"All of Haenam Becomes a Festival Venue"... Minam Festival and Chocolate Festa Set Businesses Abuzz

30% Cashback at Restaurants and Gift Certificates
Expected to Boost the Local Economy Across Tourist Attractions and Commercial Districts

Haenam County in Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City is transforming the "2026 Haenam Minam Festival" from an event confined to the festival grounds into a large-scale celebration that benefits the old downtown commercial district and tourist attractions throughout the region. The plan is to offer visitors a wealth of activities and benefits, while bringing a boost in consumer spending to the local economy as a whole.

Haenam County announced on October 26 that it would hold three major events under the theme "Eat!, Snap!, and Get Benefits!" to spread the enjoyment of the festival throughout the region.

Haenam County is holding three major events under the theme "Eat, Snap, and Get Rewards!" Photo courtesy of Haenam County.

First, the "A Delicious Meal in Haenam! Fall in Love with the Flavors of Haenam!" event offers cashback to customers at local restaurants. From October 23 through November 1, participants can photograph their receipts and submit them online, whether on weekdays or weekends. A total of 250 people will be selected by lottery to receive 30% of their payment back, up to 30,000 won.

The "Fall in Love with Minam This Autumn" social media tourism review event is also designed to attract visitors. From October 30 through November 1, during the festival, participants can follow Haenam's official Instagram account, post a review of their visit, and submit the URL. The first 100 participants will receive 2 kg of "Ice-Roasted Sweet Potatoes," a local specialty of Haenam.

This year, the "2026 Haenam Chocolate Festa" will also take place during the festival around Haenam-eup's County Plaza, creating a synergistic effect. A pop-up store featuring around 18 chocolate and dessert brands from across the country will operate, showcasing a variety of family-friendly dessert activities in conjunction with the Haenam Minam Festival.

There will also be a range of benefits linking the two events. Visitors who bring a receipt from the festival grounds can take part in a lucky draw to exchange for prizes including a Chocolate Festa gift certificate worth up to 20,000 won, 1 kg of rice for tasting, a Duryunsan Cable Car ticket, and a Duryunsan Ecological Healing Park ticket.

In addition, customers who spend at least 30,000 won at Chocolate Festa booths or in the Haenam-eup old downtown commercial district revitalization zone will receive a Haenam Sarang Gift Certificate worth 5,000 won; those who spend at least 50,000 won will receive one worth 10,000 won.

Receipts from purchases made on the same day can be combined. Each person can receive up to 10,000 won per day and up to 20,000 won over the course of the event. A cross-event coupon promotion will also be held: customers who spend at least 30,000 won, 50,000 won, or 100,000 won at Chocolate Festa will receive a coupon for use exclusively at the Minam Festival, with the coupon amount varying by spending tier.

A county official said, "We have prepared a variety of events so that the enjoyment of the Haenam Minam Festival extends beyond the festival grounds to Haenam's tourist attractions, restaurants, and old downtown commercial district. We will offer visitors a wealth of benefits and help spread the boost in consumer spending throughout the entire community."

The "2026 Haenam Minam Festival" will be held in the area around Duryunsan Provincial Park in Samsan-myeon. This year's festival will feature a pavilion themed around "Haenam Rice," along with a wide range of exhibitions, hands-on activities, and performances showcasing local agricultural, marine, and specialty products and food. Details on how to participate in the events are available on the Haenam Culture and Tourism website and the county's official social media channels.

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