On December 6, Gyeonggi Province announced the selection of 15 festivals—including the Icheon Rice Cultural Festival, Yeoju Ogok Naru Festival and Siheung Gaetgol Festival—as the 2019 Gyeonggi Representative Tourist Festivals.

The Gyeonggi Representative Tourist Festivals are selected every year to promote local festivals held by cities and counties in the province with high marketability and competitiveness.

This year’s selection included the Icheon Rice Cultural Festival, Yeoju Ogok Naru Festival, Siheung Gaetgol Festival, Yeoncheon Jeongok-ri Paleolithic Festival, Anseong Namsadang Baudeogi Festival, Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival, Paju Jangdan Soybean Festival, Hwaseong Boat Festival, Bucheon International Comics Festival, Gunpo Royal Azalea Festival, Ansan Street Arts Festival, Osan Doksanseong Cultural Festival, Gwangju Namhansanseong Cultural Festival, Yangpyeong Yongmunsan Mountain Vegetable Festival, and Dongducheon Rock Festival.

Gyeonggi Province will recommend seven of these festivals—hosted by Icheon, Yeoju, Siheung, Yeoncheon, Anseong, Suwon, and Paju—as candidates for the 2019 Korean Culture & Tourism Festivals managed by the central government. If selected, the festivals will receive financial support of between KRW 105 million and KRW 450 million from the central and provincial governments.

The remaining eight city and county festivals that fail to qualify as Korean Cultural & Tourism Festivals will be given financial support of between KRW 50 million and KRW 60 million by the provincial government.

In addition, the 15 festivals are allowed to use the title of “Festival Supported by Gyeonggi Province” and are provided with big data analysis such as cell phone use by festival visitors as well as support for promotional activities.

“Starting next year, Gyeonggi Province will discover unique festivals held by cities and counties and actively support their revitalization as cultural spaces for civic participation,” said Oh Who-suk, Director General of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of Gyeonggi Province. “In addition to these fifteen festivals, Gyeonggi Province is also seeking ways in which to support other promising festivals that have great growth potential,” he added.