2026 Gochang Spring Festival: How to Experience Healing and Adventure in Nature

[iNews24 Reporter Ryu Young-shin] Geochang County in South Gyeongsang Province announced on April 8 that the Geochang-e On Spring Festival (the Spring Festival) will take place at Changpowon from May 14 to 17.

Now in its second year, the festival is running under the slogan “Geochang Dyed by Changpo, Embracing Healing!” and centers on the twin themes of healing and changpo. On April 7, county officials held a kickoff briefing in the county’s situation room to begin full-scale preparations.

Acting County Governor Kim Hyun-mi chaired the session, joined by representatives from 11 departments who mapped out the festival plan, clarified roles, and reviewed collaboration points. Discussions focused on concrete steps to elevate the event into a longer-stay tourism attraction.

The festival program will blend nature-based healing, hands-on workshops, and emotionally charged experiences. Officials are targeting roughly 60,000 visitors — about a 45% increase from last year — and plan to sharpen distinctive programming while strengthening their tourist-attraction strategy to reach that goal.

Family-friendly activities and empathy-building programs will be expanded, with a greater emphasis on healing and experiential offerings that use changpo. Planners will also boost interactive content for MZ (Millennial + Gen Z) audiences, including a large-scale “Find Spring” treasure hunt across Geochang.

The county will upgrade food options, rest areas, and viewing routes to improve overall visitor comfort and encourage longer stays. Promotion efforts will link the festival to half-price travel deals and the “Year of Visiting Geochang” campaign to actively increase tourist inflow.

Safety management, traffic control, sanitation, and environmental upkeep will each have pre-planned response systems. Cross-department collaboration aims to establish an on-site rapid-response operation so the festival runs smoothly and without gaps.

With 2026 designated the “Year of Visiting Geochang,” officials plan to connect the spring festival with year-round tourism offerings and focus administrative resources on laying the groundwork for a 10-million-visitor era.

At the kickoff briefing, Acting County Governor Kim Hyun-mi said, “This year’s spring festival isn’t just a celebration — it’s the starting line that will determine the success of the ‘Year of Visiting Geochang.’ I’m asking every department to go beyond their assigned roles and collaborate organically to make this event a success. While we work to raise the quality of our content, safety must be our top priority.”