Gwanak Gang Gamchan Festival's Second Day Draws Families for Seol Min-seok Talk Show, Aerial Fireworks Performance

Festival Fever Peaks on Autumn Night as It Marks Its 10th Anniversary

Seoul's Gwanak-gu (District Mayor Park Junhee) said on the 18th that the second day of the 2026 Gwanak Gang Gamchan Festival, held on the 17th, kept the festivities going with programs for families.

Performance teams create a scene of harmony during "Gang Gamchan Comes from the Stars," a special performance commemorating the 10th anniversary of the 2026 Gwanak Gang Gamchan Festival, held on the 17th. Provided by Gwanak-gu.

At 1 p.m., history lecturer Seol Min-seok hosted a talk show at the main plaza on the theme “The Man Who Saved the Country with a Brush: Gang Gamchan.” The “Challenge! Golden Bell Quiz Show” also invited residents to answer quiz questions about the general’s life. The district said both programs were well received by visitors for making the general’s achievements and historical significance easy to understand.

Programs involving residents continued throughout the festival grounds, including “21 Neighborhoods Around the District,” with participation from all 21 neighborhoods in Gwanak-gu; “Byeolbyeol Playground,” which turned Goryeo-era weapons and strategies from the Battle of Guiju into eco-friendly games; and “Goryeo Market,” where visitors could sample food. This year, the festival grounds were expanded to include Nakseong Kkotdeul Garden, created last March as a garden-style space for rest and culture. The program also featured a 10th-anniversary archive exhibition, a children’s art contest on the theme of Gang Gamchan, the Inheon Arts Festival, and an archery experience at Gwanakjeong.

At 7 p.m., the festival’s signature program this year, a special 10th-anniversary performance titled “Gang Gamchan Comes from the Stars & Aerial Fireworks Performance,” was held at the main plaza. The show reimagined the legend of General Gang Gamchan’s birth, in which a star fell at Nakseongdae a thousand years ago, against the backdrop of a space station on a future exploration mission. Combining traditional performance arts, contemporary dance, live music, video, and aerial fireworks, it conveyed the general’s courage, solidarity, and sense of community.

“We will work to ensure that the Gwanak Gang Gamchan Festival, which marks its 10th anniversary this year, continues for 100 and even 1,000 years and becomes Gwanak’s signature history and culture festival, one that all residents can take pride in,” District Mayor Park Junhee said. He added, “Events that the whole family can enjoy, including the Citizens’ Pungnyu Festival, are planned for the final day as well.”

Park Junhee, chief of Gwanak District, second from right, poses for a commemorative photo with the Gang Gamchan character at the 2026 Gwanak Gang Gamchan Festival. Provided by Gwanak District.

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