 300 drones is also planned.

◆ Expansion of Hands-On Events Utilizing AI and Media Technologies

This year’s festival includes hands-on events using AI and media technology.

At the Jinju Battle Historical Park, the “AI-responsive Harmo·Ayo Lanterns” detect and respond to visitor voices in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese, engaging in conversation and activating movement.

At Jinju Fortress, an outdoor escape room-style mission game called “Guardians of Jinju,” themed around the Jinju Battle, is being held. Visitors solve missions throughout the fortress using QR codes and an AI chatbot.

Other available activities include trying on LED Hanbok, making Hanji paper lanterns, creating wearable LED headbands, a Yudeung Golden Bell quiz, and an AI-powered K-pop dance experience.

In addition to the existing wish lantern hanging and lantern making/launching programs, night viewing tours on the Namgang River using floating bridges and cruise boats are also being offered.

◆ The Gaecheon Arts Festival and Korea Drama Festival Start from October 9

From October 9, the 75th Gaecheon Arts Festival and the 2026 Korea Drama Festival will also take place.

The Gaecheon Arts Festival will feature 56 events, including art competitions, performances, and exhibitions. On October 10, the 19th National Costume Parade Contest will be held from Gongbukmun Gate at Jinju Fortress to Insagwangjang Plaza and Jungang Plaza. According to the organizers, some 30 teams comprising more than 1,700 members will participate.

The Korea Drama Festival features the Korea Drama Awards, KDF Concerts, and a range of drama-themed exhibitions and hands-on activities. The KDF Concerts are scheduled at the Namgang riverside in Jangdae-dong from October 9 to 17.

◆ Some Congestion on Opening Day... Strengthened On-Site Management

The concentration of visitors on the first day led to congestion and inconvenience in some areas.

During the festival period, Jinju City is operating an integrated control center in collaboration with police, fire authorities, and other relevant agencies, monitoring the venue through 63 CCTV cameras. Digital measuring devices are being used at the four floating bridges over the Namgang River to manage real-time capacity.

On days when large crowds are expected—such as during the drone light show and fireworks—main walkways will be designated for one-way traffic to disperse the crowds.

For transportation, the city has prepared 11,360 parking spaces at 36 temporary parking lots and will run free shuttle buses on seven routes for a total of nine days, including Fridays, weekends, and holidays.

All food booths are required to display prices, portion sizes, and the origin of ingredients, employing fixed pricing. Jinju City has announced that any business found charging unreasonable prices will face a “one-strike-out” suspension of operations.

During the festival, Jinju Fortress and the Jinju Namgang Yudeung Exhibition Hall will be open to the public free of charge, with extended operating hours.

[Photo by Jinju City] On the opening day of the 2026 Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival, a water fireworks show is lighting up the night sky along the Jinju Namgang River.

An official from Jinju City stated, “Given that there were some inconveniences in congested areas on the first day, we will strengthen on-site guidance and visitor flow management,” and encouraged the use of public transportation and free shuttle buses.

Meanwhile, the Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival is a celebration that originated from the lanterns used as military signals and communication tools during the Battle of Jinju Fortress in the Imjin War. This year’s festival continues through October 18.

The official count of 185,000 visitors to Jinju City on the first day shows the high level of interest in the Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival.

This year, incorporating drone, AI, and media technology into the lantern displays and connecting with both the Gaecheon Arts Festival and the Korea Drama Festival has expanded the festival’s presence throughout the city center.

However, as large crowds have led to inconveniences in some areas, it appears that, for the remainder of the festival, the focus should be on ensuring safe visitor flow management, traffic measures, and curbing unreasonable pricing, rather than simply increasing visitor numbers.

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