The 2024 Jeonju Kimjang Cultural Festival, Where Taste Meets Style

“Participate in the 2024 Jeonju Kimjang Cultural Festival, where taste meets style.”

As the chilly winds of late fall begin, kimjang discussions become a central topic in every household, marking the biggest event of the year.
Did you know that our tradition of making and sharing kimchi, known as Kimjang, has been recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2013?

The 2024 Jeonju Kimjang Cultural Festival, organized by Jeonju City and the Jeonju Food Foundation, was held from November 22 (Friday) to November 24 (Sunday), 2024.
This year’s festival was moved from Jeonju Comprehensive Stadium to the World Cup Stadium.

A total of 600 families participated in the 2024 Jeonju Kimjang Cultural Festival, blending taste and style.
Of these, 400 families took part in on-site experiences, while 200 families collected their pickled cabbages and seasonings by car at a designated location.

The price for 10 kg (7 kg of pickled cabbage + 3 kg of seasonings) was set at 69,000 won, allowing purchases up to 50 kg per person.
The ingredients for kimjang, including locally sourced cabbages and seasonings, are HAPPC certified, ensuring their safety and reliability.

The kimjang sessions were held three times a day, each lasting 1 hour and 30 minutes, starting at 10 AM.

To achieve carbon neutrality, the 2024 Jeonju Kimjang Cultural Festival limited the distribution of disposable items such as aprons and kimjang vinyl, so additional necessary items had to be provided by the participants themselves.

Kimjang making at the festival has become an annual tradition, with one family even coming from Seoul to join.

A family that has been participating since last year captured a tender moment of a father and daughter making kimchi together.

They reported being pleased with the festival setup for making kimchi, noting it was cleaner and more organized than doing it at home.

Some families brought their own shrimp paste, minced garlic, and extra seasonings to customize the mix according to their tastes.

At one of the sinks, I observed members of the Kimjang Cultural Festival team diligently cleaning trays.

Skillful hands meticulously spread seasoning between the cabbage leaves, quickly resulting in delicious kimchi.
This kimchi is precious, meant to last throughout the year.

It was incredibly satisfying and reassuring to neatly stack the kimchi into containers brought from home.

The festival provided plenty of activities, ensuring fun for families, even for those not participating in the kimjang experience.

Children enjoyed traditional rural autumn activities such as rice threshing, grain pounding, and straw crafting.

A special activity was set up where participants could pound mochi and taste the freshly made chewy injeolmi right there.

At the Kimjang Cultural Festival roulette event, I was lucky enough to win various food products from the Jeonju Food Market.

The Jeonju Premium Kimchi Exhibition Hall displayed information about the origins of kimchi, Jeonju’s kimchi culture, and the kimchi-making process using paper dolls.

Children who came with their parents to experience kimjang also enjoyed playing traditional games like shuttlecock kicking, Yutnori, and Tuho at the children’s kimchi playground.

We received instant photos capturing the children making kimchi at the free photo event.
This year’s festival featured a richer and more extensive array of programs compared to last year.

The performances at the Kimjang Cultural Festival included DJing, live bands, a balloon show, circus acts, face painting, and a magic show, all of which brought joy to the attendees.

Kimchi, the healthy food that sustains our family’s dining table all year round!
I look forward to the Jeonju Kimjang Cultural Festival continuing its rich tradition for many years to come.