Gwangju Dong-gu's "Chungjang Festival of Memories" Selected as Culture and Tourism Festival for Four Consecutive Years

by Min Chanki

Published 27 Jan.2026 11:00(KST)

Gwangju Dong-gu Office building exterior.

Gwangju Dong-gu District announced on January 26 that the "Gwangju Chungjang Festival of Memories" has been selected as an Honorary Culture and Tourism Festival designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for 2026-2027.

The "Honorary Culture and Tourism Festival" is a system in which the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism selects 20 outstanding festivals nationwide that have been held continuously for over 10 years, with the aim of strengthening the competitiveness of these festivals and fostering their development into sustainable global events.

Since its first designation in 2024, the Gwangju Chungjang Festival of Memories has been named an Honorary Culture and Tourism Festival for four consecutive years, reaffirming its status not only as a leading festival representing Gwangju but also as a global premium event enjoyed by both domestic and international visitors.

With this renewed selection, Dong-gu District will continue to qualify for participation in key support programs of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, including festival evaluation and big data analysis, festival academies and conferences, domestic and international promotion and marketing, as well as festival consulting and professional workforce development.

The 22nd Gwangju Chungjang Festival of Memories, held last year, enhanced audience engagement by focusing its signature content, the "Chungjang Parade," over two days. It also introduced the new "Chungjang Road Night," which highlighted the vibrancy of the city center at night and received an enthusiastic response from younger generations and tourists.

Additionally, through "Asia Culture Day," the festival featured traditional games and cultural experience programs from various Asian countries. The "Asia Culture Street," recreating the atmosphere of a Southeast Asian night market, and the "Asia Culture Show," showcasing traditional performances, transformed the Geumnam-ro area into a grand venue for cultural exchange blending Asian cultures.

The "Gwangju Rice Ball Contest," in which citizens and tourists teamed up to participate, was praised for transcending a simple food event and elevating Gwangju’s spirit of "solidarity" and "sharing" into festival content, earning a positive reception.

A Dong-gu District official stated, "This renewed selection as an Honorary Culture and Tourism Festival is further recognition that the Gwangju Chungjang Festival of Memories is growing into a world-class event beyond Korea. Building on our achievements so far, we will further enhance the festival’s content and overall operations to ensure it becomes a global festival representing K-culture."